The Church
January 29th, 2011 § 2 Comments
“The church isn’t an optional extra; it’s the shape of your following Jesus.” – Mark Dever, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church, p. 16
Do you agree? Is the church “the shape of your following Jesus?”
January 29th, 2011 § 2 Comments
“The church isn’t an optional extra; it’s the shape of your following Jesus.” – Mark Dever, 9 Marks of a Healthy Church, p. 16
Do you agree? Is the church “the shape of your following Jesus?”
I’m not sure I understand what Dever is saying. More context please. Also, the church is the manifestation of Jesus in this world, so it is dependent on the spiritual vitality of it’s members, but it’s also not one’s individual following of Jesus. What I mean is that if I’m in sin, then my sin automatically bears upon the life of the church so that it’s not only myself that is brought down by my sin, but my brothers and sisters as well. Thus, church cannot be an “optional extra” for any believer since we were created to live in community together.
You’re correct. Context would be helpful. This comment comes near the end of a section in which he was discussing his own journey towards viewing the importance of the local church in the life of the Christian. Involvement in the local church is not just an add-on to being a Christ-follower but an integral part of following Christ. He’s just saying this in a unique way. Also, you make a great point about the close relationship of the individual Christian to the church. The effects of our sin on the spiritual vitality of the church are very real. I’m afraid that many may not realize that. I know it was not until the past years that I began to grasp that.