ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

THE CHURCH

When we speak of ‘the church’, we could be referring to a number of different concepts: maybe a church building, maybe a Christian denomination, maybe a meeting, maybe the people who regularly come together for a ‘church’ meeting.

All of the above are visible; and the New Testament usually refers to the ‘church’ in visible ways – either the people or the meeting. But these ‘visible’ concepts of the church can be misleading, if we think of ‘the church’ only as something we can see. In any of the above we can observe failure – we can see people, whom we thought were Christians, turning their backs on Jesus Christ and leaving ‘the church’. We can even see whole denominations rejecting some or many aspects of biblical truth. And it is easy to wonder if we also might fail.

But this seeming departure from faith is not at all surprising, because the visible ‘church’ is comprised of both believers (those with true faith in Jesus Christ) and unbelievers (those whose ‘faith’ is not what the Bible understands as true faith).

Consider these comments about some who followed Jesus:

‘…many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man’ – John 2:23-25.

‘Jesus said “…there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him… From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him’ – John 6:63-66.

Visibly, these people had been following Jesus, listening to his teaching, but Jesus knew all along that there was no real faith in their hearts.

Consider Jesus’ warning about the presence of false believers in the visible church:

‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves’ – Matthew 7:15.

‘Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”’ – Matthew 7:22, 23.

Consider the apostles’ warnings about false teaching and false believers in various visible churches:

‘…savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them’ – Acts 20:29, 30.

‘…watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way…For such people are not serving our Lord Christ …’ Romans 16:17,18.

‘For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ’ - 2Corinthians 11:13.

‘…some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus’ – Galatians 2:4.

‘I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments’ – Colossians 2:4.

‘…the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear’ – 2Timothy 4:3.

(For more New Testament references see this study. )

It is clear from the New Testament teaching that people who identify or gather as the visible ‘church’, do not all believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Although we might be surprised when they ‘fall away’, God is not.

But there is also the ‘invisible’ church: the full number, past, present and future, of those who, by God’s grace, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, have truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in whom the Spirit of Jesus lives, confirming that they are children of God, gradually transforming them into the image of Christ, so that his ‘fruit’ is evident in their lives, and guaranteeing their redemption of the day of judgement. God knows that no matter what happens – no matter what tragedy in life, no matter what pressure the evil one puts on them – they will still be there, believing in his Son, at the end.

Some of those in the ‘invisible’ church might not be seen in the ‘visible’ church, because life, or even, for some, the ‘visible’ church, has seriously wounded them. But God sees them, God knows them; God, the great and good Shepherd, keeps them safe in his arms to the end. God is carrying them all the way home. Close to his heart. (Read Isaiah 40:11; Luke 15:3-7; John 10:11,27-30.)

What we see, is the ‘visible’ church. What God also sees, is the ‘invisible’ church. The two are not identical.

Some in the visible church, are also in the invisible church. God sees them. God knows them.

Some not in the visible church, are in the invisible church. God sees them. God knows them.

The Greek word translated ‘church’ is ekklesia – ‘called out’. This is the ‘invisible’ church – those whom God, by his grace, has called out of the world and made his own. They no longer belong to the world, or even to themselves. They belong to God, and he has promised to keep them safe to the end.