EL DOMINIO PROPIO- C. H. Mackintosh

EL DOMINIO PROPIO

La palabra griega traducida "templanza" en 2.ª Pedro 1:6 en la versión inglesa King James tiene un significado mucho más profundo que el que normalmente se le asigna a ese término. Usualmente la palabra "templanza" se aplica a los hábitos de moderación con referencia a comer y beber. No cabe duda de que éste es parte de su significado, pero el sentido en el griego es mucho más amplio. De hecho, la palabra griega empleada por el inspirado apóstol significa propiamente "dominio propio" (como en la versión española Reina-Valera), y transmite la idea de uno que tiene el dominio de sí mismo de forma habitual y que sabe gobernar el yo.

Ejercer el dominio de uno mismo es, en efecto, una gracia extraordinaria y admirable, la cual comunica su bendita influencia sobre toda la marcha, el carácter y la conducta del individuo. Esta gracia no sólo afecta directamente uno, dos o veinte hábitos egoístas, sino que ejerce su efecto sobre el yo en toda la gama y variedad de ese tan amplio y odioso término. Más de uno que miraría con orgulloso desdén a un glotón o a un borracho, puede él mismo faltar a toda hora de manifestar la gracia del dominio propio. Ciertamente, los excesos en la comida y la bebida deben ser clasificados junto con las formas más viles y degradantes de egoísmo. Deben ser considerados como parte de los frutos más amargos de este árbol tan extendido del yo. El yo, en efecto, es un árbol, y no solamente la rama de un árbol ni el fruto de una rama, y nosotros no sólo debemos juzgar el yo cuando está activo, sino controlarlo para que no actúe.

Puede que alguno pregunte: «¿Cómo puedo controlar el yo?» La bendita respuesta es simple: "Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece" (Filipenses 4:13). ¿No hemos obtenido la salvación en Cristo? Sí, bendito sea Dios, la hemos obtenido. ¿Y qué incluye esta palabra maravillosa? ¿Es simplemente la liberación de la ira venidera? ¿Es meramente el perdón de nuestros pecados y la seguridad de estar librados del lago que arde con fuego y azufre? Por más preciosos que fueren estos privilegios, la “salvación” abarca mucho más que ello. En una palabra, "salvación" implica una plena aceptación de Cristo con el corazón, como mi "sabiduría" para guiarme fuera de la oscuridad de la insensatez y de los caminos torcidos, hacia los caminos de luz y de paz celestial; como mi "justicia" para justificarme delante de un Dios santo; como mi "santificación" para hacerme prácticamente santo en todos mis caminos; y como mi "redención" para darme liberación final de todo el poder de la muerte, y entrada en los campos eternos de gloria (1.ª Corintios 1:30).

Por eso, es evidente que el "dominio propio" está incluido en la salvación que tenemos en Cristo. Es el resultado de esa santificación práctica de que nos ha dotado la gracia divina. Debemos guardarnos con cuidado del hábito de tener una visión estrecha de la salvación. Debemos procurar entrar en toda su plenitud. Es una palabra que se extiende desde la eternidad hasta la eternidad y abarca, en su poderoso barrido, todo los detalles prácticos de la vida diaria. No tengo ningún derecho de hablar de salvación de mi alma en el futuro mientras rehúse conocer y manifestar su influencia práctica en mi conducta en el presente. Somos salvos, no sólo de la culpa y la condenación del pecado, sino del poder, la práctica y el amor de él en su plenitud. Estas cosas nunca deben separarse; y ninguno que ha sido divinamente enseñado en cuanto al significado, magnitud y poder de esa palabra preciosa —salvación—, lo hará.

