Dr. David Palveson is a biblical counselor and the author of some very important books and journal articles, resources that perhaps could lead some to see as promoting Christian growth apart from the local church. But of course that would be misleading, as he explained to me a few years back when I sat down with him at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation offices near Philadelphia.

I asked him to explain the vital role the local church plays in growing in sanctification, in our growth in holiness. Here's what he said. Local church is integral to sanctification in all sorts of, from all sorts of different directions. There's an obvious direction I'll come at second and there's a less obvious one.

Every single fruit of sanctification gets expressed within the context of the church. And so if sanctification, if the payoff, to quote 1 Timothy 1.7, "The goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith." That love gets expressed in the church.

It gets expressed towards brothers and sisters. In the Apostle John's first letter, it's the, you know, if you love the son, you love the brethren. You know, if you love the father, you love the children. If you, if you are in Christ, you are in some intrinsic way wedded to the welfare of others.

And so I'm going to get to second, the way the church blesses us in sanctification. But the very goal of sanctification involves the church. There is a sense, I am not perfected until you are perfected. We are not perfected until every single one of us, the children of the living God, is perfected.

Which means another person's struggle, I have a stake in that for my sanctification. Sanctification is not a private endeavor. It's not a moral self-improvement project. It's not, it's not less than that, but it's so much more than that because the actual things that are improved about us actually tie us to the welfare of other people.

I think this is part of why you see in Paul this, "Who does not stumble?" And I just, I burn. I'm so grieved. I'm so concerned. You're on my heart. I wrestle for you. There's tears on the piece of paper. Is it just because Paul is a particularly passionate Mediterranean personality or is it that Paul knows that our glory, which is the ultimate goal of sanctification, is when all of us arrive together and all of us together have grown up into the image of Jesus Christ.

So where else will I express the fruits of growth but with my brothers and sisters? Where else will the gifts that God has given me to be the vehicles in which my sanctification is most fruitful, where else will they be expressed if the body of Christ, Christ's own beloved people, is not part of it?

We are called to do good to all, of course, but especially to the household of faith. There's something about the nature even of God's election that it is an elect people, a holy priesthood is a nation called to be a light to the Gentiles, a light to the world.

The whole world will know that we are his disciples if we love each other. And so evangelism and world missions from a certain point of view hinges, my ability to contribute to that hinges on whether I love the brethren, whether we as Christian people resolve our differences, treat each other with forbearance, patience, humility, constructive love, whether we're candid to reprove in a constructive and loving way and so forth.

Am I about the business of a kingdom that is not my own? And if to the degree I am, it will involve me with other people. That's I think the less talked about side. The more obvious side is that I need my brothers and sisters. We can't say it's impossible to grow without fellowship because there are people in solitary confinement who have grown deep and rich and wise in the ways of the Lord.

But the normal way that we grow, barring extreme circumstances, you know, you're the only Christian in a Muslim village in Algeria, or you're in prison, or you're elderly and extremely frail and disabled, and for whatever reason, there's no people around you that can support your faith. Barring those extremes, I need others.

From whom else will I receive all of the one-anothering that the Bible says we need to give each other? Where else will I hear the word preached, but in the context of corporate worship? Where else will I be reminded through the Lord's Supper and baptism that this King, He stoops to meet us?

He's not just a head trip. It's a, "Here's my body, here's my blood. These are the waters of life. Your sins are washed away. Partake of the feast. Repent of your sins. You really are forgiven. You really are washed." Where else do I get the incalculable thing that happens in public worship that is alive where I can sing a hymn when I'm by myself.

Let me tell you, I'm glad that joyful noise counts unto the Lord, but there's nothing like singing with a pastel of other believers who mean it. I'm sure most of us have had that experience where, and there's points where you can't even sing because it is so awesome. We're singing to each other and to the Lord, and it is so awesome what we are saying to the Lord and to each other and how profoundly corporate worship, just what that does for our sanctification.

So, yeah, do we need the body of Christ? Yeah, at both ends of the process. We need it at the input end to help us grow. Oh, in fact, how could I forget? When I was being interviewed for church membership, my final question was, "If I stray from my fidelity to Jesus Christ or my wife, what will you do?" And it was a huge comfort for the pastor to say, "I will pursue you.

I will call you to repentance. And if you don't repent, we will excommunicate you." I said, "I'm signing on." There are shepherds who are looking out for my soul. Does that mean you can't be a solo Christian? Well, of course not, but God can sustain people in tough times.

But boy, the norm and the goal is the body of Christ living and active. That's brilliant and beautiful. That was biblical counselor and author Dr. David Powelson speaking from the offices of the CCEF in Philadelphia. Dr. Powelson's books include Speaking the Truth in Love and Seeing with New Eyes.

Well, anxiety and worry are part of the human experience in this fallen planet. But what do they say about the condition of our souls and how should we respond? We will hear from Dr. Ed Welch tomorrow. I'm your host, Tony Reinke. I'll see you then. Dr. Ed Welch, CCEF, Ph.D.

Dr. Ed Welch, CCEF, Ph.D. Dr. Ed Welch, CCEF, Ph.D.