Austin's Blog

Though the bereaved have good reasons to leave the church, we ought to try to overcome them. Why? The Church is a special reality within the world. It is both an organization and an organism. The intuition and holy longing for community are real within us. The Gospel seeks to put flesh on those longings through the presence of the Church. The Church testifies that rebel sons and daughters can be changed and remade into something glorious through the work of the Godman, Jesus Christ. The Gospel’s goal is to create a people who daily revel in the glory of God.

One goal of the Gospel is to bring together Jew and Gentile and proclaim to the cosmic powers the wisdom of God (Eph. 2:11-22; Rom. 2:28-29, 11:11-32; Gal. 6:16; Heb. 8; Jas. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:11). The Church is a stain-glass window made up of people from different races, financial situations, and cultures. The stain-glass window has a message plastered upon it that says, “God knows what he is doing. Satan is a fool. Behold and exalt in the wisdom of the Lord!” Jesus does not save sinners so they walk an aisle and forever walk by themselves in the world. No, he saves people into a loving community of grace. Why? Because Jesus is grace incarnate and his community of followers is a grace-wrought reality designed to conform us to the image of Christ.

The church is not merely a gathering of people or a weekly event. It is a profound, divine reality where God’s presence specially dwells. Scripture calls it the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22–23; 2:16; 4:4; Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 12:13), joined to Him as its Head, and the bride He loves and will one day present to Himself in glory (Eph. 5:23; Rev. 19:7–9). It is the temple and building of God (2 Cor. 6:16–18; Eph. 2:20–21; 1 Pet. 2:5), where His Spirit dwells, and the priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6) offering spiritual sacrifices. It is Christ’s flock (John 10:11–17; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:3), His family (Eph. 5:1), and the pillar that upholds the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). It is God’s field (1 Cor. 3:9), His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20), and His witnesses (Acts 1:8). It is a holy nation (1 Pet. 2:9; Titus 2:14), made up of citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20; Eph. 2:19), yet living as sojourners and pilgrims (1 Pet. 2:11; Heb. 11:13). It is the army of God (Eph. 6:10–18; 2 Tim. 2:2–3), letters from Christ (2 Cor. 3:2–3), and the branches of the vine (John 15:1–8) abiding in Him for life and fruitfulness.

Ultimately this call to community is a call to God. You and I need the Gospel’s help to love other believers. It is not easy. I need to accept as I have been accepted. Forgive as I have been forgiven. Love as I have been loved. And that is only possible through the grace of God. You desperately need God to love others like this. This love will do bewildering things to this broken and marred world. Why should the grieving and bereaved hang with and remain within the Church even though there’s pain, heartache, and misunderstanding? She is God’s church. It is a divine reality. God is doing something in, within, and through those people.