Al presentar ahora a mi lector unas observaciones prácticas sobre el asunto del dominio propio, voy a considerarlo bajo las tres divisiones siguientes, a saber: a) los pensamientos, b) la lengua y c) el temperamento. Doy por sentado que me estoy dirigiendo a personas salvas. Si mi lector no lo fuere, sólo puedo dirigirlo a la única senda verdadera y viviente: "Cree en el Señor Jesucristo, y serás salvo tú y tu casa" (Hechos 16:31). Pon tu entera confianza en Él y estarás tan seguro como Él mismo lo es. Ahora procederé a tratar el práctico y tan necesario tema del dominio propio.

En primer lugar, trataremos acerca de nuestros pensamientos y del control que habitualmente debemos ejercer sobre ellos. Supongo que hay pocos cristianos que no han padecido pensamientos perversos: esos intrusos molestos que aparecen en nuestra más profunda intimidad, perturbando continuamente el descanso de nuestra mente, y que tan frecuentemente oscurecen la atmósfera alrededor de nosotros y nos privan de mirar arriba con una vista clara y plena hacia el cielo luminoso. El salmista podía decir, "Los pensamientos vanos aborrezco" (Salmo 119:113). Son verdaderamente aborrecibles y deben ser juzgados, condenados y desechados. Alguien, hablando del asunto de los malos pensamientos, dijo: «Yo no puedo impedir que los pájaros vuelen sobre mí, pero sí puedo evitar que se posen en mí.» Asimismo, no puedo evitar que los malos pensamientos surjan en mi mente, pero sí puedo impedir que se alojen en ella."

Pero ¿cómo podemos controlar nuestros pensamientos? No más de lo que podríamos borrar nuestros pecados o crear un mundo. ¿Qué deberíamos hacer? Mirar a Cristo. Éste es el verdadero secreto del dominio propio. Él puede guardarnos, no sólo de que se alojen malos pensamientos, sino también de que los tales surjan en nuestra mente. No podríamos prevenir lo uno ni lo otro. Él puede prevenir ambas cosas. Él puede evitar no sólo que los viles intrusos entren, sino que también golpeen a la puerta. Cuando la vida divina está en su actividad, cuando la corriente de pensamiento y sentimiento espiritual es profunda y rápida, cuando los afectos del corazón están intensamente ocupados con la Persona de Cristo, los vanos pensamientos no vienen a atormentarnos. Sólo cuando nos dejamos invadir por la indolencia espiritual, los malos pensamientos vienen sobre nosotros. Entonces nuestro único recurso es fijar nuestros ojos en Jesús. Podríamos también intentar combatir contra las organizadas huestes del infierno, así como contra una horda de malos pensamientos. Mas nuestro refugio es Cristo. Él ha sido hecho para nosotros “santificación”. Podemos hacer todas las cosas por medio de Él. Sólo tenemos que llevar el nombre de Jesús contra el diluvio de malos de pensamientos, y Él dará con toda seguridad una plena e inmediata liberación.

Sin embargo, el medio más excelente para ser preservado de las sugerencias del mal consiste en estar ocupados con el bien. Cuando la corriente del pensamiento fluye invariablemente hacia arriba, cuando es profundo y perfectamente estable, sin ningún desvío ni lagunas, entonces la imaginación y los sentimientos, que brotan de las profundas fuentes del alma, fluirán naturalmente hacia adelante en el lecho de dicho canal. Éste es indiscutiblemente el camino más excelente. ¡Ojalá que lo probemos en nuestra propia experiencia! "Por lo demás, hermanos, todo lo que es verdadero, todo lo honesto, todo lo justo, todo lo puro, todo lo amable, todo lo que es de buen nombre; si hay virtud alguna, si alguna alabanza, en esto pensad. Lo que aprendisteis y recibisteis y oísteis y visteis en mí, esto haced; y el Dios de paz será con vosotros" (Filipenses 4:8-9). Cuando el corazón está lleno de Cristo, habiendo incorporado de forma viva todas las cosas enumeradas en el versículo 8, disfrutamos de una paz profunda e imperturbable frente a los malos pensamientos. Éste es el verdadero dominio propio.

