All Articles For Love for the Church

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. (Preceding article in series: September 1, 2003, p. 475.) Having considered in our previous article the calling to love the church, we now consider some of the possible strengths of the church, strengths God has given her and that serve to motivate us in our love for her. The strengths of the church are not earthly things. At times we are inclined to think they are. For example, we are tempted to view the costliness and grandeur of our church building as a strength. In contrast to that,...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. God loves His church—so must we. The church is precious to God—so ought she to be to us, her members. The question is, How can we actually love the church? In what ways can we show our love for her? To love someone or something involves seeking the welfare of that person or thing. That is how it must always be with the object of our love. A husband who truly loves his wife seeks her welfare. He does this by providing for her needs, especially her spiritual...

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. God loves His church. She is precious to Him as the bride and body of Jesus Christ. So great is His love for her that He sent His Son to die for her. The church is His. He delights in her. Jehovah “loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob” (Ps. 87:2). Since God loves His church, so ought we. The church is beloved of God and precious to Him. That’s what she should be to us. To love God’s church means, first of...