Withering Roses, Estranged Fledglings, and Amputated Limbs: A Desperate Plea Not to Forsake Christ’s Bride

What is the consequence of detaching a budding rose from its root system? The beauty of the flower is enjoyed for a moment, but its end is withering, death, and decay. Or, consider the small fledgling as it falls from its mother’s nest in a premature attempt to fly on its own. The tiny bird is separated from the loving care, protection, and nurture of its mother. Endeavoring to find freedom and life, the hatchling soon discovers its all too gloomy end. Eventually, demise comes upon the baby bird, just as it would in the case of the rose aforementioned. In both scenarios, ruin overcomes its subject; both the rose and hatchling, being severed from their source of life, perish. What, then, are we to think of the one who finds himself estranged from Jesus Christ, the preeminent Source for life? Will anything but death be his eternal end? Rejection of Jesus Christ, and thus severance from the Source of life, is played out in a number of ways.

The most obvious way that one can be separated from life is through a blatant and barefaced rejection of the Gospel. Whether the rejecter be an atheist, an agnostic, a moralistic do-gooder, a practitioner of any of a number of aberrant world religions, or an embracer of some other worldview or system of thought that does not recognize and submit to Jesus Christ as Lord, he is in effect cutting himself off from the only One who provides life. Jesus does in fact claim exclusivity to being the only true Source of life when He says in the oft quoted text, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). His is the only root system capable of providing nourishment for everlasting life. He is the good parent that protects, provides for, and pursues His own, even when they stray from the nest. He will not let His children perish if, in fact, they truly are His children.

Perhaps a more elusive means by which a man can be separated from life in Christ is through a rejection of His body, the Church. Men and women, in their experimentations with religion, sometimes find their way to churches. Some make professions of faith and begin attending the church, but, for whatever reason, many of those who make professions of faith eventually find themselves leaving the church.

This sort of thing happens all the time. Numerous excuses are given by the ones leaving: “Well, those people in that church down there are just a bunch of hypocrites!” … “The pastor hurt my feelings” … “There’s too many cliques at that church” … “They don’t have enough to offer us as a family” … “They don’t have anything for our kids” … “We just prefer to worship as a family at home” … “I don’t need the church. I believe in Jesus, I have a Bible, and that should be enough.” The list goes on and on and on! Less often than not, the excuses are legitimate; sometimes the individual detects a genuine problem that requires changing churches. Others are simply looking for an excuse to quit church altogether. So many of the people in this category claim to be followers of Christ, but they just don’t want to be a part of His Church.

To those of you who find yourself in this last group I would like to encourage you to consider the words from the writer of Hebrews, which I am sure that you are familiar with: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” But, don’t stop reading there! Continue reading: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:24-27).

Consider two things from this passage. First, notice that Christians are not to forsake assembling together with a local church. The writer of Hebrews is very adamant here about believers gathering together as a body of believers in a local church. But get this: For us to obey this command most faithfully we need to find a church that actually is a true church! You should be asking yourself, “What is a true local church?” It is imperative that Christians find a true church and worship in it. My definition for a true local church is as follows:

“A true local church is a loving and committed community of regenerated believers who confess and submit to Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under a qualified leadership of elders and deacons(esses), gather regularly as an assembly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical ordinances of baptism and communion, are unified, gifted, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, covenant together and practice church discipline, and scatter to fulfill the great commandment and the great commission as missionaries to the world, proclaiming and applying the Gospel to both believers and unbelievers, making disciple-making disciples for God’s glory and their joy.”

As a responsible Christian, we need to seek out a church that conforms closely to this definition. If we can’t find one of those in our geographical area, then we need to move our families to a city where one exists. It’s that important! Now, understand that a “true” church is not a “perfect” church. The Church will not be perfected until Christ returns. If you still find that there are no true churches where you live, and you are not willing to relocate, then the only other option for you would be to start a church of your own. But, keep in mind, if it is going to be a true church—that is a true biblical church—then it needs to conform to the definition that I have provided (which is what I believe that the Bible requires).

The second thing that I would like you to notice from the Hebrews passage is that the writer of Hebrews warns those here who have neglected meeting together as a church that they are living in sin. And if they continue in their sin, they are told that they should expect a “fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” When I first realized this I thought, “Wow! God really does take being a part of His church seriously.” Most of you have probably heard of the Church being referred to as the “Body” of Christ. To speak analogously then, to be separated from the body is much like my earlier illustrations concerning both the rose and the baby bird. To paint the picture more clearly, it is like amputating a finger, a foot, or an arm (I know, gross). Whenever that finger, foot, or arm is cut off from the body, it dies and decays. Likewise, when someone associates with the Church (the body of Christ) and separates himself from it, then he is separating himself from Christ, who is the head of the Church. He is severing his connection to the Source of life.

In other words, when someone neglects meeting together with the body of Christ, he or she is doing a very dangerous thing. He is breaking a clear commandment of Scripture and he is practicing sin. John says, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments (1 John 2:3)” and “No one who is born of God practices sin (1 John 3:9).” Certainly, anyone who is a Christian is a sinner. John makes this clear: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). But, the thing that sets Christians apart from those who merely profess Christ with their mouths is how they respond to their sin. When confronted with our sin, do we humbly repent of the sin and exult in God’s graciousness, or do we get mad and buck up against the person who confronts us? How should we respond? John tells us that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We should all realize that we are all sinners saved by grace! But, we should not continue sinning so that grace may abound (Rom 6:1-2).

One last thing needs to be mentioned. The act of forsaking the Church is not something that causes the individual to lose his salvation as such, but is rather an indication of the true nature of the individual’s heart and his current status before the Lord. If you find yourself in this position—detached from the church—then you cannot enjoy assurance of your salvation. If you are truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit, then how can you continue in your willful sin? If you can “go on sinning deliberately” in this way “after receiving the knowledge of the truth,” then “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”

If you are separated from the Church and, thus, from Christ, then I beg you to reconsider your steps. I implore you not to become exasperated with the Church; do not give up on Her. The Church is, after all, who Christ died for (Eph 5:25-27). Christ loves His Church. We should too. Again, John reminds us of yet another sign that we are truly Christians: if we love our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 3). It does not work to say that you love Christ and not the Church, which is the Bride of Christ. We should, therefore, love the Church, even with Her imperfections. Do not forsake Her, because Christ has not forsaken Her. In fact, He loves Her and desires that you love Her too. Do not give up on Her, but return to Her and fellowship with Her. Christ loves you and wants to fellowship with you. He will fellowship with His Church and only those who are in His Church for eternity.

In the end, my call to you is this: Repent of your sin before God, come to Christ in faith, and then find and join a true church and serve Christ faithfully there. Do not be the wilting rose, the lost hatchling, the amputated limb, or the churchless Christ-professor. Each, because it has been severed from its source of life, will find the same end: death and destruction.