But Paul’s doctrine cuts a distinct line. The church is the witness for Christ, a witness for her absent Lord, maintaining all the truth as to Christ — not just a part of it. He left the church here, not as an institution to establish foundations in the world or to build for generations to come, but as a witness now —now — with the thought that at any moment we are going to leave it.
Over forty years ago now, I was worshipping in a church. We had a godly man for pastor. I was active there. Many dear Christians were in that institution. I left there because I did not find the doctrine of Paul. I found a part of the truth, but I could not go on with the doctrine of Paul and stay there. When I left, my dear old pastor wrote me a letter telling me what an awful blunder I was making in leaving a big ship to get into a very small one. Then he went on to tell me what a big thing the M. Church was, and he gave a long list of statistics. The whole letter was a mass of comparative figures. But there was not one verse of Scripture in that two-page, typewritten letter — not one verse of Scripture — and, what is more, there was not one reference in that whole letter to the will of God. No, it was a question of human wisdom. I was making a blunder, sacrificing my chances in life, jeopardizing my opportunities for advancement in the ecclesiastical world by stepping out and aligning myself with a group of “nobodies.” Forty years have rolled by; that old institution still stands — I pass it many a time, but never with one note of regret that I did not stay there. I am glad that God revealed to me comparatively early in my spiritual life that the truth of Christ and the church is so dear to the heart of Christ that I cannot be in full communion with Him unless that truth forms a part of my thinking and a part of my path and practice.
Paul says of the counsels of God, “I kept back nothing” (Acts 20:2020And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, (Acts 20:20)). Friend, are you keeping back something? Are you compromising the truth? Fellow-Christian, I feel so helpless as I close this address; I feel I have just scratched the surface. I feel there is so much here, and one would love to go on in this line. It is in this Book. Make it your own. Dig deep; find out what it has for you. Value it! Do not let anyone rob you of it. God forbid that I should discount the gospel. I do not mean that, but I mean, Do not stop at that. Go on to perfection. I want to read this verse in closing: “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:2828Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: (Colossians 1:28)).