"But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared" (Matt. 13:26).
In Matthew 13:24–30; 36–43, Jesus teaches that the visible church on earth is a mixed body of tares and wheat, reprobate and elect. Jesus’ teaching proves that we can never have a “purely Christian” church on earth. This is because the heart above all things is deceitful, and we cannot see into the hearts of others. There are many hypocrites living among God’s people, and the church is unequipped to search out and discern every hypocrite in its midst. Man only looks on the outward appearance, on outward profession and outward behavior, but God looks on the heart. Jesus knows His sheep even though we might not be able to discern the sheep from the goats.
How, then, can we call this mixture of regenerate and unregenerate people the church of God? Augustine was the first to define the church in a way that has brought clarification to this issue. He said that there is the visible church and the invisible church. The invisible church comprises those people who are truly regenerate. For the most part, the invisible church is part of the visible church. There are exceptions, though rare, when someone who is part of the invisible church is not part of the visible church: for example, the thief on the cross and prisoners in a concentration camp or in solitary confinement who are unable to align themselves with a visible body of believing Christians. One other possibility would be the temporary short term condition of the immature Christian who, for whatever reason, has a defective view of the church and refrains from testifying publicly of his faith and coming under the headship of the elders of a particular church. However, once that person has made a cursory reading of the New Testament, if truly regenerate, he would realize the divine mandate of joining a visible body.
Everyone who is a member of the visible church, however, is not necessarily a true Christian and a member of the invisible church. Consider Jesus’ sobering words, “Some will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not do these wonderful things in Your name?’ But on that day I will say to them, ‘Depart from Me, for I never knew you.’ ” Even though a person might be a member of a visible church, this does not prove that he is a true Christian—he might, sadly enough, be a goat in sheep’s clothing.
One of the greatest duties of any professing Christian is to examine himself to see if he is truly in the faith. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice and do the will of His Father. Using the book of 1 John as an initial guide, examine yourself during the next few days to see whether your faith is true. Pray that God will expose any hypocrisy.