En segundo lugar, podemos pensar en la lengua, ese miembro influyente tan fructífero para el bien como para el mal, el instrumento con el que podemos proferir acentos de dulce y tierna simpatía, o palabras de amargo sarcasmo y de ardiente indignación. ¡Qué importancia enorme tiene la gracia del dominio propio en su aplicación a tal miembro! Graves daños, irreparables con el tiempo, puede causar la lengua en un instante. Palabras por las cuales daríamos el mundo para que fuesen borradas, puede proferir la lengua en un momento de descuido. Oigamos lo que el inspirado apóstol dice sobre este asunto:

"Porque todos ofendemos en muchas cosas. Si alguno no ofende en palabra, éste es varón perfecto, que también puede con freno gobernar todo el cuerpo. He aquí nosotros ponemos frenos en las bocas de los caballos para que nos obedezcan, y gobernamos todo su cuerpo. Mirad también las naves: aunque tan grandes, y llevadas de impetuosos vientos, son gobernadas con un muy pequeño timón por donde quisiere el que las gobierna. Así también, la lengua es un miembro pequeño, y se gloría de grandes cosas. ¡He aquí, un pequeño fuego ­cuán grande bosque enciende! Y la lengua es un fuego, un mundo de maldad. Así la lengua está puesta entre nuestros miembros, la cual contamina todo el cuerpo, é inflama la rueda de la creación, y es inflamada del infierno. Porque toda naturaleza de bestias, y de aves, y de serpientes, y de seres de la mar, se doma y es domada de la naturaleza humana: Pero ningún hombre puede domar la lengua, que es un mal que no puede ser refrenado; llena de veneno mortal." (Santiago 3:2-8).

¿Quién entonces puede controlar la lengua? "Ningún hombre" es capaz de hacerlo, pero Cristo sí puede, y nosotros sólo tenemos que contemplarlo a Él, con simple fe. Esto implica la conciencia tanto de nuestra absoluta impotencia como de Su plena suficiencia. Es absolutamente imposible que seamos capaces de controlar la lengua. Es lo mismo que si intentáramos detener la marea del océano, los ríos de deshielo o el alud de la montaña. ¡Cuántas veces, al sufrir las consecuencias de alguna equivocación de la lengua, hemos resuelto ordenar a ese miembro desobediente algo mejor la próxima vez, pero nuestras resoluciones resultaron ser como el rocío de la mañana que se desvanece, y no tuvimos más remedio que retirarnos y llorar por nuestro deplorable fracaso en el asunto del dominio propio! ¿A qué se debió esto? Simplemente a que nosotros emprendimos esta obra sobre la base de nuestras propias fuerzas o por lo menos sin tener una conciencia suficientemente profunda de nuestra propia debilidad. Ésta es la causa de constantes fracasos. Debemos aferrarnos a Cristo como un niño se aferra a su madre. Esto no significa que el hecho de aferrarnos tenga algún mérito en sí mismo; sin embargo, debemos aferrarnos a Cristo, pues ésta es la única manera en que podemos refrenar la lengua con éxito. Recordemos siempre estas palabras solemnes y escudriñadoras del mismo apóstol Santiago: " Si alguno piensa ser religioso entre vosotros, y no refrena su lengua, sino engañando su corazón, la religión del tal es vana." (Santiago 1:26). Son éstas palabras saludables para un tiempo como el presente cuando tantas lenguas desobedientes y vanas palabras pululan por doquier. ¡Ojalá que tengamos gracia para prestar oídos a estas palabras! ¡Que su santa influencia cale hondo en nuestros caminos!

