Chapter Nine: They Are They Which Testify of Me

In our quest to determine just what Christianity is, and whether it really matters to ordinary men and women in America and beyond, we have discovered a few, basic, all-important truths, including the little-recognized fact that Christianity is not primarily about individual salvation, but on the contrary, its ultimate design is to fashion a new, corporate body of redeemed persons, perfectly unified and purified, to be presented as a glorious bride to Christ, who before the world began had chosen this people as his reward for the great sufferings he would willingly undergo. What that means in our daily lives, as we examined in the last chapter, is that true Christians always advance in their journey to consummate their union with Christ from within the realm of local churches, that is, among others who share a commonality in the gospel accomplishment of Christ, and who, by the structures and institutions that God has prescribed for us in his word, continue to prod each other on to greater faith and holiness. In concluding that chapter, we looked at three marks by which to distinguish a true local church from a false one: the word must be rightly preached, the sacraments rightly administered, and church discipline faithfully enforced.

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