Vol. XLI December 2, 2009 No. 12

The Divine Pattern for the Lord’s Church (Concluded)

The Pattern in Perspective

by Tom McLemore

As important as I consider the practices to be that we have discussed, I fear that there is considerable misunderstanding about how they relate to other matters. Thus, as we conclude this series of studies, it may be helpful to put everything we have discussed into the proper perspective. Only when we view all of these things properly can we proceed effectively on the basis thereof. This is central to overcoming a denominational view of the Lord's church, and it is crucial to knowing how to appeal to those who are not members of the Lord's church.

As important as any feature of the pattern might be, we must avoid being satisfied with practicing only select parts of the pattern. It is very easy for us to practice the pattern with respect to corporate worship and the care of the church and yet fail to follow Jesus as a pattern for daily life. I wonder how many children of God consider attending services with a congregation that follows the New Testament pattern in worship to be all that is involved in living the Christian life. Then there is the serious problem of following Jesus as the pattern with respect to daily living, yet thinking that assembling with the saints or being scriptural in corporate worship are optional.

While emphasizing the pattern, it is good to remind ourselves that for any observance of the pattern to be acceptable to God and beneficial to those who engage therein, it must be an expression of the heart of the Christian. Jesus declared, “You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines’” (Matthew 15:8, 9). This passage addresses both sides of the pattern issue—following human precepts rather than divine is unacceptable, and so is following divine precepts insincerely.

The corporate features of the pattern are indeed no substitute for individual obedience and a personal relationship to the Lord. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’” (Matthew 7:21-23). Is it conceivable that on Judgment Day, many will appeal to Jesus on the basis of the pattern? Will they say, “Lord, Lord, did we not sing a cappella? Did we not partake of thy supper and give of our means every first day of the week? Did we not have only the men to preach and lead the prayers?” Will Jesus respond to some saying, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evil doers?”

It is conceivable that there are some folks who are trusting in the pattern, as vital as it is, as their salvation. Their faith is centered in their fulfillment of the pattern. However, the pattern is not a substitute for Christ the Savior. Various features of the pattern, as important as they may be, are no substitute for genuine faith in Jesus Christ. It is absolutely essential for all of us to recognize that we follow the pattern because we have been saved rather than following the pattern in order to be saved. Refusing to follow the pattern indicates a defective faith in Christ, but faith in one’s adherence to the pattern is not the same as faith in Christ. Recall that our confession is not “I believe in the New Testament pattern” (though we ought to be willing to say that), but “I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Everyone who makes that confession is constrained to follow the pattern, but the pattern is not the Person who died that we might live!

We must avoid giving the impression that the church of Christ is a denomination. A denomination is an organization that is set up by men, and people are invited to join up. Those who set it up intend for it to be a Christian organization, and they intend for its membership to be made up of those who are Christians. However, the members of the denomination will tell you that being saved is distinct from becoming a member of their organization. They will accept as members only those whom they consider to have been saved already (even though, according to the scriptures, they have not been saved, because they are not penitent, confessing believers in Christ who have been baptized).

The church of Christ, by contrast, is nothing more or less than the people whom the Lord has saved (Acts 2:41, 47), and they become members of it in the process of their being saved. There is no saved person who is not a member of the church of Christ, and there is no member of the church of Christ who came to be such by any other way than being saved. Becoming a member of it is not something that leads to and results in salvation, but being saved results in having become a member thereof. The process by which one is saved is the process that makes one a member of the church of Christ.

If you say to members of denominations, “You must become a member of the church of Christ in order to be saved,” you are appealing to them on the basis of a denominational view of the church. Such is a denominational view of the church because it suggests that becoming a member is something distinct from, and in addition to, being saved. Such an approach is tantamount to saying, “The church of Christ is the right denomination because it follows the pattern, and all the others are wrong because they don't. You need to join the right denomination.” Not only is such an approach erroneous, but it is sure to lead thinking people to turn a deaf ear to us.

I hope that you are committed to following the pattern that is revealed in the Scriptures. I pray that you have been convinced of the validity of the pattern principle and have been encouraged to think in terms of seeking the pattern that is provided by the early church under direction of the apostles of Christ. There is no other way to do justice to what has been revealed and to be pleasing to the God who revealed it. In our subjective age, it is imperative that our people keep themselves moored to this way of thinking.

Designed and maintained by Houston Park Church of Christ Copyright © 2000 by Houston Park Church of Christ   2 Crescent Hill Drive   Selma, Alabama 36701  334-874-7941.  All rights reserved. Revised: 24 Sep 2008.

Back to Welcome Page