El tercer punto que vamos a considerar es el temperamento o el carácter, el cual se halla íntimamente relacionado con la lengua y con los pensamientos. Cuando la fuente del pensamiento es espiritual, y la corriente celestial, la lengua es sólo el agente activo para el bien, y el temperamento será calmo y apacible. Si Cristo mora en el corazón por la fe, todo se halla bajo control. Sin Él, nada tiene valor. Yo puedo poseer y manifestar la calma de un Sócrates, y al mismo tiempo ignorar por completo el "dominio propio" de que habla el apóstol Pedro en 2.ª Pedro 1:6. Este último se funda en la "fe"; mientras que la calma estoica de los sabios de este mundo se funda sobre el principio de la filosofía: dos cosas totalmente diferentes. No debemos olvidar que se nos dice: "Agregad a vuestra fe, virtud..." Esto pone a la fe primero como el único eslabón que vincula el corazón con Cristo, la fuente viviente de todo poder. Teniendo a Cristo y permaneciendo en Él, somos hechos capaces de agregar a la fe "virtud, conocimiento, dominio propio, paciencia, piedad, afecto fraternal, amor". Tales son los preciosos frutos que brotan como resultado de permanecer en Cristo. Pero yo no puedo controlar mi temperamento más que mi lengua o mis pensamientos, y si me propusiera hacerlo, con toda seguridad fracasaré a cada instante. Un filósofo sin Cristo puede que manifieste un mayor dominio sobre sí mismo, su carácter y su lengua que un cristiano, si éste no permanece en Cristo. Esto no tendría que ocurrir y no ocurriría si tan sólo el cristiano considerara a Jesús. Sólo cuando falla en este punto, el enemigo gana ventaja. El filósofo sin Cristo tiene un éxito aparente en la obra tan importante del dominio propio, sólo que así puede estar más efectivamente cegado acerca de la realidad de su condición delante de Dios, y ser arrastrado precipitadamente a la perdición eterna. Satanás se deleita cuando hace tropezar y caer a un cristiano, haciendo así que éste halle así una ocasión para blasfemar el nombre precioso de Cristo.

Lector cristiano, tengamos en cuenta estas cosas. Consideremos a Cristo a fin de que controle nuestros pensamientos, nuestra lengua y nuestro temperamento. Prestemos "toda diligencia". Sopesemos todo lo que esto involucra. "Porque si en vosotros hay estas cosas, y abundan, no os dejarán estar ociosos, ni estériles en el conocimiento de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Mas el que no tiene estas cosas, es ciego, y tiene la vista muy corta, habiendo olvidado la purificación de sus antiguos pecados" (2.ª Pedro 1:8-9). Estas palabras son profundamente solemnes. ¡Con qué facilidad caemos en un estado de ceguedad y negligencia espiritual! Ninguna medida de conocimiento, ya de doctrina, ya de la letra de la Escritura, preservará al alma de esta horrible condición. Únicamente "el conocimiento de nuestro Señor Jesucristo" será de provecho. Y este conocimiento crecerá en el alma "dando toda la diligencia para agregar a nuestra fe" los diversos dones de gracia a los que el apóstol se refiere en el pasaje tan eminentemente práctico que cala hondo en nuestra alma. “Por lo cual, hermanos, procurad tanto más de hacer firme vuestra vocación y elección; porque haciendo estas cosas, no caeréis jamás. Porque de esta manera os será abundantemente administrada la entrada en el reino eterno de nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo” (v. 10-11).

Traducido del original en inglés «Things New and Old»

