"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. " (Heb 10:24-25)
Do walls then make Christians? - Victorinus
By Todd Lockwood: A healthy church is a believers
dream come true. It is a place where believers exhort other believers. Where
jealousy and pride have no dwelling place but rather people are provoked to
love. Such a place is full of people who only care about God receiving all the
glory, not themselves. It is where a vision to glorify God in everything reigns
in the hearts of every member. Members of a healthy church are eager to live
out the individual responsibility to study and to live a sanctified life to
show themselves approved unto God. Not only that, but it is where believers are
encouraged to share their thoughts, concerns, and wisdom. It is where believers
are restored after they fall and where sinners can be reconciled to God through
the sharing of the gospel. Its a place where members are of one heart to
evangelize the world and to stand for the truth. Such a church takes care of
their own as well as the needy. It is a church that strives to build strong
families and friendships. Leaders of a healthy church, including leaders of the
household and church, receive their position with gladness and enjoy being an
example and encouragement to others. It is where living peaceably with all men
is welcomed and where violence is avoided. It’s also a place where there is tolerance
for diversity within the body, where members strive to be unified as one body
giving equal respect to every member. Finally, it is a place where God is
praised even in the hardest of times and where believers overcome the world
through Jesus Christ, looking forward to the day of His return!
