Saved by the Church

Some time ago I read an article about the increasing number of Christians leaving the institutional church. The writer suggested there was an indisputable link between salvation, and belonging to the institution of the Church. He considered the idea of claiming to be a Christian without belonging to a church was an oxymoron. Ironically, the general theme of the article was attempting to address why people were leaving, but the writer's prejudice appeared to dominate his conclusion. He shifted from clarifying the link to justifying the institution's eschatological authority without comparing it to the biblical definition and function in his argument. The writer stated without the Church, Christianity is reduced to an ideology, but an ideology, is an institution with guiding rules and dictates. The claim exposes a very institutional idea of the word Church, which is somewhat contradictory because, without Christ, denominational institutions are left with nothing but the religious dogma of an ideology. The writer’s definition opens a dangerous impasse, insomuch as the Church becomes the means of salvation, instead of Christ. He failed to acknowledge that fellowship and spiritual growth are the functions of the Church, not salvation.

First and foremost, being a Christian is not determined by the Church or other Christians. It’s defined by faith in, and justification by God, through Jesus Christ. Disagreement about matters of fellowship does not replace Christ as the cornerstone of salvation and God as the one who saves us. The article reduced Christianity to religious academics, where belonging becomes a condition for acceptance by God.

In saying this, it would concern me if professing Christians rejected other Christians, or displayed indifference to fellowship itself, but, underlying reasons for people leaving won’t be addressed by claiming the religious high ground in the first place. Without a doubt, this article promotes the very thing it’s trying to resolve, by creating disharmony and encouraging the decline in Church attendance. Rejection of the institutional Church does not imply a rejection of God, and it certainly doesn’t reduce faith to an ideology. Attendance at a Church isn’t a requirement for salvation. It’s also not the task of those in, or outside the institutional Church, to judge salvation based on Church attendance.  So what is the Church, the Body, and the Community?

• The Church (Ecclesia) was first used in the Book of Acts to define those who believed in God through Jesus Christ. It constitutes a company of many, united into one, with its headship in Christ Jesus.

• The Body symbolizes the unity of many parts that function together, as one body in God.

• Community is sharing the cycle of life with those who have the same interests. A demonstration of love, edification, encouragement, and comfort between many parts .

To be clear, Ecclesia is a descriptor of people, not buildings, denominations, or institutions. Unfortunately, the latter has become the definition we subconsciously identify with.

Today the church is recognized under denominational terms such as Baptist, Apostolic, Presbyterian, or Catholic. It conveys the impression of something concrete and structural, rather than something fluid and alive. This abstract impersonal impression is not what scripture defines as the Church, and is not exemplified or implied as the entity that stands between, or arbitrates salvation with God. The Church is two or three believers, or the entire Christian community, who gather and share a common faith, whether at home or otherwise. The size, structure, and regularity of attendance have no bearing on salvation.

God has called us into a relationship with Himself, through Jesus Christ, which is confirmed by the spiritual fruit it produces in each of us. God does not petition the Church as such, he calls individuals. The Church is no more or less than a name describing those understood as Disciples of Christ.

Is salvation decided by the church, the body, or the community? The answer is no. Scripture offers no support for any theology that suggests believers must be part of an established institution, to determine their salvation. However, individuals or groups who consciously reject parts of the body can also be guilty of making the same judgments as those I confront here.

In finishing, I want to suggest that all Christians are subject to varying degrees of institutionalism, and as such tend to lose sight of the basic relational tenets of Christianity. Our interactions don't always suggest we view each other as equals in Christ, ask anyone who challenges the institutional authorities. In many respects the head does say to the foot, I don’t need you. If we’re brutally honest, many people have experienced the toxic nature of religion—but we tend to ignore the instruction of scripture for the sake of fitting in. For example, we prefer to be judged by a set of rules that define who is Christian, rather than assessing what the spirit produces. Why don’t we practice mutual submission, instead of perpetuating the poverty of spiritual decline? I’m yet to hear any thoughtful exegesis to support why the institutional Church presumes this intermediary authority, and the Church could be so much more than we currently exhibit.