Church Support

P. T. Forsyth wrote: "The Church carries the individual amid much failure of his faith; there is a vicarious faith;"

This is a glorious truth that is proven in experience by Christians who are going through challenging times and circumstances.  It is simply tremendous to see the Church rising up to its responsibilities without even being asked to do so.  It overwhelms the believer who is on the receiving end of such Christian love and compassion.  What an encouragement it is to see Christian brothers and sisters serving Christ through serving those in need.  When the believer's faith fails, the Church's faith is still there to bear him up.  The Church rises to the occasion without blowing any trumpets or seeking any bragging rights for so doing.  Thank God when the body of Christ demonstrates that its faith is real and vital.

However, this is only true where the church is the Church of Jesus Christ.  When the church turns its back upon its members and servants, then she is not acting as the Church of Jesus Christ should act.  When Christians walk away from their Christian relations when times are tough, their faith is open to question.  When they know and see need and do nothing to meet it, they are failing in their duty of care.  In fact, Jesus says that when they refuse to do it to one of the least brethren of His, they are not doing it to Him either.  By failing them they are failing Him.  And Christ cannot be served and failed at the same time!

Forsyth goes on: "but what is to carry the Church if its faith fails?"  Now there's a very challenging question.  And there are numerous signs that this is in fact happening in many places where Christ was once named and loved.  Even in the most orthodox churches there is abysmal failure to show the love of Christ.  They will look after their own congregation members (maybe), but their brothers and sisters in Christ are left to fend for themselves very often.  Whether the influence of Free Masonry within the life of the church is responsible for this state of affairs is open for discussion.

This is an example of the church's faith failing.  And when this happens, who will carry her?  When her faith in the living and saving God evaporates, she is left with nothing but empty organised religion and a dead orthodoxy, both of which are quite useless.