Bible Believing or Biblically Functioning?

I've been reading more of Joyfully at Home by Jasmine Baucham and noticing a phrase she uses throughout the book--"a biblically functioning church." It has arrested my attention. I think this is an important distinction that she's making. Many of us would be familiar with the distinction made of a Bible believing church and the reasons for that distinction. We hear the phrase over and over again. I think Jasmine has touched on a major weakness in many Bible believing churches, though, and that is that many are not biblically functioning churches.

In the chapter I'm reading today, Jasmine is answering some questions that she's been asked about her desire to be a stay-at-home daughter and a stay-at-home wife, should she later marry. Questions such as:

"What if your father or husband dies, or they are unable to provide for you because of an injury or illness?"

Her answer: What if the local church took its duty towards widows and orphans seriously? 

While wills, life insurance policies, and detailed plans are all important measures that a father can use to ensure that their families are well cared for (and I have nothing against these methods, and know personally the security that they provide) (1 Timothy 5:8), so many of us miss out on the security that the Body of Christ should afford us.

The Church has a real responsibility towards widows and orphans, so much so that this responsibility is outlined by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 5. Have you ever taken a good, long look at that passage? Have you ever been in a church that has encouraged you to do so?

One of the biggest provisions that a father can make for his family is to get them to a doctrinally sound, biblically functioning church with a strong sense of community.

A biblically functioning church.

I think part of the problem is that we look at New Testament passages about the church and say, "How do we apply this to our church? Oh, we can't do this or that. It won't work in the here and now." Instead, we should be asking, "How can we change our church to follow the patterns laid out for us in the New Testament church?" Huge difference.

A biblically functioning church. Are you in one? Are you sure? Don't be too quick with your answer just yet. I'm not talking about finding Bible verses to pin on our practice. It's the other way round, as C.S. Lewis might put it. This week as you read and study your Bible (you won't know if you are if you don't), particularly about the New Testament church, ask yourself--"Is our church functioning like this? Am I, as a follower of Jesus Christ (if you are), actually living my life like this?" I'm seriously thinking about these questions myself.

A biblically functioning church. An important distinction from the pen of 20-year-old Jasmine.

Jasmine's dad, Voddie Baucham, has written Family-Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes To Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk With God.  Voddie is a pastor of preaching at their church in Houston, Texas. Jasmine invites us to visit their biblically functioning church sometime. I have some friends who drove hundreds of miles to do so, and it began to change their lives. One of the changes was their church shortly after they returned. It's like Jasmine says, "One of the biggest provisions that a father can make for his family........"