Christ’s Church: Manifestly Loving or Constantly at War?

The Christian walk of faith isn’t always based on simple truths; sometimes the truths Christians must walk by involve complexities that must be thoughtfully worked out.

For instance, in the Scriptures we are told that Christ’s church is like a living body that is to build itself up in love (1 Cor 12:1f), as it endeavors to keep the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:1f). Moreover, the Bible teaches that love is to be the hallmark of the Christian church; that is, it is to be what believers are well-known for in the world (Jn 13:34-35; Gal 5:22). This is what most people expect Christ’s church to be, but, in real-life, actually manifesting and experiencing these truths can prove elusive.

Even a quick survey of both the Scriptures and the history of the church unveils that internal turmoil and schism have ever plagued Christ’s church. After all, Jesus’ and the Apostle’s most adamant enemies were leaders in the visible church (many of them “conservatives”). These same leaders stoned Stephen (Acts 7:1f). During the Reformation, the Reformers, faced very similar circumstances. It was the established religious leaders that most vehemently opposed Luther, Calvin, the Puritans and others. Moreover, in the OT, we read of subverters of the church like Balaam and the false prophets, and in the NT there is no shortage of false and erroneous believers, leaders, and teachers (e.g., 2 Pet 2:1f; Gal 2:11f), In fact, throughout the church’s history, there have been thousands of Judas Iscariot-like betrayals, and Apostle Peter-like errors. Christ’s church is constantly at war, and its primary adversaries are people and perceptions in its own midst (Matt 13:24f; 2 Cor 10:1f). This is what most people don’t expect the church to be, but, unfortunately, it’s the inevitable fruit of remaining sin amid Christ’s earthly people.

So, how should you and I shape our expectations of what life in Christ’s true church should be like? Is the church suppose to be manifestly loving or constantly at war? The answer: expect that Christ’s church will be both, simultaneously. These truths, my friends, constitute a Scriptural paradox, wherein two seemingly contradictory assertions are, nevertheless, both true. If we take the pursuit of God’s truth and the manifestation of Christ-like love seriously, both of these realities will define our experience as Christians. We must accept living with this paradoxical reality, as it’s a complex truth that God expects us to act upon by faith. The days when Christ’s church will be ever-loving and never at war are in the glory of her promised future (Rev 21, 22).