Organised By: Ntirampeba Isaac,IMS SDA Evangelism, and Multimedia Department Leader,Uganda field.
“Thou art all fair my love, there is no spot in thee” Solomon 4:7.
Wonderful scripture! Mark it with care, because it is very important to our understanding of the church of God.
God makes it clear in the verse above that His church is (not, will be) pure, undefiled and without spot.* Now wait a second!
If Christ meant that every member of His church is pure, undefiled and without spot at any point in time before probation closes, then surely He was contradicting Himself, because He states in Matthew 13:30 that the wheat (i.e. God’s faithful children) and tares (false brethren) would grow together in the field (God’s Church) until the harvest (end of human probation).
How do we marry these statements? Well, one fact is undeniable, that “ *God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1* John 1:5). It is the devil, who “when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44).
The church of God existing before the end of human probation is a church militant—still fighting battles with the forces of evil, while the church after the close of probation is a church triumphant. Therefore, there must be something else that determines its purity at any point in time before probation closes. Let’s find out what it is…
Christ in Matthew 18:20, said that it is only His presence that validates a collection of individuals, whether two or three, to be the church of God and that, what unites them or rather what brings them together is His name.
Christ is truth according to John 14:6 which implies that if the presence of Christ with a group of believers is what makes them constitute the church of God, *then the presence of truth, not just a bit of truth, but whole truth as it is in Jesus* , is what qualifies them to be the church of God.
Well would it be for us to remember 1Timothy 3:15 which states that the church of God is the pillar and ground of truth. *In other words, the church of God is the support and the stay of truth in the world, meaning that the only place where truth is found is the church of God.*
In his payer for His church, Christ said, “Sanctify them through Thy truth, thy word is
Truth” John 17:17“ *All truth is to be received as the life of Jesus. Truth cleanses us from all impurity, and prepares the soul for Christ’s presence. Christ is formed within, the hope of glory.”—Our High Calling p. 208*
The Bible is the book that reveals truth to us. 2Timothy 3:16-17 tells us; “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Those who believe in Jesus and are purified from all iniquity and are zealous of good works (John 3:16 and Titus 2:14), are made perfect when they take “all scripture” for their “doctrine” (teaching) and “instruction in righteousness”.
Therefore the purity of a church is determined by its doctrines (i.e. what it teaches and what it upholds as its beliefs). No church was ever pronounced fallen or corrupt just because one of its members was caught committing some sin.
Matthew 15:8-9 tells us that those who teach for doctrine, the commandments of men worship God in vain (no matter how earnest they may be in their error), meaning that it is only those who teach for doctrine, the commandments of God who worship Him in “Spirit and truth” (John 4:24).
Therefore the church of God is pure because it upholds doctrines that are purely founded on Bible truth. This means that its purity before probation closes is determined by its doctrines not by its members, for the members are a mixed multitude (wheat and tares; but after probation closes, the tares will have been sifted out; hence Christ will present the church unto Himself “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Eph. 5:27).
All the members of the church at that time will be pure, perfectly reflecting the image of Christ their Redeemer.
The test for the purity of a church is given in Isaiah 8:20; “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” “ *God is light, and in him is no darkness at all* . If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth”—1 John 1:5-6
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”—1 John 2:3-6
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”—John 15:10
Bro.Isaac Ntirampeba Head of Multimedia IMS SDA Uganda Field,Kampala
By Speaking according to the law and the testimony, the church of God possesses light that makes it to be a light to the world. And so Jesus says to her members: “ *Ye are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”—* Matthew 5:14, 16
The dawn gives place to day . The sun, gilding, tinting, and then glorifying the heavens with its blaze of light is a symbol of the Christian life. As the light of the sun is light and life and blessing to all that live, so should Christians, by their good works, by their cheerfulness and courage, be the light of the world.
As the light of the sun chases away the shades of night and pours its glories on valleys and hills, so will the Christian reflect the Sun of Righteousness which shines on him.
Before the consistent lives of Christ’s true followers, ignorance, superstition, and darkness will pass away, as the sun dispels the gloom of night. In like manner the disciples of Jesus will go into the dark places of the earth, disseminating the light of truth until the pathway of those in darkness shall be illuminated by the light of truth.”—Our High Calling p.296.
