Marks of the True Church: Discipline

We've been considering the three “marks of the true church” as outlined in the Belgic Confession, and we've come to the last: “if church discipline is exercised in punishing sin.” There's at least two words in that statement that make modern church ears uncomfortable — discipline and punishing. They sound controlling, legalistic, unloving. Did the author of the confession get it wrong? Is it a product of a sterner time that has little relevance for today? To the contrary, the Confession reflects enduring biblical truth. 

We must be quick to note that the church is full of sinners. That’s who we were before coming to Christ and that’s who we are after coming to Christ. The issue of concern is not the presence of sinners, but the presence of impenitent sinners. When a person comes into the Church through faith in Christ they are entering into a new framework of living. They have a new standard of morality, a new paradigm for understanding the world. To shift one’s thinking (or to use a Biblical description, put on “the new self”) God has put in place a number of devices that facilitate the process. Local church membership and the mutual accountability it entails, biblical preaching and teaching, gathered worship, spiritual “disciplines” such as prayer and fasting, and, if need be, loving admonition and correction, all play an important role in making us who we have been created to be. We need these elements so that we can move on to the maturity that God envisions for us. 

As is evident from the list above, there’s a lot of “discipline” that goes on before a church ever has to “purge the evil person" from among them. (1 Corinthians 5:16), and that’s a good thing. Excommunication is something that should be extremely rare if the folks in a church are intent upon putting on the new self, "created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24) But if there is one in their midst that refuses to heed Christ, unrepentant about their sin, or intent on spreading false doctrine, that one must be treated “as a Gentile and a tax collector,” that is, one out of fellowship with God and his people. (Matthew 18:15-20)

That last point is important to emphasize. As John teaches, the purpose of proclaiming the gospel is to have fellowship with God and his people. (1 John 1:1-3) Sin intrudes on that fellowship, and when it does the necessary thing is to confess it, knowing that God forgives sin (1 John 1:8). If one refuses to acknowledge sin for what it is then that one makes God out to be a liar and demonstrates that the gospel has not been embraced (1 John 1:10). Such a one has no place within the church until he is ready to confess what all true churches confess, that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord.

Marks of the True Church: Pure Administration of the Sacraments

In a previous post we considered the first of three “marks of the true church” as articulated in the Belgic Confession: the pure doctrine of the gospel being preached. The second indication, or mark, that the church is "true" is "if it maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ” (Article 29). 

I suspect that most evangelicals don’t think much about the sacraments (the Reformers saw only two in the Bible: Baptism and the Lord’s Table), at least not with the level of intensity as did the Reformers. For evangelicals, other marks are important: expositional preaching, small groups, “spirit-filled” worship, quiet times, mentoring relationships. While these are not to be despised, and can prove profitable for spiritual growth, they do not rise to a sacramental level. The Lord Jesus ordained two rites, Baptism and Communion, for identifying and strengthening his disciples. Other practices that have grown up in the church, if they are helpful and biblical, can be added to them, but the sacraments are God-given, God-designed, God-ordained rites that ought to be understood and maintained.

The sacraments are spoken of as a “means of grace.” By this is meant not that they are charged with some inherent power that gets transferred in their use, but that God uses the sacraments to promote the spiritual maturity he is looking for in his people. How do they do this? I would argue that they do so primarily as covenantal signs. Paul teaches that when Abraham was commanded to circumcise himself in response to the covenant God had made with him, he “received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith.” This was done, Paul instructs, so that Abraham would be the father of all who are justified by faith, not by the law. This was important for it allowed the “promise [to] rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring.” Paul goes on to say that Abraham “in hope . . . believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations.” After all, he “was as good as dead.” Nevertheless, “no distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:11- 21)

Consider the important role circumcision played in strengthening Abraham’s faith. He bore the mark in his body that preached to him that God would fulfill what he had promised. Could his circumcision be reversed? It could not. Neither would God’s covenant. In a similar fashion, the sacraments are signs and seals of what God has done for his elect. Was Christ’s atoning sacrifice sufficient? Indeed, it was. This is proclaimed each time a baptism is administered and the bread and cup are distributed. His work was complete. Sin has been covered. Salvation is guaranteed by the covenant ratified in his blood and confirmed to us by the waters of baptism and the elements of the Supper.

Do you doubt God’s love? Do you question your place in the kingdom? Do need assurance that there is an inheritance reserved in heaven for you? In faith, look to your baptism. In faith, receive the cup and bread. God has promised eternal life and given signs and ratifying seals so that you might not waver concerning the promise of God, but grow strong in your faith as you give glory to God, being convinced that he has done, and will do, all that he has promised.