Flavio H. Arrué

Three Essential Principles- by David w Dyer

Three Essential Principles

by David w Dyer

Extracted from website " A Grain of wheat ministries" www.agrainofwheat.com

This message is designed to put forth three basic truths concerning the church. Therefore, it seems expedient to begin with a discussion of exactly what we mean when we use the word "church." Most Christians would probably define church as "the body of Christ." By this they mean that the church is not a building but rather consists of people. While it is true that the church is "the body of Christ" and that it is made up of men and women rather than bricks and mortar, even this concept falls short of the Biblical meaning conveyed by the word. Consequently, as it is with so many other spiritual truths, our experience of the church has often been severely limited by our understanding of it.
In an attempt to overcome this problem and to start afresh in our search for a deeper understanding of this subject, let us define church in this way: "the church is a spiritual reality." The church is a spiritual reality and this reality should be our experience! When the Bible uses the word "church" it is referring to much more than a number of believers gathered together in one place. While it is true that the church does consist of two or more individuals, still the fact remains that simply getting a few Christians together does not constitute the church. Believers might meet together for many different reasons. They may gather for the sake of entertainment, they might meet to enjoy each others' company, they may even congregate to hear inspiring preaching and wonderful singing. But unless these people are actually experiencing the reality of the body of Christ, what they are doing does not qualify as being "church". The fact that many readers will probably not understand what I mean here only serves to underline the scope and severity of the problem at hand.
The church experience happens when Christians come together and the presence of Jesus Christ is manifested in their midst. The church experience occurs when real believers enter into the Spirit together. The church experience is realized when men and women are raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:6). The church experience consists of God ministering Himself to and through every member of His body. Such meetings are not meant to be a rare or even nonexistent happening. In the early church, these things appear to have been taken for granted. Genuine spiritual gatherings like this are essential if we are to have what the New Testament calls "church." If these things are not your experience, then I would urge you to take a prolonged, serious, prayerful look at what you are doing which you have thought to be "church."
In this world the church is not an end in itself but only the means to an end. It is precisely at this point that many people make a serious mistake. They often suppose that if their "church" is successful from an earthly standpoint (having crowded meetings, good preaching, a new building etc.) that God is pleased with their efforts. However, God's pleasure can only be gained when we are accomplishing His purposes. To the extent that what we are doing fulfills His desires, it is approved. To the degree that our activities fail in this area, they are completely useless and are a waste of time. What then is God's purpose for the church? What is the end He has in view? It is twofold. Firstly, it is to change human beings into His likeness and secondly, to evangelize a perishing world. The spiritual experience of church which we have been describing is the Divinely instituted vehicle to accomplish both of these purposes. The fact that we see so many other methodologies being employed to achieve the same results is simply a further testimony to how far our church experience has fallen from God's original intention.
Concerning the first purpose, the spiritual experience of the body of Christ is the best environment for spiritual growth. God has designed this context as the one which will be the most helpful to us as we grow to maturity. The presence of Jesus being manifested among us as we meet together will truly change our lives. As He moves within His church, ministering Himself to and through each one, the body is built up properly. It is the supply of "every joint" which "causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Eph 4:16). This life flow between the members is of purely heavenly origin. Natural, human efforts can never achieve the required results. Therefore, such true, spiritual "church" is essential if the job is to be done effectively.
As for the second objective, such an environment is also the best place for evangelism. When believers actually have the presence of God in their midst, when they genuinely enter into the Spirit, when each one has the opportunity to "prophesy," then unbelievers are easily convinced of God's reality (I Cor 14:24,25). Such an experience puts the gospel beyond the realm of intellectual argument. It can no longer be regarded simply as a fairy tale or theory. Its reality is viewable in the lives of those in the church. What I am advocating here is not a hopeful suggestion. This is something which myself and many others have experienced.
With all these things in mind, it seems important to take a little time here and look at three essential principles which, if followed, will go a long way towards producing a true church experience. Since this subject is so crucial and its impact, both upon ourselves and the unbelieving world is so profound, it stands to reason that we should carefully and seriously examine how we can more closely approach God's intention. As we do so I beg you, open your heart and your mind to God and allow Him to speak to you through these things. There is no doubt that the truths which we are discussing here have eternal consequences.
