Eight Marks of a Biblical Church

 EIGHT MARKS OF A BIBLICAL CHURCH

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION

There are varied opinions on what constitutes a quintessential Christian community. I wish to outline eight principles that are, in my view, pertinent in marking out a Christian congregation or communion as a congregation of God's people who are committed to following Christ and upholding the fundamental truths of the word of God. This list is by no means exhaustive. It merely serves to typify biblical Christianity in Biblical context.

1) THEY BELIEVE IN SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE AND IN CHRIST ALONE. 

The Biblical church recognizes that salvation is by grace alone through faith and that no one can earn their way to heaven through deeds or personal effort. This is contrary to what is taught by Roman Catholics and other works-based theology groups. The religion of works defeats the purposes of the cross that predicates our redemption on Christ's finished works of the Christ alone.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (NKJV). 

If one believes that they are Christian simply because they attend church every Sunday or that they were born into a Christian family or have been baptized in church but have no saving relationship with Jesus Christ, they should think again…

2) THEY SUBMIT TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD

Any Christian community that does not uphold the purity, authority, finality and infallibility of the word of God in the written Scriptures is perhaps a lost community! The true church reveres the word of God and trembles at God's voice. This is not to suggest that the Biblical church is perfect in their obedience but that they are yielded to Christ, always seeking to conform to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-30).

Scripture reveals the mind of God to all men in all human civilizations since Calvary. It is the only cannon or yardstick by which the issues of our religious faith can find resolution. 

Here is why...

First, the Scriptures are sealed and no other revelation is to be expected (Hebrews 1:1-2). Any claim to new inspiration is utterly false and must be flatly rejected.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit does not contradict the Scriptures but reminds the Church of the teachings of Christ which are written in the Bible. John 14:26  says “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” 

The word of God keeps us from willful and habitual sinful disobedience and guides us in our journey of faith. It is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path (Psalm 119:11; 105). Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit and is sufficient for our obedience and edification in Christ (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

The Biblical church should beware of false teachers who claim to have received new inspiration outside the revelation of God’s written word in Scripture. Such groups should be condemned and avoided. 

Have you ever come across a Charismatic group that wantonly rejects the authority of the word of God while insisting that the apostolic authority of the New Testament church has been restored in the last days. Nothing can be further from the truth!

3) THEY UPHOLD CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

A Biblical community is a belonging community. No one walks alone in Christ (Hebrews 10:25). The Church is corporate in nature. It is an organic body of God’s people who edify and uplift one another in Christ. We are all one in Christ and should identify with one another in essence. 

We learn from Acts of the Apostles that the New Testament Church exhibited the highest ideals of Christian unity and harmony. They carried each other’s burdens. Acts 2:42-44 says “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.  43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.  44 Now all who believe were together, and had all things in common..”

4) THEY GROW IN CHRIST

The first evidence of spiritual growth is the teachability of believers. Paul told the Corinthians that they needed to be weaned on basic spiritual food before they could assimilate deeper truths because they were spiritually immature in Christ (1 Cor. 3:1-2). No Christian can outgrow the learning paces in their journey of obedience on earth. We should therefore be open and willing to learn so that we may daily grow in the knowledge of Christ and edify one another in the Lord. 

A Christian would undergo spiritual retardation if they neglect opportunities for growth and fail to regularly feed on God's word. A Biblical church must pay attention to the nourishment of its members through regular and methodical instruction in the Scriptures. The regular and consistent exposition of the word of God in the congregation is the most effective method for building and equipping God's people for Christian obedience and ministry. 

A growing church is a learning church which builds its capacity for the discernment of Biblical truth such that they can distinguish between Christian heresy and Biblical truth.

5) THEY GIVE FOR CHRIST

A Biblical church is a giving community. They are motivated by God’s love in giving and making sacrifices in support of church ministry work through regular financial giving and other contributions. 

