The Church, Our Mother

In a recent comment box at the Reformed Catholicism website, Dr. Joel Garver provides an excellent note regarding the necessity of being in the Church. This was an answer to a gentleman who seemed to be indicating that having been brought to saving faith outside of a church, he can continue in a Christian walk outside of attachment to a local assembly of saints.

Here is Dr. Garver's response:

"The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and the Christ of the Gospel is a Christ who makes himself known and communicates his salvation among the fellowship of his people, gathered around the Word and Sacraments, under the loving discipline of his ministers.

I am not saying that you have to be in any particular denomination to be saved, yet, as Calvin notes:

'As it is now our purpose to discourse of the visible Church, let us learn, from her single title of "Mother," how useful, nay, how necessary the knowledge of her is, since there is no other means of entering into life unless she conceive us in the womb and give us birth, unless she nourish us at her breasts, and, in short, keep us under her charge and government, until, divested of mortal flesh, we become like the angels (Mt 23:30). For our weakness does not permit us to leave the school until we have spent our whole lives as scholars. Moreover, beyond the pale of the Church no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for, as Isaiah and Joel testify (Isa. 37:32; Joel 2:32).' (Institutes 4.1.4)

It is dangerous thing to despise and reject the gifts of God, given for our salvation."

Thank you Joel.