Those that do not speak according to the law and to the testimony, besides not having light, draw close to God with their mouths and honor Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him and in vain they worship Him, teaching for doctrine, the commandments of
men. (See Mathew 15:8-9). *These sunless professors are shadows of darkness!*
Now, someone will say:: br. Isaac, wait a minute. What about the following quotation:
Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the light of the world that is polluted and demoralized by sin.*
The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ bestows His supreme regard.* 16LtMs, Ms 139, 1901, par. 2
Then another one will bring wheat and tares to confirm his point.
We are going to see all slowly by slowly
WHEAT AND TARES*
One interesting thing about the church of God is that; though it is “pure, undefiled” in doctrine, its members are in two groups—the wheat and the tares.
*Who are the wheat and who are tares?*
The parable of the wheat and tares is found in Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43.
In this parable, we find the following key terms; *field, good seed, tares, Sower of the good seed (who is also the field owner), the enemy (who is the sower of the tares), and harvest.
“The field,” Christ said, “is the world.” But we must understand this as signifying the church of Christ in the world.* The parable is a description of that which pertains to the kingdom of God, His work of salvation of men; and this work is accomplished through the church.
True, the Holy Spirit has gone out into all the world; everywhere it is moving upon the hearts of men; *but it is in the church that we are to grow and ripen for the garner of God.”—Christ Object Lessons p.70 para.2*
First things first, the wheat and the tares grow together in the wheat owner’s field, not in the enemy’s field.* Therefore before we start saying; “let the wheat and the tares grow together’, lets make sure we are talking about them growing together in the wheat owner’s field (i.e. *God’s field* ) *which is His church.*
The wheat and tares should never grow together in an apostate church—a church that does not speak according to the law and the testimony (a church not in the narrow way). If there are faithful souls in some apostate church, Christ says, “ *them also I must bring” to “this fold”[His church]* “and they will hear my voice and there will be one shepherd and one fold” (John 10:16)
In his explanation of the parable, Christ said, “” *He that sowed the good seed is the Son of man* . . . The good seed are the children of the kingdom. (Matt 13:37-38) *The good seed represents those who are born of the word of God, the truth* .”—Christ Object Lessons p.70 para.3
Because Christ is the door by which every one of us must enter to be saved, and that this door is actually a strait gate, the wheat are the true believers that have entered through this door. They are self denying and have chosen to take up their crosses and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). They have been convicted by the Holy Spirit and are converted. They accept all the requirements of the narrow way on which they are walking.
“But the tares are the children of the wicked one” (Matt 13:38). *Tares “represent a class who are the fruit or embodiment of error, of false principles”* —Christ Object Lessons p.70 para.3
The tares do not enter through the door- Christ, for they are sown by the devil. *They join themselves to the church but not to Christ.* They know the Law, but not the Law giver.
They know the Sabbath, but not the Lord of the Sabbath.
“By bringing into the church those who bear Christ’s name while they deny His character, the wicked one causes that God shall be dishonored, the work of salvation misrepresented, and souls imperiled.”—Christ Object Lessons p.71 para.1
Surely this is something that no true child of God would want to see happening. No
wonder why those servants in the parable wanted to uproot the tares. “ *Christ’s servants are grieved as they see true and false believers mingled in the church* .
They long to do something to cleanse the church. Like the servants of the householder, they are ready to uproot the tares. But Christ says to them, “Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. *Let both grow together until the harvest* .””—Christ Object Lessons p.71 para.2
*Notice one thing here; the tares were not be identified until the time when the wheat brought fought fruit* .As the tares have their roots closely intertwined with those of the good grain,* *so false brethren in the church may be closely linked with true disciples. The real character of these pretended believers is not fully manifested.* Were they to be separated from the church, others might be caused to stumble, who but for this would have remained steadfast.”—Christ Object Lessons p.72 para.1
*Tares are secret sinners! * *Get it right—secret sinners, why—because their character is not fully manifested. * A good example of a tare is Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples of Christ.
When the church teaches that we should keep all the commandments of God, a tare will also teach the same given a chance to teach publicly. When the church teaches health reform, a tare will also teach the same in public.
*The moment one publicly teaches contrary to what the church of God believes and practices, he ceases to be a tare and becomes an open sinner. Mark the difference! *
More details to keep on coming your way,” THE BIBLE AND THE SPIRIT OF PROPHESY”
