3780 — Staying with the Church
By Editor
If one's name has been on the church book, and he sees things so wrong in the church that he withdraws from it and leaves the church, and still lives his conviction, will such a one be lost? Not necessarily. And still there is great danger. There never will be a time in the history of poor, mortal man when everything will be just right within the church of God. The Lord does not receive people who are just right. The just right ones are ready for translation. He accepts people as children — little children — those who first yield to Him. So He calls them. They are not able at first to bear strong meat; they are fed on milk. They are not able to bear strong temptations. He deals with them gently, as a shepherd deals with the lambs. We do not expect that a child at first will walk as does a man. We are not surprised at all if he stumbles. Likewise God's children may stumble, and still be His children. Sometimes they may make decided failures, as have some of God's estimable and eminent servants in the past. The real question is, Is the church holding to right principles? Is she holding to principles which will correct her mistakes and her blunders and her sins? If she is, stay by the church. Not until the church turns from the Word of God and rejects it, ought we to leave the church. When the church sets up her own standard instead of God's standard, and we can not help her to see the right standard and the mistake she is making, then it may be time for us to separate and walk alone with God. But we ought to know that that time is reached before we separate. God has associated His children in church relationship because His children need it. The man who seeks to go alone to the kingdom of God, develops idiosyncrasies of character, develops a one-sided character, develops an uncharitable character, as a general thing. We need human associations to break off our sharp corners, to help us to be more charitable and more generous and more helpful. That is the reason that God has made us social creatures. This is manifest in the home where there are simply the husband and the wife, with no children. Such persons often become selfish. With no one dependent upon them, there is nothing to draw out their love and affection and tenderness and helpfulness. They do not reach the highest elements in character just as long as they live for themselves, and do not learn the lessons of tenderness and consideration that come to every father and mother. And it is the same with those who stand outside of church relationship. They are prone to set themselves up for a standard, and criticize those who do not reach the standard, instead of lending helpful, earnest hands to those who are stumbling and weak. There is great danger in departing from the Lord's flock.