PRINCIPLE NUMBER ONE - LIFE
In order for any body to function it must be living. The members of the body of Jesus Christ therefore must be full of life. This implies several things. Firstly, the people who are considered to be part of church must be born of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:5). They must be real Christians. When Jesus came, He manifested God's life to man (I Jn 1:1). After His resurrection from the grave and His ascension to the right hand of the Father, He poured out the Holy "Spirit of life" (Rm 8:2) into all who believe in His name. If anyone does not have the Holy Spirit within them, they are not a true believer. It is only by the Holy Spirit that anyone can receive God's life.
Secondly, every church member should know what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is God's will for every Christian to be filled to overflowing with His Spirit. He desires this for us as much as an earthly father wants to feed his own children (Lk 11:11-13). This is not an experience for a select few. It is the normal, Biblical standard. In fact, we are commanded to be so filled (Eph 5:18). I do not intend here to get involved in a controversy over "the baptism of the Holy Spirit." Neither do I wish to discuss how this "filling" might be manifested. I only present the following two facts which should be self-evident. Number one, it is God's intention to fill every believer with the Holy Spirit. And number two, it is impossible to be filled with the Spirit of the Most High God and not know it. Therefore, if your life is devoid of the Spirit, either you have not been truly converted or you have not opened your life sufficiently to God to enjoy what He has for you. If this is your situation, I urge you to humble yourself before Him and seek His face until you know that you are experiencing all that Jesus came to give.
Thirdly, every Christian should be continually refilled with the Holy Spirit. This should be our daily, hourly, minutely - in fact our constant - experience. We should walk and live in the Spirit (Gal 5:25). Far too many believers are resting their relationship with Jesus on something which happened to them many years ago. Our past experiences may be very good but they will not support us today. Yesterday's manna will not feed anyone. For our church experience to be truly living, it is absolutely essential that each of the members fill themselves daily with God's life. This means being continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
In order for this to be accomplished, each and every believer must cultivate an intimate, daily, association with Jesus Christ. We can do this by meditating in His word and by praying in the Holy Spirit. Just as we require food each day to live normally, so every Christian should spend adequate time daily communicating with God. It is not sufficient just to shoot up a quick prayer now and then. Neither is it good enough simply to sit back and get your nourishment from the ministry of others. No one else can carry you along spiritually. You must apply yourself and diligently seek God on your own. Each one of us should set aside a good, long, undisturbed time every day to commune with Him and enjoy Him. In this way we will be full of His life.
As you can imagine, the experience of each individual will affect all of the others. When each of the members applies himself to be filled with God, the whole church is benefitted. When everyone partakes of this eternal substance and communicates it to the rest during their times of fellowship, the church experience of all is enhanced. Conversely, when the lives of the individual members are lacking, the whole assembly is adversely affected. All too often the solution to this problem has been to prop up the church with programs, new leadership or other outward things. God's remedy on the other hand is for each one to repent of their deadness and return again to a living relationship with Himself.
PRINCIPLE NUMBER TWO - UNITY
The second principle about which we will speak, is that of unity. Again we will begin with the analogy of a human body. If you take a person and cut him into many pieces, this destroys his life. The same is true of Christ's body. Unity is absolutely essential. Since this is such a vast subject and it is fraught with many difficult considerations, we will for the sake of convenience, break it down into two categories: unity between Christians who meet together and, unity among different meetings of the Church as a whole.
Let us begin our discussion of the first category by stating that unity is not optional. It is God's commandment. We are commanded by God to love others as much as we love ourselves. Such love is only made possible by an intimate relationship with God. Since God's love for the entire world and individuals in particular is tremendous, as we are in touch with Him, He will supply us to love others. Love is the substance of true unity. While many groups may have uniformity, conformity or even unanimity, only love provides the reality which we are seeking here.
