第2章

God's Purpose for His Church.

The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men.It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.

From the beginning it has been God's plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency.The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory.The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to "the principalities and powers in heavenly places," the final and full display of the love of God.Ephesians 3:10.

Many and wonderful are the promises recorded in the Scriptures regarding the church."Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."Isaiah 56:7."I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season;there shall be showers of blessing." "And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.Thus shall they know that Ithe Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord God.And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 34:26, 29-31.

"Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen:

that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Saviour.I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses." "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." Isaiah 43:10-12; 42:6, 7.

"In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have Ihelped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves.They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for 11He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them.And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted....

"Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted.But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me." Isaiah 49:8-16.

The church is God's fortress.His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world.Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son.From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth.In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived.These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work.God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven.He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people.

Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has sustained His church.Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has not prepared for;not one opposing force has risen to counterwork His work, that He has not foreseen.All has taken place as He predicted.He has not left His church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and that which His Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell has been brought about.All His purposes will be fulfilled.His law is linked with His throne, and no power of evil can destroy it.Truth is inspired and guarded by God; and it will triumph over all opposition.

During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill.From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders.Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard.It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts.

"Whereunto," asked Christ, "shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?" Mark 4:30.He could not employ the kingdoms of the world as a similitude.In society He found nothing with which to compare it.Earthly kingdoms rule by the ascendancy of physical power; but from Christ's kingdom every carnal weapon, every instrument of coercion, is banished.This kingdom is to uplift and ennoble humanity.God's church is the court of Holy life, filled with varied gifts and endowed with the Holy Spirit.The members are to find their happiness in the happiness of those whom they help and bless.