“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,” Hebrews 12:22-23
When we ask and answer the question, “What is the Church?”, of course we go to the Scriptures for the definition. We considered last week how the church is the ekklesia, the assembly, the congregation of the people of God. It’s a body that gathers together (Acts 2:42, 9:31), whose members must not forsake such gathering, especially on the Lord’s Day (Heb. 10:25). If a friend of yours were to ask you this question, a portion of your description of the church may likely include what’s visible to you. You see, touch, talk to, hear and are with the people in the congregation. That’s true, but there’s more to know and share…
When we talk about the church, Scripture and our Confession help us recognize and learn more about the reality of the two distinct aspects of the church: 1) an aspect of the church from a divine point of view, and 2) an aspect of the church from a human point of view (Eph. 1:22-23, WCF 25.1-2). These two aspects are referred to as the “invisible church” and the “visible church” respectively. Yet, though the church is considered from two different perspectives, there aren’t two churches, but one only.
What is the invisible church?
1. As the writer states in verse 23 above, the invisible church is those who are members of the “general assembly” and “church of the firstborn”. It’s those who are “registered in heaven”.
2. It’s those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27).
3. It’s the whole number of God’s elect, the number of those God chose before the foundation of the world (Heb. 1:4).
4. It’s those who Jesus prayed for (John 17:9).
5. It consists of all those who have been, are, or will be gathered into one body, under Christ the head (Eph. 5:23, 27, WLC 64).
Why is it called “invisible”? The term “invisible”, as defined by the Reformed theologians, doesn’t mean that some Christians are invisible like ghosts floating in the spirit realm. It refers to the fact that the invisible church cannot be fully distinguished or discerned by the eyes of men. It’s invisible to us. It’s invisible to us because it extends in time, from the beginning to the end of history. It also extends in space, spanning the globe. However, remember and take joy in the reality that it’s invisible to us, but not to God.
Beloved, we can’t see the hearts of the people in the chairs next to us in worship or study, but the Lord does. Our great God knows those who are His and is known by His own (John 10, 2 Tim. 2:19). Know and enjoy the benefits the invisible church has by Christ- all of its members enjoy union and communion with Him in grace and glory. Praise Him for the wonderful truth that those who are in the invisible church won’t and can’t fall out of the invisible church, for God preserves His people forever (Rom. 8:28–30). “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,” Hebrews 12:22-23.
When we ask and answer the question, “What is the Church?”, of course we go to the Scriptures for the definition. We considered last week how the church is the ekklesia, the assembly, the congregation of the people of God. It’s a body that gathers together (Acts 2:42, 9:31), whose members must not forsake such gathering, especially on the Lord’s Day (Heb. 10:25). If a friend of yours were to ask you this question, a portion of your description of the church may likely include what’s visible to you. You see, touch, talk to, hear and are with the people in the congregation. That’s true, but there’s more to know and share…
When we talk about the church, Scripture and our Confession help us recognize and learn more about the reality of the two distinct aspects of the church: 1) an aspect of the church from a divine point of view, and 2) an aspect of the church from a human point of view (Eph. 1:22-23, WCF 25.1-2). These two aspects are referred to as the “invisible church” and the “visible church” respectively. Yet, though the church is considered from two different perspectives, there aren’t two churches, but one only.
What is the invisible church?
1. As the writer states in verse 23 above, the invisible church is those who are members of the “general assembly” and “church of the firstborn”. It’s those who are “registered in heaven”.
2. It’s those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27).
3. It’s the whole number of God’s elect, the number of those God chose before the foundation of the world (Heb. 1:4).
4. It’s those who Jesus prayed for (John 17:9).
5. It consists of all those who have been, are, or will be gathered into one body, under Christ the head (Eph. 5:23, 27, WLC 64).
Why is it called “invisible”? The term “invisible”, as defined by the Reformed theologians, doesn’t mean that some Christians are invisible like ghosts floating in the spirit realm. It refers to the fact that the invisible church cannot be fully distinguished or discerned by the eyes of men. It’s invisible to us. It’s invisible to us because it extends in time, from the beginning to the end of history. It also extends in space, spanning the globe. However, remember and take joy in the reality that it’s invisible to us, but not to God.
Beloved, we can’t see the hearts of the people in the chairs next to us in worship or study, but the Lord does. Our great God knows those who are His and is known by His own. (John 10, 2 Tim. 2:19) Know and enjoy the benefits the invisible church has by Christ- all of its members enjoy union and communion with Him in grace and glory. Praise Him for the wonderful truth that those who are in the invisible church won’t and can’t fall out of the invisible church, for God preserves His people forever (Rom. 8:28–30).