Yet, the Church is still here.
And I take this as an encouragement.
(By “Church,” I hope you know that I mean what is described as the Invisible Church.)
It means that the Church survives corrupt leaders; it means that the Church survives difficult times, harsh punishments, unjust laws – even when the Church turns on itself; it means that Christ always wins, even through the worst trials and tribulations.
This is the lens through which I read Church history; this is one of the values for me in studying Church history. We suffer through corrupt leaders and difficult times (inside and outside of the Church), harsh punishments, and unjust laws.
Yet, as we have seen throughout 2,000 years of Church history, these have never eliminated the Church – more accurately, God has never abandoned His Church.
Some look at this history and wonder: what kinds of so-called “Christians” were these? I look at the history and am in increasing wonder as to the awesome power and love of the God that we worship! He has preserved His Church for me, and He has preserved me to the point of finding it.
