Let me give you an illustration. When I know a guest is coming to my home for dinner, I will make sure that everything is tidy. If I anticipate that he might take a tour of my home, I can promise every bed will be made, and that all the dirty laundry will be tucked away.
I would liken that to our church meetings, but that is not our church life. The church meetings tend to be beautiful, but the church life—my goodness! If you visit my home as a guest, we will do our best to make the house presentable. Two hours after your departure, however, rest assured that everything will revert back to its true form as the members of the household carry on together as a family.
That is the typical church life, as compared to the typical church meeting. If you think that all the saints are so lovely and holy, then you must still be a “guest” in the church. It is when you wonder, “How can this possibly be the church?” that you know you have really entered into the church life.
Adapted from Oneness and the One Accord, page 72.
Tomorrow: “Oneness in the Book of Colossians” (4)