Giants of the Reformation (5)

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” John 15.16

Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin (1509-1564)
“I shall start, then, with the church, into whose bosom God is pleased to gather his sons, not only that they may be nourished by her help and ministry as long as they are infants and children, but also that they may be guided by her motherly care until they mature and at last reach the goal of faith.”

The goal of faith is eternal life – knowing God and Jesus Christ, and increasing in the knowledge of Christ for a life of fruitfulness here and glory beyond (Jn. 17.3; 2 Pet. 3.18; Phil. 3.14). In Calvin’s day, it seemed to many that the goal of the faith had come to be the Church, being loyal to the Church and supporting its clergy and projects. The goal of Christian faith was to contribute to the continuing prosperity and authority of the Church. But Calvin and other reformers, following Luther, understood that Christian faith is more than this, and that the Church is God’s means for helping believers to full and abundant life in Christ. It’s a lesson we do well to review. The goal of faith is not the local church, and the measure of a church is not the number of people in the pews, the size of the sanctuary, or the number of programs or staff. The goal of faith is fruit. The measure of a church is the extent to which it contributes to the progress in faith and fruitfulness of those entrusted to her care. Jesus calls us to bear fruit, and He brings us into the church to equip and encourage us for this work (Heb. 10.24, 25).

In your church, how do the leaders keep track of the growth and ministries of the members?

T. M. Moore

Organizing with the Spirit
The Lord Jesus is building His Church. His Word is the blueprint, His Spirit is the General Contractor, and we are all builders together of the Body of Christ. But are we doing our work God’s way, or ours? The Spirit has His ways of organizing our work, and we do well to understand as much as we can about His methods. This is the argument of Dr. Kent Miller of Michigan State University, and you can watch our Conversation with Dr. Miller, and download a free copy of his paper on the subject, “Organizing with the Spirit,” by clicking here.

The Fellowship of Ailbe is supported through the generous and faithful gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, John T. McNeill, ed., Ford Lewis Battles, tr. (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960), Vol. 2, Book IV, pp. 1012ff.