THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH IN THE LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL

THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH IN THE LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL THE INFLUENCE OF THE CHURCH IN THE
LIFE OF THE INDIVIDUAL
Robert C. Jones The church is the body of Christ, the house of God, the kingdom of heaven. It is the spiritual institution in which all the saved have membership, over which Christ rules as head and in which his spirit dwells. The Lord’s church is ever exerting influence upon the individual just as a flower steadily bestows fragrance upon the air. So when the church fulfills her mission in the world, individuals are influenced to become Christians, God is glorified and the world is made a better place in which to live. In ancient days when God, through the prophets, spoke of the establishment, the mission, the glory and the destiny of the church, he also mentioned the great influence the church would exert in the hearts and lives of the people. ‘‘They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom” (Psalms 145:11-12). When the church, in word and deed, speaks of the glory of the kingdom, talks of God’s power, making known his mighty acts, we are doing the very things that, through the ages, have influenced the lives of the people. The prophet Isaiah said: (Isaiah 2:2-3) ‘‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it. And many people shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord; to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” It requires great influence to cause many people to say: “Come, let us go to the house of God and be taught of his ways and walk in his paths.” But with the passing of time we see the complete fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. The prophet Daniel referred to the mighty influence of the church when he said: (Daniel 2:44) “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” Not by force of arms, not by political tricks, but by righteous living and gospel teaching, the church as a stone cut out without hands, smote the image until it was broken to pieces and became like the chaff of the threshing floor, and the wind carried them away, and no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. The prophet speaks of the small beginning, great growth, mighty influence and eternal destiny of the church.

I think Solomon referred to the church when he asked: “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?” (Son_6:10). If the answer to this question is the church, the influence of the church is suggested in a very beautiful and impressive way.

Jesus made, in the sermon on the mount, one of the strongest and most striking statements to be found in the scriptures on the influence his disciples should have on the world. He said: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giv- eth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16). As salt works silently and mightily in seasoning and saving, so the church must exert a strong, enriching and saving influence in the life of the individual and through the individual effect the whole world. As an illuminating, revealing and guiding light the church dispels the darkness, makes known the way of life and gives every incentive to righteousness. In order to exert a strong influence on the individual, and upon the world, the church must do and the church must refuse to do certain things. In words the church must be scriptural in all things if she would be influential in righteousness. Our influence for good is always in proportion to our faithfulness to Christ. “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). Christ, not the church is our authority. The things commanded, and the things condemned, are fully revealed, by the Lord, in his word. He hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness in the perfect law of liberty. This revelation furnishes us completely unto every good work. “And he that goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the teaching hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9).

If we would be, and if we would influence others to be, pleasing to the Lord, we must accept his word as the standard of authority, doing no more and no less than it requires. Balaam said: “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more” (Numbers 22:18). On this point Balaam preached the truth, but like many of our day he failed to practice what he preached. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). If a man, or if the church, will speak and live according to the oracles of God, Christian influence in the life of the individual will be overwhelming. There is an ever present danger of our turning from the truth unto lies, and thereby losing our righteousness and our influence here, and our immortal souls hereafter. Paul said: “I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:29-32). To be scriptural and influential the church must be strong in faith.
The faith of the church in Rome was spoken of throughout the whole world. This was a powerful influence for good for which Paul was thankful. Paul remembered and thanked God for the Thessalonians, because of their work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in Christ. Such people will not be ignored or forgotten. When the churches were established in the faith, they increased in number daily (Acts 16:5). This shows that a faithful church will be an influential church, and a growing church. Faith working through love avails in Christ (Galatians 5:6), and faith working through love avails in the life of the individual. Faith alone is dead, but obedient faith is alive and mighty in its work and influence. Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Work has tremendous influence in the life of man. Those who work are influenced by the work they do, and those who witness good works are usually effected by them. While we are working on our work our work is working on us. While a man is building a house, the house is building the man. In all our work we are building ourselves. Look at what we are doing on the outside and you can tell what we are becom- ming on the inside. The highest reward for man’s work is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it and the good effects that it has on others. In order for the church to influence the individual her faith must work through love. We must love the Lord and all the people in all the world, not in word only but in deed and in truth. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing (1 Cor. 13:113). Let the church prove her love for the individual, and her influence on the individual will be good and great.

Good character is the foundation for good influence.
“Be ye holy; for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). “We should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Be good, do good, and influence other for good. The Lord’s plan for the church calls for us to worship God in spirit and in truth (Matthew 4:10; John 4:24; Revelation 22:8-9). Worship is one of the most influential acts of the church. In worship the intellect of the individual is enlightened, his emotions are stirred, and his will is enlisted in the service of God and humanity. We should place ourselves under the influence of the worship of the church as often as we have opportunity. The church has influence, which is exerted consciously or unconsciously, for good or evil, for time and eternity. The influence of the church in the life of the individual in the hereafter is apparent when we understand that membership in the Lord’s church is essential to the salvation of the soul. The church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18-24). Christ is the saviour of the body (Ephesians 5:23). God sets the members in the body as it pleases him (1 Corinthians 12:18). The Lord adds to the church those that should be saved (Acts 2:27). Man was created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43:7). We are commanded to glorify God (Ron. 16 :?7; Revelation 1:6). We are told to glorify God in the name Christian (1 Peter 4:16). And Paul says: “Unto him be glory in the church of Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end.” Therefore a man cannot obey the Lord, and he cannot do that for which he was created without being a member of the Lord’s church. Jesus, taught that all the sheep must be in the one fold, with one shepherd (John 10:16). He also taught that only the sheep would be saved, the goats will be lost (Matthew 25:33). The flock is the church of our Lord (Acts 20:28). You must be a sheep in order to be saved, all the sheep are in the fold, and the fold is the church. When the end comes, and Christ shall have put down all rule and all authority and power, he will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wi inkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). Let us make our calling and election sure, by being members of the church, and at the end of the ages be presented to Christ, and delivered to the Father. So the influence of the church in the life of time, and space, into the great and boundless eternity, the individual reaches beyond the realm of matter, and up to the throne of God and the everlasting home of the redeemed.
Fort Worth, Texas