The two churches

Romans 12:5--so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

     Throughout the course of history there have been two churches, one physical, one spiritual.  One church is made with hands(where God does not dwell--Acts 17:24), while another is made by God(where His Spirit does not depart--Hebrews 13:5).  Which church are you a member of?  It can be confusing, at times, to distinguish between the two churches since the line of demarcation is not drawn around one physical building.  As Jesus pointed out in Matthew 13:24-30, wheat(believers) and tares(unbelievers) will be together.  So, while one physical church may be full of wheat, another may be full of tares, and still yet other mixed with both.  Today, I will give a couple of indicators to help differentiate between the members of the true church and the one made with hands.

     Comfort instead of compassion.  Matthew 9:36 says, "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd."  While members of the true church will be moved with compassion for others, especially the lost, the other church will be concerned with comfort.  In word they may declare to desire sinners to come to repentance, but in reality what they mean is, "As long as I don't have to do much" and "As long as they look like me."  Those not a part of the true church concern themselves with the look and smell of the building and the people that attend it, not the spiritual state of the flock.  Appearance is vital and comfort is key, even if that comfort leads them to hell.

     Malice instead of mercy.  James 2:13 says, "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.  Those within the true church understand the temptation to jet into judgment, but resist it; instead, choosing to follow Christ's example and show mercy to all.  That is not true of those outside of the true church.  Their first instinct and practice is to find fault in people and then to share those thoughts with others.  These members tend to spread gossip and speak evil of dignitaries(especially if the dignitary stands behind the pulpit).  They feel more comfortable tearing people down than lifting them up, even if such behavior originates from the devil(Revelation 12:10).  Members of the true church, however, will operate in the wisdom that originates from above which is full of mercy. (James 3:17)

     Although this list is not comprehensive, my goal is to help others understand which church they may associate with and to encourage them to change their membership, seeing that their path leads to hell.  My hope is also to encourage those that are a part of the spiritual church to begin to break down the walls of separation and seek out true fellowship with those that are part of the body of Christ.  II Timothy 2:22 says, "Flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."