God’s ‘Cloning’ System
Read Time: 2 min
Anyone who has served in the military knows the purpose of basic training. The goal is to take a collection of individuals from varied backgrounds and mold them into a unit that works as one. By the end of this basic training, they march in step, perform assigned tasks in the same manner, and support one another. Personalities aren’t erased; rather, they are redirected for the common goal of the team.
That’s not a precise analogy to how the church functions, but it might give you an idea. The church’s chief function is to make disciples who, through the Holy Spirit, reflect the life and mind of Christ. This happens when we “live … by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
C.S. Lewis, a Christian writer in the 20th century, put it this way in his book Mere Christianity: “The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.”
That’s why the church gathers weekly for worship. That’s why Christian fellowship is supposed to be different than fellowship found at the corner bar. It’s why the church offers ordinances such as baptism and foot washing. And it’s why the church’s emphasis is on instructing believers in what the Bible says.
There are any number of social clubs in the world in which folks can escape the burdens of daily life—centered around sports, hobbies, or other pursuits. But the church was not established to be a social club. It’s God’s hospital for healing wounded souls and His academy for producing saints who’ll uplift the world.
Apply It:
Whenever you attend a worship service—or a church committee or board meeting—remember to build others up and share with them the good news!
Dig Deeper:
Hebrews 10:25; 1 John 1:3, 6, 7; Matthew 28:20
Key Bible Texts
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4 KJV)