The Third Article.
The Holy Christian Church.
Which is the Third Article?
_I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the communion
of saints._
What does this mean?
_I believe that ... the Holy Ghost has called me, ... even as He calls,
gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth
and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith._
1. God the Holy Ghost has called me to Christ, sanctified me, and kept
me in the true faith. The Holy Ghost, however, has performed this work
of His grace _not only on me._ Besides me He has called, and still
calls, many poor lost sinners to Christ, enlightens them with His
precious gifts, with faith in their Savior. All these the Holy Ghost
also _"gathers,"_ as our Catechism states. The Holy Ghost does not
suffer those who have been converted by the Gospel to _be separate,_ but
adds them to His disciples, as on that first Pentecost all those were
added to the congregation of the disciples who had been converted by
Peter's sermon. Acts 2,41. All true believers are Christ's own; through
faith in Him they are closely united as brethren and sisters in the one
Lord. _All true believers, taken together are the holy Christian Church
on earth, which the Holy Ghost sanctifies and keeps in the one true
faith._
2. The Third Article calls the Christian Church _the communion of
saints._ It is a communion, a congregation, of _saints,_ that is, of
_holy people._ They are not holy in themselves, but the Holy Ghost has
sanctified them, or made them holy, through faith in Christ. In Christ
they have _forgiveness of all their sins_ and are holy in the eyes of
God. _Only true believers in Christ therefore belong to the Christian
Church; only they, but all of them._ Instead of the communion of saints
we might also say _the communion of true believers._--The Church is
the communion of saints. All believers in Christ are a _communion,_ a
_congregation;_ they form, as it were, one _body._ They do not all live
together at one place, in one city, or in the same country,--we find
them scattered over all the earth,--but they are _closely bound
together by one and the same faith in Christ._ They belong to one
family, of which Christ is the Head and Master, and all are members.
_The Church is the communion of saints; for believers only, but all
believers, are members of it._
3. We _believe_ that the holy Christian Church is here on earth, but we
do not _see_ it; it is invisible. Only true believers belong to the
Church, and no man can look into another's heart and see his _faith._
Only One really knows who the members of the Church are. _"The Lord
knoweth them that are His."_ 2 Tim. 2,19. We cannot see the Church, but
_we believe that it is here on earth;_ for holy Scripture assures us
that the Holy Ghost by the Gospel at all times calls men to Christ and
keeps them in the true faith to the end of the world. Our Lord says:
_"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it."_ Matt. 16,18.--The Church
is _holy_ because all its members are _holy by faith in Christ_ and in
the strength of the Holy Ghost _lead a godly life_ and serve their Lord
in His kingdom in righteousness.--It is called the _Christian_ Church
because it is built on _Christ. "Other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."_ 1 Cor. 3,11. And He is not only
its Foundation, but also _the Head and King of the Church._
4. We do not see the Church, _but we know where it is, where we can find
it._ The Holy Ghost calls and keeps the Church only _by the Gospel._ God
has promised us that, where His Gospel is preached, it shall not remain
_without fruit;_ some of those who hear it will come to Christ and
believe in Him. _Wherever the Word of God is preached, and only where it
is in use, the holy Christian Church is to be found._
5. Scripture also speaks of a _visible_ Church, of visible congregations
of Christians. A visible Church is the number of all those who call
themselves Christians, who _profess their faith in Christ and are
gathered about God's Word._ In these visible congregations there are not
only true believers, but also _hypocrites,_ who indeed confess the
Christian faith, but do not believe in their Savior. Among the visible
churches there are _many false churches and one true visible Church._
The true visible Church teaches and confesses the Word of God _in all
its purity, without false doctrines. This true visible Church is the
Evangelical Lutheran Church._ To this Church we ought to belong, and to
no other; for our Lord says: _"If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My
disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth; and the truth shall make
you free."_ John 8, 31.32. _"Beware of false prophets!"_ Matt. 7,15.