I have random thoughts today about things.

The Distinctiveness of the Body of Christ: I have questions about the distinctiveness of the body of Christ today. It is a bit of a puzzle in my mind that I must share with you. Today Christ is visible primarily through the church. I was going to say ‘only’ but there is still general revelation to consider (creation, the heart of humanity, etc). That being said the primary means of witnessing Christ in all of his distinctiveness and therefore God, is through his church in all of its variety.

Here’s the problem though – all of the things the church has been called to do seem to be being done as well and sometimes better by secular voices and organizations. While we enjoy meals together as a community secular organizations like Oxfam are out there feeding the hungry. While we gather together in homes to enjoy one-another’s company and read or learn the things we have read and learned a thousand times before the healing of the sick is left to others.

Hospitals were first founded by Christians. Social welfare was first championed by Christians. The first great universities like the University of Paris, Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, Yale and others were all started as Christian schools. In Canada, in the 1800’s churches created settlement houses for new immigrants. Places where they could be assisted with everything from health care, finding employment, clothing, education, etc. All of these things we have gladly given over to secular organizations except of course when it comes to our own community.

The hard reality is this – when we clothe the poor, heal the sick, visit them or the prisoner, when we feed the hungry or the like, we are most often doing this for other Christians. We have become like a snake that eats its own tail. Of course we are called in scripture to care for one-another first and foremost but this is only so that a healthy body of Christ exists to accomplish its primary task – to go into the world and do all these things for the one who is not part of the body. Christ exists for one purpose and one purpose alone – to save the world.

In the Bible, the New Testament book of Mark, chapter 2, verse 17 says – Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

There is a double-meaning here and it is intended. First Jesus tells us that God is concerned with those who need him in a very real sense. All of humanity needs feeding, healing, comfort, love and compassion and can find it perfectly through Christ. Jesus first priority is to reach those who have turned away from God or have been so overwhelmed by the shit of the world that they no longer see his grace.

Secondly Jesus is being a little sarcastic. It’s ok, Christ had quite the wit and it is evidenced throughout the gospels. The setting of the Mark 2:17 is a meal Jesus is sharing with people the Pharisees deemed unworthy of such privilege. Mark 2:16 says –

“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

His response forces the Pharisees to either claim a righteousness so great that they do not need God’s presence or humble themselves and accept the status of sinner along with the tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. whom Christ spent time with and dined with.

In this sense Calvin was very accurate in insisting that we accept a particular truth, as harsh as it sounds – that humanity is totally depraved. Completely and utterly and desperately sinful. Any belief in only partial depravity sets us up to be like the Pharisees and say to ourselves- “of course I have my issues but I am not as bad as them and so God must favor me more and I should avoid them to show God how serious I am at following him and avoiding sin.”

We have no righteousness. None. It sounds terrible but it forces us to identify with the rest of humanity. We all equally need God from the filthiest child murderer to the most noble Mother Theresa…each of us has the same need – no more, no less. By understanding this the barriers to the world can come down and we can go out into it and declare what the apostle Paul declared in verse 21 of chapter 5 of his second letter to the Corinthian church –

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In Christ we are declared righteous. Right before God. Not ourselves but Christ who shelters us. Christ who contains us. Why this righteousness? Not simply to go to heaven as some unfortunate people have been taught although eternity with God is part of being in Christ. No, we need to look at the verse just previous to this to understand the primary reason for this righteousness which overshadows and covers our own continuing depravity:

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

God implores us to be reconciled to him that we might be effective ambassadors to the world. All that we are to do in Christ is for the sake of the world. The Westminster Catechism asks a profound question:

Q. What is the chief end of man?
A . Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

First we glorify God, than we enjoy Him (or possibly as a result we enjoy him). How do we glorify God? By recognizing our own need for him and than coming to capture his vision which is to complete Christ’s mission on earth. That mission – “save the entire world”. How? By bringing the presence of Christ to every corner of the globe. All that we do as followers of Christ is geared toward one thing – presenting Christ to the world.

Why do we gather as a community of believer’s once a week in celebration? For the sake of those outside?
Why do we prayer? For the sake of those outside?
Why do we read scripture? For the sake of those outside?
Why do we learn about God? For the sake of those outside?

While we are unrighteous and depraved, relying on Christ’s righteousness, and we demonstrate this unrighteousness on a minute by minute basis each day we must come to accept that God’s vision for us is the redemption and restoration of all of creation.

A church without God’s vision becomes lost and ultimately replaces God’s vision for one of her own. Certainly it may act like it should but if the primary purpose is to please self or neighbour rather than serve those outside the church, those who are antagonistic to the church, than she has failed ultimately to be the church.

A person without a vision is blind and lost. An organization, group or communitywithout a vision is blind and lost. Knowing this we all strive to have a vision. Some of us create a vision while others capture their neighbour’s vision. When this vision is not God’s for the world it is ultimately humanistic which means it is rooted in the frailty and depravity of our race and therefore ultimately doomed to failure.

The vision of Christ is God’s. The vision of God is for the world. Those who are sick. The depraved like you and I no matter how hard you strive. To understand this fully means to let go of any sense of our own righteousness and seek shelter in Christ’s. We must then, in this sense, die to ourselves so that we might live in Christ and for one reason – that others would come to live in Christ and God’s joy would be made complete.

Simply put…Christianity is not about self. Never about self. It is about the one who does not know Christ and therefore does not know God. It is ONLY about the other and any other vision is doomed to failure, be it a personal vision or a corporate one.