Which Is The True Church? - 3

Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. Psalms 135:1-3.

Is it necessary to attend a church? Among the many different churches that exist and with the frequency of meetings and services that are held in church, is it really necessary to attend, in order to be in communion with God?

Many may believe that they can worship God in their homes much the same way as they do in church. Others justify their failure to attend church because they say it is composed of people who are sinful, proud, critics, gossipers, etc. Other excuses not to attending church by saying that it is a place that only seeks money and that religion is a means of controlling people. But first we must ask ourselves whether the roots of such beliefs stem from the fact that we are not willing to change, that we are not willing to leave behind the things of this world and make a commitment with God!

The reality is that the Lord has a special purpose in establishing His church just as He did when He instructed Noah to building the ark.


Entering the ark meant salvation. This was not because the ark could in and of itself save, as the storm could have easily ripped through a wooden vessel. Not even with all our technological advances, could we have built a craft capable of withstanding the flood. Salvation came from God who protected the ark. But God only extended His protection to those who were willing to endure the scorns of the world, overcome all doubts and believe that God would save them simply by entering a wooden ark.

... the church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard. While He extends to all the world His invitation to come to Him and be saved, He commissions His angels to render divine help to every soul that cometh to Him in repentance and contrition, and He comes personally by His Holy Spirit into the midst of His church.* 1

The psalmist tells us:

How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O LORD of hosts!

My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the LORD;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts,
My King and my God.

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.

They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.

O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob!

O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.

For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You! Psalm 84

One obtains a special blessing by being in the church of God. This is due to the special focus that the true church gives to Christ instead if the earthly things. The sanctity and sovereignty of God is exalted. The humility man is manifested and the character of Jesus reflected on all those who work together to maintain the eternal principles high above amid a dark and violent world.

Solemn are the lessons of Israel’s failure during the years when ruler and people turned from the high purpose they had been called to fulfill. Wherein they were weak, even to the point of failure, the Israel of God today, the representatives of heaven that make up the true church of Christ, must be strong; for upon them devolves the task of finishing the work that has been committed to man, and of ushering in the day of final awards. Yet the same influences that prevailed against Israel in the time when Solomon reigned are to be met with still. The forces of the enemy of all righteousness are strongly entrenched; only by the power of God can the victory be gained. The conflict before us calls for the exercise of a spirit of self-denial, for distrust of self and for dependence on God alone, for the wise use of every opportunity for the saving of souls. The Lord’s blessing will attend his church as they advance unitedly, revealing to a world lying in the darkness of error the beauty of holiness as manifested in a Christlike spirit of self-sacrifice, in an exaltation of the divine rather than the human, and in loving and untiring service for those so much in need of the blessings of the gospel. *2

The true church will undoubtedly, "hasten the day of final rewards!"

THE LORD IS COMING SOON, AMEN, YES COME LORD JESUS!

1 * Christian Experiences And Teachings Of Ellen G. White, " Chapter 34—God’s Love for the Church”, Ellen G. White

2 * Prophets and Kings, "4. Results of transgression ", Ellen G. White