Marks of the True Church: The Pure Doctrine of the Gospel Is Preached

Say you were to move to a different city and wanted to find a church to join, what would you look for? Some folks would look for a church that was large with lots of programs. Others might look for something smaller, anticipating greater intimacy in relationships. Music might be a factor, or the kind of worship the church offers on Sunday morning, with some leaning toward the “traditional” and others toward “contemporary.” Location might also weigh into the decision. For some, the particular theological commitments of the church would be most important. Is it Reformed?  Or decidedly not Reformed? Charismatic? Pentecostal? Do they baptize babies or only adults? Do they allow for female elders or only male?

So many options! Why is this so? It’s one of the by-products of the Reformation. Once the Roman church was no longer the only church, the forces at work spawned multitudinous expressions under the Christian banner. I don’t know if Martin Luther anticipated such a result, but his concern for the true gospel impelled him to nail his ninety-five theses to the door of current orthodoxy and the die was cast.

For the Reformers and their immediate offspring, concern for the “pure gospel” became one of three “marks of the true church” (see Belgic Confession, Art. 29). In part an explanation for their schismatic actions, it remains the primary concern for anyone who claims the label Christian when it comes to evaluating a church. If the gospel is not the foundation then inevitably the house built upon it will not be truly Christian.

This leads to a discussion of how we can know what the gospel is, which, in turn, leads us to consider the authority of the Bible. We can confidently know the gospel because in the Bible we have the authoritative story of Jesus and its authoritative interpretation, recorded for us by men specifically chosen and empowered by him for the task (John 17:6-8; Luke 24:44-49; Ephesians 4:11-14).This is why the reestablishing of the Scriptures as the “supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men and private spirits, are to be examined” (Savoy Declaration of Faith, Ch 1.10) was so necessary for the Reformers. God has spoken, and it is his voice that must be heard if a church is to remain an expression of the “true” church.

Moving soon? If so, consider if what is taught in the church you are evaluating lines up with the biblical witness. Before you go, however, take a few minutes to learn about the other two “marks of the true church.”

A Servant of the Servant

Paul begins his letter to the Romans, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus . . .” When we consider how we are to live, Paul’s self-description is important to keep in mind. He lives as a servant of Jesus. That relationship defines who he is and what he does. He is one totally devoted to the will of the one to whom Jesus was totally devoted. What he does, following Jesus’ example, is live out that will in his day-to-day dealings with people. Jesus did this perfectly. Paul did not. But Paul knew that this was what was required of him as a servant of Christ Jesus.

Israel had been set apart to serve God. They were to be a “light to the nations.” (Isa. 42:6) Their knowing and doing the will of God was intended to be a life-giving provocation to those around them. Consider Moses’ instruction as Israel was about to enter the Promised Land: “I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’” (Deut. 4:5, 6) Alas, Micah (and the rest of the prophets) had to constantly remind Israel who they were and how they were to live: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) Except for brief flashes of obedience, they failed miserably.

In God’s kindness, Jesus did what Israel could not do: consistenly and perfectly walk in the will of God. In this sense, he was the true Israel, the true light to the nations, the true inheritor of the promises. As we have been joined to him by faith, the blessings come our way, but so do the obligations. Each of us is a servant of Christ Jesus, the risen one, who leads by his Spirit. This is why the language of Paul is important. We are now in service to the one who has purchased redemption and brought eternal life. Our words and actions must reflect that reality. 

The Law: Friend or Enemy?

Biblical law is a tricky thing. It is both positive and negative. It is positive in a negative way and negative in a positive way, while at the same time being positive in a positive way and negative in a negative way. It is something we are to live by, but it’s also something we are to die to. It instructs how we are to live, and yet it produces death. It can show us how far short we fall, and yet let’s us think we are doing pretty well. It is something that brings a blessing, and something that brings a curse. It confines. It frees. Confused? I don’t blame you.

The problem is not with the law, it’s with us. We are created to find our freedom, satisfaction, joy, indeed, our humanity in following God’s law. Instead, we seek to live by another law, one of our devising that is wholly inadequate to the task. It’s like trying to fuel a car with grass instead of gas. Grass is good for cows, not cars. So too with human beings. We need to feed on what makes us go.

The historic problem, of course, is that our default condition has become one of wanting grass not gas. So when the law is presented to us as that in which we need to walk, we either reject it wholesale, or take the bits of it that we like and leave the rest. This not only alientates us from God, it alienates us from oursleves. We are trying to be human without nourishing ourselves with what makes us human. It is a losing battle with eternal consequences.

