In today’s divided situation where sects and denominations are rampant, Christians must have the discernment to know what is proper and what should rightly remain. We must have this discernment because Christians must have a church; we cannot be without a church. A person in the world needs to be saved and become a Christian; after becoming a Christian, he needs the church. However, there are too many “churches” today; not only is there the Roman Catholic Church, but there are also numerous sects and denominations in Protestantism that call themselves “churches.” Which one should he choose? Which one should he be in? This truly is a problem. Therefore, we must have the discernment; we cannot say that it is sufficient as long as there is a “church.” We should not say this! We should not be in the Roman Catholic Church, and neither should we be in the numerous sects and denominations in Protestantism. We must exercise discernment regarding all these so-called churches. There are three principles that should be applied in our discernment.
When we discern a “church,” we should not take spirituality as a basis. We should not say that a church is proper simply because its spiritual condition is good. Brother Andrew Murray was considered to be a spiritual person in the nineteenth century. The spiritual books he wrote have rendered us much help. However, the church that he was in was not proper because he was still in organized Christianity. He was a pastor and kept the title of a pastor. According to spiritual condition, the church that he was in might have been acceptable, but it was a part of organized Christianity. Madame Guyon, whom everyone agrees was very spiritual, was in the Roman Catholic Church. Furthermore, Dr. F. B. Meyer from England was very spiritual, and the books he wrote have benefited many, but he was also in organized Christianity. This proves that spiritual condition cannot be taken as the basis in discerning whether or not a church is proper.
Since every person has his own preference, he also has his own taste. If our discernment is according to our preference and taste, it will be difficult to make a proper judgment. Those who prefer quietness will find a group that is quiet. Those who prefer solemnity will find a place with high cathedral ceilings, stained glass, and subdued lighting in order to have a feeling of solemnity when they enter. Those who prefer stories will find a place with superficial sermons. Those who prefer attention will find a place where they can preach and be a leader. If one “church” will not allow them to preach or be a leader, they will go somewhere else. These are all matters of man’s taste. It is terrible to discern a church according to personal taste. There are as many different tastes in Christianity as there are different kinds of restaurants and menus. Tastes that are according to our personal preference are not necessarily proper. They may be contrary to God’s will and the truth in the Bible. Therefore, under no circumstance should we discern a church according to our personal taste.
When discerning a “church” in the confused and divided condition of the church today, we should not consider whether it is good; rather, we must consider whether it is proper. Being proper is different from being good. Being good is a matter of condition, but being proper is a matter of the ground. Knowing how to differentiate between being proper and being good will give us a solid understanding of the church. Of course, the condition of a church should be good, but having a good condition does not mean that it is a proper church. We need to see its ground.
For example, the Lee family may be quite good. The husband and wife love each other, the children are obedient, and no one ever quarrels. This family, however, is not the Chang family. Even though this is a good family, it is not the Chang family. In the Chang family the condition may not be good. Everyone always quarrels, and the condition is not good, but the family has the name Chang. What should be our basis in determining which family is the Chang family? Obviously, our basis should be only the ground, not the condition. It would be foolishness for us to determine who is the Chang family according to a good or bad condition.
There is a difference between the ground of the church and the condition of the church. Some people come and meet with us either because our condition is good or because our speaking helps and supplies them, not because our ground is proper. They care only for the condition of the church, not the ground. But we must focus on the ground of the church, because whether a “church” is proper or not depends on its ground.
The church has a definite ground. We must discern according to the ground of the church. This is the only basis. We should not carelessly discern on the basis of human opinions and views. In the previous lessons we covered what the church is, the expression of the church, the oneness of the church, and the ground of the church. These are all equivalent to the constitution of the church. Our determination of whether a church is proper must be according to the truths covered in these lessons. A city can have only one city government. It should never have more than one city government. The only city government that can be considered legal and proper is established according to the law of that country. The authenticity of such a city government cannot be denied even if its administration is poor. Despite its poor administration, its ground is still proper. This is the same with the church. A proper church is one with the proper ground. Therefore, in determining whether or not a church is proper, our only basis should be its ground.
