Why do we do what we do as a church?

Over the next few months, we will take some time to consider together the marks of a healthy church. We will do this by laying out a philosophy of church ministry to underscore what or who the church is as the bride of Christ. A church's mission will only be on target to the degree that her philosophy of ministry is consistent with her nature and character as the bride of Jesus.

After stating what the church is, we will reflect on her mission, that is, her gospel stewardship as the bride of Christ. The church-bride has been wed to her husband to boast in her Divine-groom and it is the proclamation of the Law and the Gospel, the great work of her husband, that particularly displays His power and virtues.

The nature of the Church is the bride of Christ

The Church, by its very nature, is the bride of the eternal Son, who is the second person of the Trinity come in the flesh to be her Husband, King, Priest, and Prophet. Consequently, a philosophy of ministry for the bride of Christ must keep an eye on her King-Husband to understand her goals and responsibilities for ministry (Ephesians 5:23, 32).

As Christ is the man from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:48), so his bride has been created from the man of heaven to "bear the image of the man of heaven" (15:49). Thus, the church's perspective is heavenward. Her mind is set on things above, where Christ is seated, for she is positioned with Christ in the heavenlies (Colossians 3:1).

Consequently, the mission of Christ's bride is not to build earthly cities to transform society into heaven, but rather to proclaim the heavenly city, Mount Zion, as citizens of a heavenly kingdom. The old creation is destined to pass away while the new creation, rooted in Christ in the heavenlies and in the regenerative hearts of his elect through the new birth, will last forever (2 Corinthians 5:17; Hebrews 1:10-12).

The stewardship of the church is the ministry of the gospel, which belongs to Christ

Upon consideration of a philosophy of ministry that marks a healthy church, it would do well to remember the apostle Paul’s description of his ministry in 1 Corinthians 4:1. He writes, “... this is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” In light of Paul’s apostolic authority and position serving as an apostolic foundation for the church (Ephesians 2:20), elders, deacons, and members in the church need to be reminded that they are not positioned above the ministry as kings, but rather they serve as stewards of the apostolic doctrine and ministry of the church.

The church, her doctrine, and her ministry belong to Christ as the King and Head. Consequently, a philosophy of ministry begins with the recognition that the ministry belongs to Christ and the church with its members and officers serve as stewards of the ministry of the gospel.

The instruments of the church can be summed up in the Law and Gospel

The old reformed catechisms, like John Calvin’s Geneva Catechism and Zacharias Ursinas’ Heidelberg Commentary and Catechism, taught that the Law and Gospel is the doctrine of the church that separates the church from the world. The Law and Gospel can be seen most clearly in Romans and Galatians.

The Law reveals the righteousness of God summed up in loving God and neighbor. According to Romans 7, the Law reveals sin and points toward Christ who has fulfilled the righteousness of the Law (Romans 8:1-4; 10:1-13). The Gospel provides the solution in Christ who paid the penalty of the Law and fulfilled the righteous requirement of the Law. As Romans 3:21-22 says, the righteousness of God cannot come to sinners through the work of the Law but through faith in Jesus Christ.

The pattern of the book of Romans is Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude. Romans 1-3:20 employs the Law to condemn to reveal guilt. Romans 3:11-11:36 reveals the sovereign grace of God in Jesus for guilt, offering saving grace to both Jew and Gentile. Romans 12-16 underscores the sovereign grace of God that produces a sacrificial life of gratitude and praise. Law and Gospel are the tools, the weapons, and spiritual DNA of the church. The means of grace offered through the Word proclaimed, songs of praise, prayer, and service highlight the Law and Gospel through the pattern of Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude.

The hymn, Rock of Ages, summarizes well these two instruments of Law and Gospel:

Law:

“Not the labor of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands

Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow.

All could never sin erase, Thou must save, and save by grace.

Gospel:

Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling

Naked, come to Thee for dress, Helpless, look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me Savior, or I die.

As we look at a philosophy of ministry that characterizes a healthy church, we have seen so far the nature of the church as the bride of Christ and the stewardship of the church, which is the proclamation of the Law and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Next month, we will turn to consider a philosophy of ministry that is founded upon the glory of the Triune God, particularly the Father’s love for His Son, the Son’s mission to display the love of God in the gospel, and the Spirit’s mission to glorify Christ to the glory of God the Father for the exaltation of the Godhead, one God in three persons.