I used to cringe every time I heard someone say, “You cannot love Jesus without also loving his church.”
What I heard in that statement was “You’re not allowed to love Jesus unless you’re also willing to love his church.” Or “It is impossible to have a desire for or submission to Jesus without also having the same for his church.”
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I cringed, in part, because it felt almost cultish. It seemed like a saying used to set the church up as a controlling authority of Christ-followers. Not only did it feel off, it didn’t necessarily jive with what I saw in Scripture.
I also cringed because it didn’t seem true. I loved Jesus, had affection for him, and submitted to him. Yet, I still found it difficult to have the same for his people.
If you have been a believer for any length of time, you have more than likely bumped into two realities.
First, you’ve bumped into the reality of church. Second, you’ve bumped into the reality that church is made up of faulty people.
Some have generally positive church experiences, and it’s a beautiful opportunity when that is the case. Many have negative church experiences, if not downright painful.
Why should one keep showing up at church if all it does is cause more pain?
Why should one love the church when it doesn’t look much like Jesus?
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