p. 5 | The True Church

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Mar 1, 1910

The True Church

How May We Know It?

Kadesh-barnea, just south of Palestine, noted as being the place where God's church in the wilderness came to a great opportunity and missed it through unbelief. Here in eleven days' journey from Sinai, the Promised Land might have been entered. See Numbers 14.

HERE are earnest, longing hearts in this sin-sad world that are hungering for truth.

There are eyes which have grown dim and heavy in looking for the heavenward path.

There are aching limbs and wayworn feet which have followed some road which promised hope but gave no rest. There are souls filled with the strife of sin that have longed, lo, these many years, for the Peace-giver, for the rest of peace, but have found it not.

In the world's great Babylon of creeds and churches and standards, where is the true? Is it any wonder that souls are puzzled, mystified, deceived, or despairing in the mazes of mysticism and the rival claims everywhere in evidence?

Yet are there multitudes who are asking for the true way, the true church; and we wish to help them if possible.

What are the marks of her divine adoption? What are the evidences of her commission from God to point the way, to conserve the truth, under God to save souls?

What Are Not Evidences

1. Great numbers should have no weight with us in determining the question. For error has ever been in the preponderance. It is easier for the carnal heart to follow the promptings of the flesh; and the true way does not minister to the natural longings of the heart, does not feed its passions, nor foster its pride. Every false religion takes strong hold of the cords and affections of the natural heart, and in some cases their devotees number millions.

2. Neither is fewness in numbers an evidence of God's favor. Altho we are told that few enter the narrow way leading to life, that Christ's church is a “little flock,” that it is the “remnant” in great crises which shall be saved, mere paucity of members is not an evidence of truth; for error has many little offshoots and idiosyncrasies which appeal to but few.

3. Nor wealth nor power nor pomp nor influence nor elaborate ritualism, nor all combined, are an evidence or are proofs of the true church of God. Many false religions and forms of idolatry have possessed all these, and by them have lured souls to ruin.

4. Neither claim nor succession of priesthood or ministry should be considered as evidences unless there are indubitable, substantial proofs apart from claim and succession. Yet on the mere claim of false Christs many have been deceived; and every apostasy nearly from the Christian church was led by men upon whose heads had been laid the hands of those who were in the “succession.” Neither claim nor succession creates or perpetuates “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” A claim which has for its twofold evidence the claim itself and the confirming witness of its own manufacture, is unworthy of consideration.

5. Miracles, or healings of body, are not evidences of truth. Christian Science “heals,” hypnotism “heals,” Spiritualism “heals,” “faith-curists” “heal;” some “speak with tongues;” but none of these are evidences of the true church of God.

For the determination of the true church of Christ there is but one standard, the Word of God, the Bible. By divine power God has established His church. By precept has He marked out her conduct. By promise has He assured her sufficiency for all her needs. By prophecy has He foretold her history—His Called-out Ones. The establishment of His church does not begin with companies, but with individuals. And “the Head of every [called-out] man is Christ;” therefore of that church—the called-out ones—Christ is “the Head.” He comes into that church by the living faith of the individuals who compose it, and is held therein as its Head, its Master, by the abiding choice and willing submission of its members. No other power, no “man of sin,” no “mystery of lawlessness,” can then be enthroned save by consent of the souls who form the church.

That church will be marked by the possession of Faith; and faith has respect to the Word of God. Hence the standard of that church will not be a human creed, will not be God's will interpreted by human tradition, will not have upon it the rigid, molding, fettering power of a dead hand, but will be an advancing, developing, loyal body, holding to the one standard—the Book of Christian truth, the Bible. It will follow that and that only. It will weigh in its balances and measure by its standards all theories, all claims, all ministers, all apostles, all messages.

The faith of God's church will be an obedient faith. It will be a faith which accepts Christ Jesus, not alone as a cleanser from sin, but as the example of holy living. A faith which does not issue in obedience is abortive or spurious. In Jesus faith led to the keeping of all God's commandments, in the joyful doing of God's will. In each soul composing His church it will do the same. “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.” 1 John 2:6. The Spirit of God in His church will “shed abroad” in each heart “the love of God” (Rom. 5:5); and “this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3.

That obedience of faith to God's holy law is ever the strongest and clearest of evidences of the truth or error of all human claims. God's law, as spoken by His own voice from heaven, is the detector of error, the great confirmer of truth. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to

this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20. Jesus makes the same law—the will of God, the transgression of which is iniquity, lawlessness,—the test:

“Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matt. 7:21-23.

The obedience of faith to God, the reception of the Spirit in Christ Jesus, will develop the whole man, spiritually, morally, mentally, physically. It will develop a church of clean, temperate men and women, who are workers for God. That they may be fitted for that work, God distributes to each and every true child the gifts of the Spirit. See 1 Cor. 12:4-28; Eph. 4:7-15. When Christ comes, His church will “come behind in no gift.” 1 Cor. 1:7.

Therefore the test of the true remnant is neither numbers nor power nor influence nor tradition nor “apostolic succession” nor miracles. Here are God's “hall-marks” of genuineness:

“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17.

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND THE FAITH OF JESUS.” Rev. 14:12.

This is not saying that there are not true souls in every communion or outside of all communions. God watches over them; “for the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” 2 Chron. 16:9. God is gathering them out, showing their errors, giving them light, and in the last crisis they will stand with His commandment-keeping church.

That church is composed of fallible, erring, imperfect mortals; but the infallible One is leading by His Spirit and Word. Every step of her halting, limping, yet victorious way has been foretold by prophecy. Her glory and power when obedient, her witness under persecution, her apostasy and union with the world, her scattering in great Babylon, her return to God and His truth, have all been predicted by His Word and fulfilled in her experience.

That church has liberty in Christ. She may be warred against, persecuted; but she will lift no carnal weapon against others. Her only warfare is against sin and error; her only object, to save souls. Come to Christ, reader, and be found among His “Called-out Ones.”