What is Church about? If you answer that question by saying, “It is about my salvation.” You are not alone. It is easy to have the idea that it is about my salvation because salvation is very important to each one of us. However, Church is not first of all about salvation.
We are here on this earth because God created us. When He created us, He made us in His image and gave us dominion over this world to use it for God’s glory. God placed us in this dominion position to dedicate this world to God’s glory. As Paul writes to Timothy, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” (I Timothy 4:4-5) To be “sanctified” means to be made holy or dedicated to God’s glory.
“The word of God and prayer” is a reference to worship. Certainly we should pray in thanksgiving at meals, but this goes deeper than that. Our worship, our church, is there to dedicate the things that we receive in this world to God’s glory. Thinking about dinner, when we eat an animal, it has eaten grain or grass or other things. The animal didn’t worship God for that food, but we dedicate all of it as we give thanks to God in prayer and especially as we worship God. Romans 11:36, “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
Think about the things that happened the week that Christ suffered and died. These are certainly about our salvation, but is that their primary purpose? Hebrews 12:2 tells us Jesus’ purpose in offering Himself for our sins:
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus endured the cross for the joy and glory that He would receive in saving us.
If any creature were to say that this whole world was about our glory, it would be blasphemy. However, since God is God, He deserves all the glory of this world. If we design church as though it is about my salvation, it will cause us to do different things in worship than if we realize that it is about God’s glory. Church is not about fire insurance (saving me from hell), it is about the Glory of the God who didn’t need to create me, who didn’t need to save me, but did, for His glory.
Rev. David Fagrey
Grace Reformed Church
Rapid City, SD