How Are We Growing?
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of planned articles regarding the growth of the local church wherever you might assemble. They are written with the prayerful desire that they generate serious thought within each member regarding his/her responsibility toward the numerical and, more importantly, SPIRITUAL growth of the local church.
Part One: How Much LOVE is Here?
It is one thing to say we love one another with pure hearts fervently (1 Peter 1:22). It is quite another to prove the statement! Thessalonica had no trouble proving their brotherly love (1 Thessalonians 4:9), but it appears several places struggle to prove their statements of love. Remember, you cannot let brotherly love continue unless it first exists! (Hebrews 13:1)
Romans 12:9 - 21 is an impressive list of commandments that teaches brethren how to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:18). It begins with our present point: “Let love be without dissimulation.” Dissimulation means “favoritism/partiality.” While brethren claim they love each other without respect of persons (cf. James 2:1), actions often dictate otherwise. Many indicate a greater love for those who are related by the blood of the flesh than those who are related by the blood of Christ. Question: How do such Christians explain the Lord’s statement, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37)
Brethren, love without dissimulation requires that we extend the same love one toward another! (Remember the example of the Thessalonians – 1 Thessalonians 3:12.) When brethren who worship together frequently do not even know the names within that local family of God, how can they prove love abounds? Worse, when they seldom, if ever, speak to those who are not of their physical blood, how can they grow to love those they know are brethren in Christ Jesus? Growth? Not in these cases!
As well, some categorize love with statements like, “I love the singing,” “I love the preaching,” “I love the bible study,” etc. That is all wonderful if engaged in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) and done heartily (Colossians 3:23). But if this love is generated from a carnal delight rather than spiritual (Romans 8:6), how fervent is that love? Is the heart of the one “loving” acceptable to God, based on his/her temporal delights of the tunes rather than the teaching within the songs, hymns, and spiritual songs being sung? Is it the sound of the speaker’s voice, or the style of his presentation, which delights the heart, or the content of God’s word within the sermons and lessons? Which is what God desires and generates true growth of the soul? If we sing, “O how I love Jesus,” is there enough proof of the statement via our demeanor to prove it, or have we merely made a heartless confession?
The growth of any local church of Christ must be spiritual first, foremost, and only! If the concentration of growth is limited to the numerical “how many and how much” area, failure has already begun: the focus is upon carnal things rather than spiritual (Romans 8:6). When focus is limited to the physical numbers, entertainment will soon be the “calling card” rather than the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:24). When folks truly love the Lord, their assembling together is not “social mindedness”, but is as Jude said: “building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 20 – 21) If there could be any favoritism with our love, it would be that we love our Lord more than all others and all other things!
When others see this fervency of love, they tend to become curious about and receptive to the gospel of Christ. (Matthew 5:16) How much love is exhibited when the saints assemble with the local church of Christ? If it is not genuine, brotherly love, without dissimulation, how can everyone feel embraced with love equally? Read and study Romans 12: 9 – 21 and take note of how this listing assures brotherly love permeates us in Christ.