The first epistle to Timothy furnishes us with some precious thoughts in a short sentence: "The house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (ch. 3:15). Here we stand on ground more connected with the practical character of the church upon earth it is the house of God—it is there that truth is found and nowhere else; there alone is it maintained in the world. Let us understand this declaration. The church does not create the truth, but it has been created by it. It adds to it neither authority nor weight. The truth is of God before it is received by the church, but the latter possesses it. It exists because it possesses the truth, and it alone possesses it.
Where, beside in the church, is the truth found? Nowhere. The supposition that the truth is anywhere else would be the denial of the truth fullness and ways of God. The truth can be nothing but what God has said; it is the truth, independent of all church authority of any but that of God who is the source of it. But where the truth is, supposing a body to be constituted by its means, there is the church, and the church which possesses it, and subsists by possessing it, there by manifests it to the world. The authority of the church cannot make that which it teaches tube truth. Truth alone does not constitute the church; that is, the meaning of the word "church" embraces other ideas. A single man holding the truth is not the truth; but the assembly of God is distinguished by the possession of the truth. An assembly which has not the truth, as the condition of its existence, is not the assembly of God.
There is one more passage which presents the church in this complete manner as to its hope and its service. It is that of Revelation 22: "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
In this passage we find the Spirit introduced in a very remarkable manner, somewhat analogous to Romans 8. Both passages show how far the Holy Spirit is considered in the Word of God as dwelling upon the earth since the day of Pentecost and as identifying Himself either with the believer or with the church. In Romans it is "He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because," it is added, "He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." It is our groanings that are spoken of there. Here in Revelation, the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." The Spirit so takes His place with the bride that the sentiment of the church is that which the Spirit Himself expresses. The Spirit is upon earth and animates the church, being the true source of its thoughts. The church being animated by these very thoughts, expresses her own affections under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Had it been only an expression of affection, one might have questioned its legitimateness, and that also of the groans spoken of in Romans 8, but since the Holy Spirit connects Himself with it, this desire of a feeble heart has the power and authority of a divine thought. This, then, is what characterizes the church in her desires and in her hope. She desires that her Bridegroom should come. It is not a question about prophecy; it is Christ, the communicator of the prophecy who presents Himself: "I am... the bright and morning star." The church knows Him. She will be with Him before the great day of His manifestation comes—she will appear with Him in glory. But when He is thus presented in His Person, it awakens the earnest desire of the Bride that He should come. But there is also a testimony to be borne. It is what follows. She calls upon those who hear, but who have not understood their privilege of being of the bride, to join this cry and to say, "Come." In the meantime, she already possesses the river of living water, and turning toward those who are athirst, she invites them to come and make a free use of it. How beautiful a position for the church—for our hearts! The first affection of her heart is toward her Head—her Bridegroom who is to come like the morning star, to receive her to Himself in heaven, before He is manifested to the world. Then she desires all believers to share this desire, and to reinforce her cry that He may come. In the meantime, she is the vessel and herald of grace, according to the heart of Him who has shown grace to her.
What more blessed position could be thought of, for such poor worms as we are, than that which sovereign and creative grace has given us? If the reader examines John 17, he will find that the object of the chief part of the chapter is to place believers, beginning in a special manner with the apostles, in the same position as Jesus was, they taking His place upon the earth. We well know that He alone by His Spirit can be the strength through which they can accomplish such a task. The truth enables us to apprehend what the true position of the church is. J. N. Darby