Love and Trust: The Ties That Bind

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. - Colossians 3:14

    The relationship which exists between true believers in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and between that of the pastor and the people within the family of God, is one that cannot be understood by the natural man or by the unsaved religionist. The carnal church must have strings attached to the pastor to regulate his comings and goings: he is assigned a vacation time, so many outside meetings, pulpit and visitation duties, set times for business meetings, certain quorums at which he must be present, things which must be voted on and dutifully announced a set number of days in advance…even members are not allowed the freedom to designate gifts! By-laws, constitutions, and rules of order are printed and distributed so that the pastor dare not act without the approval of the deacons and the deacons dare not act without the approval of the congregation and the congregation dare not act without the due process and vote of the monthly business meeting.

    All of this has come about because these people do not love and do not trust one another! The pastor who loves Christ, the church, and lost souls will not need rules and regulations of men to motivate him or keep him in line. Deacons who love Christ and one another do not need to be assigned duties, serve limited terms, and be consulted on every matter. Church members who love Christ and one another and trust their God-given leaders do not require a written report of every move made, every cent spent, and every work undertaken. Their relationship is one of fervent love and complete trust. Each member is allowed to exercise his own gift, act as a free steward of his own grace, and engage in the ministry God has given him without interference and forced control by others. Yet, all together fulfill the will of God and none are complete without the others. Regenerated men understand this and you waste your time trying to explain it to the rest.