True unity expressed in brotherly love will manifest itself in several ways. Those who have it will be continually seeking to serve others. They will pray for others, build others up in the faith, look for opportunities to help others financially and practically, spend time fellowshipping with others and in general manifest the love which the Father has for them. Such activity will be their daily exercise. Also such loving people will never be quick to say anything bad about someone else, especially one of their brothers or sisters in Christ. It does not take much imagination to see how greatly our church experience would be elevated if every member practiced this kind of behavior. Church, real church, is made up of this sort of life style. Nothing else qualifies.
Unfortunately, genuine love does not come easily. The fallen nature within man fights against it. Since the opposition to such unity from both within and without is tremendous, this kind of experience must begin with a commitment. It will be necessary for each member of the body to come to a conscious, deliberate decision to love and serve the others unconditionally. This is absolutely essential! If we leave love only as an option or if we allow our feelings to govern us, the devil will do his work, the flesh will prevail and the church will be damaged. Therefore, we must make a firm decision to love each other and never allow anything to change it. Once this decision is made, we will find the supernatural supply of God enabling us to follow through with our commitment. In this way, we will begin to experience more of the fulness of Christ in the church.
This then brings us to our second category under consideration which is unity among different church meetings. Here again the answer is brotherly love. To have success in this area we must first be brought by God to see the Church from His point of view. No doubt as Jesus looks down upon the many different "churches," denominations and sects, He recognizes those who are His own within them. Although He certainly is aware of these divisions and I'm sure that they must grieve His heart, still He sees the members of His one body among all of them (Eph 4:4). While earthbound man's vision may be clouded by the proliferation of various Christian groups, Christ from His heavenly vantage point, sees His people - His Church.
Therefore, if we can be brought by God to view His Church the way He sees it, we will no longer be limited by any schisms in the Body. Our love should transcend any man-made separations. Although in this life we will probably never see an end to all the divisions, we can end them in our own hearts. The more Christians who take this position of love towards all, the better the situation will become. I am not suggesting that we should go and join ourselves to groups with whom we cannot agree. I am only advocating that we love "with a pure heart fervently" those true believers who are in them (I Pet 1:22). As we have been seeing, the church is not a place or a group but a spiritual reality which we can experience. Such an experience can penetrate any outward barriers. We can have true spiritual relationships and fellowship with believers in all kinds of situations. This is the only real church.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE - HEADSHIP
The third principle I would like to mention here is the headship of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul warns us about some believers who were "not holding the head" (Col 2:19). What does this mean? Very simply it indicates that Jesus Christ was not the primary authority in every aspect of their church experience. In our present context it would mean that we have elevated other things (this could include leaders, rituals, doctrines, methods, traditions etc.) to a place which they should not occupy.
The Bible teaches us that God has given Jesus Christ to be "head over all things to the church, which is His body" (Eph 1:22,23). This word "all" has a very special significance. It means everything! In another place we read that in ALL things He is to have the pre-eminence (Col 1:18). Every believer should take this point seriously. Christians must be extremely careful never to displace or nullify Jesus' authority. This is not an insignificant consideration. This concept is crucial for a genuine church experience! The body of Jesus Christ can no more function properly when His authority is replaced or limited than a human being can who is paralyzed or decapitated. I can think of no other truth that has been more neglected and abused in our modern "churches." I am afraid that if Jesus asserted His rightful authority over many Christian assemblies today, almost every "table" would be overturned.
A discussion of the headship of Christ over His body will of necessity involve two different aspects: His authority over each individual believer and, His leadership of the church meetings. To simplify our investigation, we will consider each of these items separately. To begin, Jesus must be Lord of every Christian. This means that He is to have full control over every aspect of their lives. No area of living should be withheld from Him. Since in this age, Jesus is not forcibly asserting His authority, we must be willing to let Him reign over us. The only proper position for a believer to be in is one of full submission to the Holy Spirit. When this element is lacking or not completely understood by those with whom we are meeting, our church experience will suffer proportionately.
Serious problems can also be caused by unscriptural human authority. When Christians begin to rely too much on a man or group of men for guidance, their relationship with their true Head is damaged. While we should all be open to receive fellowship, direction and advice from others (especially those who lead), if we become dependent upon them or if we follow them instead of our Lord, we are in serious spiritual danger (Jer 17:5). God's authority flows from the Head to His body. Those who are intimate with Him are often used as channels of this authority. However, no one ever becomes that authority themselves. That position is eternally reserved for the Head. Therefore, while it is important to be sensitive to the voice of God speaking through others, it is essential that no human being ever takes His rightful place in our lives.