There's been lots of debate on whether or not Christians should tithe. Whatever our convictions, we need to bear in mind that church ministry programs cannot run without regular financial support and that each community should support their ministers and their ministry programs in line with the command of Scripture. 1 Timothy 5:17-18  says “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.  18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages." 

This is clear evidence that believers should support their churches by giving to God regularly cheerfully and generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7  says “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 

The church resources should however be handled under an accountable stewardship system in the fear of God (cf. Matthew 25:14-30; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24). 

6) THEY GO FOR CHRIST

A Biblical church is a witnessing church. It reaches out to its neighborhood and beyond in taking the gospel to the lost. Whereas the command in Matthew 28:19-20 is explicit about the call to taking the gospel to the world, there is much more to going than simply witnessing or preaching. 

Going for Christ is being available to be used of God in whatever capacity that God entrusted to us. We may not all be preachers but serving God in other ministry capacities is equally part of the great calling.

These ministries require our commitment and dedication. 

Onesiphorus was known for his Christian hospitality and this passion led him to minister to Paul in Prison when many had abandoned him. 

Paul’s tribute to this great minister is recorded in 2 Timothy 1:15 - 2:1 where Paul says "This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.  16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain;  17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.  18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day -- and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.”  

We should release and immerse ourselves into the things of God if God is ever gonna use us and glorify Himself in us in our generation. 

Isaiah offered to serve God and his response to God's question in Isaiah 6:8 should inspire us as a Christian community into action. Isaiah the prophet readily offered himself to preach, saying "Here am I, send me." 

God used him for His glory.

7) THEY ARE A WORSHIPPING COMMUNITY

A Biblical church is a worshipping community of believers. Worship is central to the spiritual health of any Christian congregation. 

How ought we to worship?

There are many dimensions of worship. However, true worship comes from the hearts of people who are committed to obeying God and submitting to His leading in truth. This should be evident at individual and corporate level. We ought to worship God in truth and in spirit (John 4:23-24).

At individual level, each believer should have a regular worship pattern which should not be mechanical but spontaneous, carefully planned and by which we immerse in the Spirit. 

An effective Christian prayer-life is not necessarily about the length or the time of the day that we pray or worship but the intensity of our connection with God. 

We should not create a doctrine on prayer which is not taught in the Bible. There is no passage of Scripture that commands believers to pray at, say, between 3-4 am in the morning or on a mountain top or that praying in tongues is the most effective method of prayer! 

Every believer or Christian community should pray at a time and in a manner that works for them. It is the quality and intensity that matters and not the methodology.  We ought to balance the word and the Spirit. When we engage in prayer and neglect the study of the word of God, we shall be in danger of hyper spirituality and may easily fall into heresy. Similarly, when we focus on the word to the exclusion of worship and prayer, we may fall into the religious legalism identified with the Pharisees.

8)THEY ARE AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY 

A Biblical community is an open and inclusive community where people from various ethnic groups or races or social classes or genders come together to worship God. Everyone ought to belong. Galatians 3:28 says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." 

Some Christian communities consist exclusively of one race or a predominant ethnic community in urban and cosmopolitan areas perhaps because no effort is made to integrate people from other ethnic communities or races into the congregation. Some Christian communities use one ethnic language during their church services, thereby shutting out other Christians from joining them. These churches, by their practices and traditions, end up segregating themselves along their ethnic or racial distinctions.

CONCLUSION

As we serve God and grow in Christ and edify one another, let us never forget that Christ is coming soon. We should therefore look forward to His soon coming with expectant hearts knowing that this world will ultimately pass away. We should eagerly yearn for the heavenly country or city whose architect and builder is God and where God is not ashamed to be called their God (Hebrews 11:13-16).

We should seek to embrace Biblical truth in our practical Christian living and allow God's word to govern our lives and inform our daily world-view.

Are you part of the Biblical Christian community? 

Is your daily living informed by the principles of God’s word?

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2021