The “Marks” of the True Church

A Word of Truth #166  

Christ’s true Church is not any one visible Christian church on earth. It is made up of all the believers of every time and every place.

Though we cannot know with unquestionable certainty who the individual members of Christ’s church are, we are able to know in a general way, where believers are present. God promises, “As the rain comes down…from heaven and…makes it bring forth and bud…so shall my Word be…it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

The Gospel in Word and Sacrament is the means by which the Holy Spirit brings sinners to saving faith in Christ. God promises that wherever His saving Word goes out, it will bear fruit. Because God promises that His Word will be effective, we can be certain that wherever the truth of God’s Word is being preached, there will be believers.

The Nature and Importance of Church Fellowship

A Word of Truth #167  

Christian fellowship is a wonderful blessing and privilege from God, and I am not talking about consuming coffee and donuts. When God calls individuals to faith in Jesus through His word and the work of His Spirit, He brings them into a special relationship with Himself and others. That relationship is called fellowship. Fellowship means “sharing.” Believers share a common faith, confession, joy, hope, and mission.

Christian fellowship is vitally important, for it brings believers together to pray, to worship, to commune, to work, to grow together in God’s grace and, thereby, to share His blessings. Satan seeks to destroy Christian fellowship by leading people away from God’s truths. Christian fellowship is something to treasure! Listen carefully to God’s Word and take advantage of the fellowship opportunities the Spirit gives you.