Victory Can Be Yours!
Article # 26 – “The Church”
What is the church?
There are many different ways people define the church. Most probably see the church as a big
beautiful building with a steeple, bell tower, high walls, and stained glass
windows. Others perceive it as a
building where you go to be married or buried.
In this small city, with a population of 2000, we have eight such
buildings.
However, biblically, the church is not a place, but
people. The church is the body of
Christ, those who believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Christ is the head of the church and all
believers are individually members of it.
(Eph. 5:23; 1 Cor. 12:27) The church had its beginning at
Pentecost, 50 days following the resurrection of Jesus. At that time the Holy Spirit came to indwell
each believer and to baptize each believer into the church. Daily there were new ones being added to the
body of Christ. (Acts 2:47)
The Apostle Paul writes to the believers at Corinth about
the body of Christ. “For even as the body is one and yet has many
members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body,
so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we
were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or
free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
(I Corinthians 12:12-14) I would
interpret Paul as saying, it does not matter whether you are Catholic,
protestant, connectional church or independent, we all collectively belong to one
body. That is the body of Christ, which
is the Church. “There is one body and one Spirit, just as
also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
(Eph. 4:4-6) If you are a believer in Jesus Christ then you are a part of that
one body. Each person of that body is a
brother or sister in Christ to each other member of that body. Conversely, if you do not believe in Jesus
Christ, you are not a part of the Church no matter what church you belong to or
attend.
Paul continues on about the members of the body. He states that it does not matter how much or
how little honor it seems and individual has.
Each member is essential to the proper functioning of the whole
body. “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the
sense of smell be?” (1 Cor. 12:17)
We are all important to the body for proper functioning to occur. If one part of the body does not function
properly, the whole body cannot function properly. “And
if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is
honored, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Cor. 12:26) Therefore, if you believe in Jesus Christ,
you are an important part of the body of Christ and you are valuable to the
proper functioning of that body.
You too, can have victory in Jesus! More to follow.
Lowell Parrish
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