Another difficulty which I fear is very common is that the structure of many Christian groups does not allow for diversity among the individual members. Many times believers are permitted to function only in ways which fit in with the predetermined pattern or format. Perhaps this situation exists because people feel more secure with such uniformity. However this kind of behavior greatly restricts the authority of Jesus. The result is paralysis and inactivity among the members of His body. How many Christians are now pursuing other things because they have not been allowed to find spiritual fulfillment in the church! How many groups are filled with overfed, yet immature believers who have never learned how to serve others! This sad situation cannot be blamed wholly upon these individuals. All too often such people have been greatly hindered by an earthly, inflexible organization they consider to be the "church."
CHURCH MEETINGS
These same truths also apply to our church meetings. Jesus wants to lead us in everything we do. When He comes into our midst, He comes as our High Priest to lead us in our worship. If His authority to do so is limited this will dramatically affect the spiritual reality of our gatherings. Some of the things which can hinder or confine the leadership of our Lord are: preplanned meetings, "platform led" services, religious formalities and the domination of the group by the ministry of one individual. All these things are extremely common in the Church today. Yet all of them serve only to restrict the authority of the Head and stifle our church experience. Unfortunately many Christians do not realize that Jesus actually could lead church meetings. It may be that the idea has never occurred to them. Possibly some are unsure that such an important task could be done by someone who is . . . uh, well, invisible. Unfortunately many seem to think it safer to organize something or let someone "qualified" do the leading.
That fact is that Jesus Christ is infinitely capable of directing the meetings of His church. We simply haven't given Him the opportunity. Another possibility is that "we" collectively have so little real touch with Him that we are unable to sense His authority and are therefore unable to follow His leading in our gatherings. A scriptural church meeting is run by the Holy Spirit and provides the opportunity for every member to function. In I Corinthians 14:26 we read that when the church comes together each one can have a psalm, teaching, tongue, revelation or interpretation. Ephesians 4:16 teaches that it is from the life supply of every part that the body is built up. During a proper church gathering, the Holy Spirit moves among His people and prompts each one to minister their portion of God to the others. In this way every need can be met. If only the talented ones function it will greatly limit our experience. On the other hand, when all have the opportunity to share, we can enjoy tremendous fulness.
While some may think that I am speaking against the ministry of gifted men, I am not. However, much of the ministry currently done in church meetings, such as extensive preaching and teaching, probably ought to take place somewhere else. Separate times and places can easily be arranged for such purposes. Although there certainly is room for preaching and teaching in the church, it should be kept in check so that it does not crowd out the portion of others. (Please read I Cor 14:30,31). No individual should dominate the assembly with his or her ministry. The Apostle Paul did his teaching in the synagogue, in a school, in his own hired house and elsewhere (Acts 19:8,9; 28:30,31). There is no indication that he took up the majority of every meeting with his messages. His preaching at Troas, which evidently lasted all night, should be understood as an exception created by circumstances. Since he was leaving the next day, he wanted to have as much time as possible to share with them (Acts 20:6-11). Yes, the ministry of specially anointed individuals should be exercised, but only with due regard for the proper functioning of the regular church meetings.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion let me say that the church has strayed a long way from God's intention over the years. A brief comparison of today's situation with the church in the New Testament gives us ample evidence of this fact. However, this does not mean that our goal of truly spiritual meetings is unattainable. I am confident that to the degree to which we practice the above principles our church experience will be greatly enhanced. Conversely, to the extent that we fail to implement these things we will be limited in our experience of God in our midst.
The church certainly is a spiritual reality. It is equally certain that we can and should be experiencing it as such. The ends which God has in view can only be achieved by His methods. Everything else, no matter how good it may appear from a human point of view is only wood, hay and stubble. Please remember that success from an earthly standpoint means nothing to God. Large numbers, eloquent preaching, dynamic entertainment and many other things so common among us today do not impress Him. Only that which He Himself initiates will stand the test on Judgement Day. May God have mercy upon us that we could enter into true spiritual reality in our church meetings.