There is hope, however. God has acted to change our appetite. He clears the way by reconciling us to himself through the atoning death of his law-loving Son. He places a new desire within us, one that is eager to walk in his will. He also renews our minds so that we can see how our thinking has been skewed by sin. 

What a radical change takes place in the life of believers! What produced death now brings life. What once exposed our impotence is now a world of possibility. We can, by the grace of God, through his Spirit working is us, have a foretaste of the liberty we will experience when we are, at last, released from all the trappings of our old, fallen selves and are walking in “the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:21) This will not be apart from the law. It will be wholly defined by the law, and we will delight in it.

Are You a Thief?

The Eighth Commandment, “do not steal,” is straightforward. If it does not belong to you, then do not take it. This relates, of course, to other people’s property, their stuff. But the command is not limited to stuff. If we slyly manipulate a situation so that we unjustly favor ourselves while putting others at an economic disadvantage, it can be a form of theft. Theft can also take place when one party is owed something by another and does not receive it: the rent due as stipulated by a lease, or a full day’s work for the agreed upon wages. But not only matters related to money or property are involved. The apostle Paul speaks of owing honor, respect, and obedience (Romans 13). These are due certain people in our lives and if we do not offer them then it is a debt that remains unpaid, and we are thieves.

I would also suggest that we can be thieves of other people’s shalom. Shalom is the Hebrew term for peace, but it means more than absence of conflict. It envisions wholeness, equanimity, serenity, lack of disturbance. God instructed Aaron to bless Israel by pronouncing God’s shalom over them. This is what he desires for them and what would have been enjoyed if they had not rejected his favor. Nevertheless, by his grace, shalom is what we have to look forward to in the New Jerusalem. Between now and then, however, we are called, as his people, to be agents of shalom in this fallen world. But as Paul notes in Ephesians 4, our capacity for disrupting shalom often resides in our tongues. As peacemakers, we are to “let no corrupting talk come out of [our] mouths.” To the contrary, we are to strive to speak “only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Lastly, we can be guilty of stealing love. Paul says that love is the one debt from which we will never be released (Romans 13:7). This is not like a business arrangement in which we've agreed to pay someone for their labor. When we’ve handed over the check we have discharged our debt. But not so with love. We are always required to love and if we do not offer to others the love that God desires, we are thieves for we are stealing something that others have a right to possess. 

As with the other commandments, there is a broader application than the most obvious. For the Eighth, property is definitely involved, but so is honor, respect, obedience, and love. In seeking to live by the command, we do not want to be found to be in possession of something that belongs to another, no matter what it is.

Trouble Submitting?

Creation is an act of self-revelation on the part of God. As the apostle writes, God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20). As God is a living person and not an inanimate thing, we should expect that creation consists of more than atoms and impersonal forces. Inherent in the reality that he has spoken into being are principles, concepts, ways of living. Of foundational importance is the principle of authority. 

Authority is woven into all that God has made and is a principle present in the Ten Commandments. At the head of the “first table” of the Commands is the authority of God: “You shall have no other gods.” At the head of the “second” is the authority of one human being over another: “Honor your father and your mother.” To not accept authority as a settled reality is to live in an alternative universe. Unfortunately, rebellion is in the heart of the human, the fruit of which is glaringly evident all around us and within us.

Despite our natural tendency to rebel, humans must learn to accept and be grateful for authority. And the place God has designed for us to grasp this foundational principle is the home. The Fifth command directs us to hold in honor our parents. John Calvin notes that, biblically, this entails reverence, obedience, and gratitude. That is, we are to deeply respect our parents, submit to their authority, and return the kindness shown to us by providing for them when the need arises.

Getting this primary human relationship right set us up for all of our human relationships. It is intended to shape us into people who will love neighbor as self. The call for godly leadership on the part of parents and ready honor on the part of children teaches, among other things, responsibility, humility, sacrifice, generosity, patience, love, justice, mercy and forgiveness. It’s not difficult to see why Moses teaches that heeding the Fifth Commandment results in long life and prosperity (Deuteronomy 5:16).

Authority is inescapable in the universe God has made. And while it’s the case that humanity’s inherent rebellion has led to some tragic parenting, resulting in wounded souls and broken hearts, we cannot afford to neglect the Commandment’s principle. To do so invites destruction, not just to families and the individuals involved, but to whole communities (see Deuteronomy 21:21). Our goal is to steward authority well so that accepting it proves a delight.