The Church Will Succeed Despite Itself

The Church will succeed despite itself. This is what came to mind this morning as I read the following:

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Where would we have been without this Church?  Who would have handed down to us, across twenty centuries, the teachings of our dear Lord Jesus?  Who would have encouraged us in the truth, reassured us in the path we had undertaken?

The Church already was founded before we appeared on the scene, and had we not come on the scene would have gone on being saints and sinners, capable of high ideals and base enormities, the dwelling place of peace and a jungle of violence.

But one thing is sure: if we should fail, overwhelmed by our sins and faithlessness, the Church will not have failed.  The 'little remnant' will have arrived none the less.  God Himself is the guarantor.

- from I, Francis, by Carlo Carretto

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Any thoughts or reactions?

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Comments

[Seraphim]

Who would have handed down to us, across twenty centuries, the teachings of our dear Lord Jesus? Who would have encouraged us in the truth, reassured us in the path we had undertaken?

Chris this makes me think of a friend of mine a missionary to Indonesia. No one told him about Christ. He was a practising buddist in a muslim country. Until one day Christ appeared to Him. And told him to follow Him and be a missionary for him.

Also in Rev. in the last of the last days it will be an angel flying thru the streets proclaiming the gospel.

It is better if we the church do our stuff, but we shouldn't think that God 'needs us'. If we don't step up, He'll still see that it gets done.

LYB

Seraphim

[Chris]

"It is better if we the church do our stuff, but we shouldn't think that God 'needs us'. If we don't step up, He'll still see that it gets done."

You're dead-on, Seraphim. Sometimes, it feels that those of us in the "free will" camp overestimate ourselves and underestimate God.

[blind beggar]

It is better if we the church do our stuff, but we shouldn't think that God 'needs us'. If we don't step up, He'll still see that it gets done.

Right on Seraphim! I've heard to many sermons and lessons about how God is dependent on us and if we don't get the job done, God's plan will fail. How arrogant and condescending.

Might be said that God will succeed despite his people – the church.

[Bald Man]

The Reading from this morning's Divine Hours seems relevant:

"In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him. What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men; and light shines in the darkness, and darkness could not overpower it."

The Church, Christ's Body, will endure and will accomplish Christ's purpose, no matter how ill some portions of Her may become.

[Chris]

"Might be said that God will succeed despite his people – the church."
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"The Church, Christ's Body, will endure and will accomplish Christ's purpose, no matter how ill some portions of Her may become."

I see both of these conclusions as valid. Well put.

[walking]

"The Church, Christ's Body, will endure and will accomplish Christ's purpose, no matter how ill some portions of Her may become."

i think we often forget the concept of the invisible church. when we talk of the church, there is always the temptation to think only of that corporate body we can see. but the real work and substance of the church is spiritual and not necessarily congruent with the physical body.

the church cannot fail or fall short, because it is the body of Christ.

[Dan W]

Reading the comments above it surprises me that it has never occoured to me before.

The church does not require us it is us who require it.

Through Jesus the church will always be present. Look at the persiocution it has already faced and over come, not to say its not still present.

Sorry garbled a little

[Bald Man]

Through Jesus the church will always be present.

Or, through the church Jesus will always be present...

Or both?