What God Says About the Church

What God Says About the Church

God planned the church before time began (Eph. 3:10-11). Prophets predicted the church's coming (Is. 2:2-4). Jesus promised to build his church (Matt. 16:18). He purchased the church with his blood when he died on Calvary (Acts 20:28). On the Pentecost following Jesus' resurrection, under the leadership of the apostles, the church was established in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-47).

The church consists of all those saved by the blood of Christ (Eph. 5:23; Acts 2:41). People enter the church when by faith they repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38, 47). The church is the family of God's children on earth (I Tim. 3:15). Membership is extended to all believers who are baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).

The Lord's church is unitary. It is always spoken of in the singular (Eph. 4:4; 1:22). The Bible knows nothing of other churches than that one built by Christ. Divisions in Christ's church are condemned (I Cor. 1:10-13). When disciples form separate parties around notable men, they are condemned by God for so doing (I Cor. 3:1-5).

God has ordained the first day of the week as the day of worship for his church (Acts 20:7; I Cor. 16:1-2). He ordained a specific weekly memorial of bread and wine to commemorate his death (Matt. 26:26-29). He has ordered his church to collect the offerings of its members each first day of the week in order to care for the needy and to meet the needs of the congregation (I Cor. 16:1-2). He has commanded his church to worship him by speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in their hearts unto God (Eph. 5:19).

Christ alone is head over all things to his church (Eph. 1:22). The Holy Spirit led inspired men to refer to the church as "the church of God" (I Cor. 1:2) and the church of the Lord (Acts 20:28). Collectively, the many congregations were called churches of Christ (Rom.16:16). Christians are described as the church of the first born, enrolled in heaven (Heb. 12:23).

The church's mission is to glorify the name of Christ (II Thess. 1:12). It is to preach the gospel to every creature and bring them into Christ through baptism (Mark 16:15-16). It is to nurture and care for her converts and bring them to maturity in Christ (Eph. 4:11-15). It is to do good unto all men, especially those of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). This along with personal purity is the essence of pure religion (Jas. 1:27).

The church has but one standard of authority, the New Testament of Christ (John 12:47-48). The head of the church expects us to stay within his teaching if we would be acceptable to him. (II John 9-11). We are to do all things that he commanded (Matt. 28:20), but we are not to presume to go beyond what is written, and thus authorized (I Cor. 4:6).

The church is his kingdom (Matt. 16:18) and will last until Jesus returns. At that time he will deliver the church/kingdom up to God the Father (I Cor. 15:24).

These great principles we can proclaim with confidence, knowing they are God's righteous will for humanity. They will stand forever (Matt. 24:35). They will judge us in the last day (John 12:48). To declare these sacred truths with confidence and boldness is neither arrogant, narrow, sectarian, self-righteous nor hateful. It is to faithfully declare the whole counsel of God to a world desperately in need of hearing them (Acts 20:27).

Sad to say, agents of change cannot have the church they want and still hold and proclaim these grand truths. Neither do these principles describe a single one of the hundreds of denominations in existence in the world. How tragic that their unauthorized labors are in vain (I Cor. 15:58) because they are not holding the pattern of sound words revealed in Scripture (II Tim. 1:13)

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