Thus, regarding the knowledge of the church, the primary thing is to know the ground of the church. Once we are clear concerning the ground, we can pay attention to condition. Whereas the ground is a matter of being proper or improper, the condition is a matter of good or bad. Today many people focus only on the condition of the church and neglect the ground of the church. Those who pay attention to the condition and neglect the ground cannot discern whether a church is proper or not. They will also be unable to stand the test of time even if they happen to be meeting on the proper ground. Experience proves that all those who take this way because of the good condition of the church are eventually unable to stand the test of time. They may stay for ten years, but in the eleventh year they will leave if they think that our condition is no longer good. Only those who recognize the ground will never sway or change. We must take this way when the condition is good, and we must take this way when the condition is bad, because this is the proper way. Although our condition may not be good, our way is proper.
I thank the Lord that I have met many faithful companions over the past thirty years. Throughout these years, we have passed through many difficulties. Sometimes the condition of the church was not so good, and the meetings were not so enjoyable, but the brothers and sisters who knew the ground nevertheless walked on this way even with tears of inward pain. They knew that although the condition was poor, this was still their home. When the condition is good, it is their home, and when the condition is bad, it is still their home. Hence, they cannot deny, leave, or forsake this home. On the contrary, by the grace of God, they strive and struggle to turn the abnormal condition around.
Hence, new believers must see that we take the way of the church not because of a good condition but because the ground of the church is proper. Only this can prevent us from being shaken and enable us to walk this way our entire life.
I was in northern China in 1935 when a missionary spoke with me concerning the ground of the church. I told her that all of God’s people should leave Babylon and come back to Jerusalem. She asked me, “Where is Jerusalem today?” I replied, “Jerusalem is where the temple is built. Although the temple was torn down, its base, the site, is still there. Although today the church is desolate, the ground that the church has had from the beginning is still present. We should come back to this ground.” Several years later I heard that after returning to her country, she left the mission. She left organized Christianity and went to many places preaching and teaching people. She did a great amount of work. However, a person who does not recognize the ground of the church is not secure in his path. After laboring in this way for approximately twenty years, she returned to the Anglican Church, went through a reconfirmation ceremony administered by the clergy, and was accepted to take Holy Communion. This is strong proof that those who have not seen the ground of the church are not stable and that the path they take is not secure. The condition of our meetings may be good today but poor tomorrow. The messages we give today may help and supply people, but they may not be helpful and supplying tomorrow. Choosing a church based on condition is unwise. The church has a ground, and its ground is definite. For example, although the temple was destroyed and not one stone was left on top of another, the site of the temple is still there. The site cannot be changed. Whether a certain place is Jerusalem does not depend on whether a temple is there but on whether the site for the temple is there. When the temple is there and the glory of God fills it, it is Jerusalem. However, even if the temple becomes desolate and is destroyed, the place is still Jerusalem because the site of the temple has not changed. It is the same with the ground of the church.
In this desolate, confused, and unstable condition of the church today, our discernment of a “church” cannot be based on its spiritual condition or the so-called measure of the stature of Christ. These factors cause people to be unstable because they are changeable. Our discernment must be based on the ground. We should ask only whether a certain church is meeting on the ground of the local church and not concerning its condition. This does not mean that we should not pay attention to the condition of the church. The condition of the church should be good, spiritual, and full of the stature of Christ. It is best if the ground of the church is proper, and the condition is good, spiritual, and full of the stature of Christ. However, whether a church is proper does not depend on its condition but on its ground. Hence, our basis for determining whether a church is proper must be the ground. We should inquire only concerning the ground, not the condition. When determining whether a certain place is Jerusalem, we should not consider the condition of the temple. There may be temples being built in Babylon, but we must reject them because their ground is wrong. Even though the temple in Jerusalem has been completely destroyed, we still go to Jerusalem because this is where God’s people should be, and this is the proper ground. May the Lord have mercy on us that we would have the ability to discern the confusing situation of the church today.