The following is an extract taken from the my book Independent Eldership. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

If Jesus really is Head of the Church, there will be some clear signs of his rule. If the church is closely connected to Christ, what would we expect to see in practice? At least six things follow.

First, we would expect to see a meaningful focus on the word of God. If Jesus is Head of the Church, and he exercises his authority through the word, a church that recognises him as Head is going to have a strong focus on the Bible. If the word is central to Christ’s rule, we would expect churches to be constantly in the Scriptures seeking out what Jesus has to say. In practice, this is likely to be seen in regular preaching of the word and Bible studies, but it will also be seen whenever discipleship is taking place or the church is thinking through a particular issue. Everything will ultimately be brought under the rule of Christ by submitting to the final authority of his word in all things.

Second, the church will be prayerful. As we look into the word, we see the church is called to be ‘persistent in prayer’ (Rom. 12:12) and to ‘pray constantly’ (1 The. 5:17). The Puritan writer, John Bunyan, says ‘the people of the Lord in all humility are to lay themselves and their prayers, and all they have, at the foot of their God, to be disposed of by him as he in his heavenly wisdom sees best.’ In other words, if Jesus really is Head of the Church, his people are going to approach him in prayer and seek to align their will with his; what they want to do will mirror what he would have them do.

Third, there will be a desire to pursue holiness. 1 Peter 1:15–16 says, ‘as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.’ Paul tells us in Romans 8:29 that Christians have been chosen by God to be ‘conformed to the image of his Son’. God has called us to become more like Jesus. That is what Paul means in Ephesians 4:15 when he says ‘let us grow in every way into him who is the head – Christ.’ If Jesus is the Head of the Church, we will be growing more and more like him in the holiness to which he calls us.

Fourth, there will be love for the church. Jesus gave the world a measure of whether we are truly following him. John 13:34–35 says, ‘“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”’ If the church is not characterised by a love for Jesus’ people, it is a sign that they are not true disciples. A church with Christ as its Head will be a church that loves God’s people. As the Apostle John said in his letter, ‘If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister’ (1 Jn. 4:20–21).

Fifth, the church with Christ as its Head will have unity among its members. In Ephesians 4:1–16, Paul is at pains to point out the unity that should characterise the Church of God. Unity is a clear consequence of Jesus being the Head of the Church. As Paul writes: ‘There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope at your calling – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all’ (Eph. 4:4–6). If we are all subject to the same Head, and all recognise the authority of the same Scriptures, there will be an evident unity among people all working to the same end under the same Lord.

Sixth, if Jesus is Head of the Church, there will be a balance between order through structure and freedom of movement. The Head of a body gives direction and instruction, yet each member still has its own tasks to do. In a body there is structure and interconnectedness without denying the reality that hands and ears cannot do what eyes and feet are designed for and vice versa. As Paul clearly expounds in 1 Corinthians 12:21–27: we all rely on one another, we are all connected, and yet we are all different. This means there will be structure within the local church that allows each part of the body to be connected properly and work together cooperatively, but there will also be enough freedom to allow each part to do what it is designed to do. The church with Christ as its head will be characterised by an interconnected unity that allows each individual part of the body to operate properly, independently and yet in harmony with the whole. There will be enough organisation to ensure the body is a coordinated unit, whilst not being so overbearing that each part of the body cannot move freely as it ought.