“The Main Thing”

I don’t recall where or when I first heard the phrase, but it has stuck with me through the years. “Our main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” A little redundant, yes, but it is  still  a  necessary  reminder  for  Christians and their work as the church.

We can see the “main thing” of the church through two verses in the New Testament: Ephesians 3:20 and 1 Peter 1:9. These verses tell us that glory is given  to God through the church and that the end (goal, NASB) of our faith is the salvation of our souls. In other words, “the main thing” for Christians is the glorification of God through the salvation of souls.

 There are also temptations for Christians to lose sight of the main thing. Let’s consider some of them:

¨         The Temptation to Concentrate on “Numbers” Rather Than Souls. Sure, we want better attendance, and we want more members. However wanting those things just to “boost our numbers” can be dangerous. Many things can be done “to bring them in,” but the question is, “Will they be saved?”

¨         The Temptation to Have Activities Just  to Keep People Interested. A godly church will be an active church. However, we can’t just schedule activities in order to please people. The world’s view of a “church” right now is a social club. It is not seen by most people to be important in regard to salvation. If we allow activities to become the center of our existence, it will become just a social club.

¨         The Temptation to Study the Bible for the Sake of Physical Knowledge. Bible knowledge is absolutely essential for the salvation of our souls (2 Timothy 2:15). However, if we are not careful, that “book knowledge” may become an end in itself. All instruction in Bible classes, personal study and discussions ought to point those involved toward spiritual growth. If we merely know the fundamental facts and do not use them, they do us no real good. Many of the “Bible students” of Jesus day knew the Scriptures, but failed to practice the principles they studied (Matthew 22:29; 23:3).

The insidious nature of the above temptations is that within them, there are legitimate concerns that need to be addressed. However, when any or all of them become “the main thing,” God loses and so do we.

  —Lance Cordle