I Believe in The Church
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 11/28/2010 AM |
Text: | Ephesians 1; Lord's Day 21 |
Psalters: | 239, 325, 131, 408 |
- The Church is an object of faith (“I believe) - the same faith we have in God and in Christ.
- It is spiritual, so it is not something we can see.
- As such it composed of only true believers, from the beginning to the end of the world.
- The Church has three aspects: triumphant, militant, and latent.
- The Church militant (elect believers at any given time in history) is also an object of faith.
- Is the Church “of God” (Acts 20:28) and “in God” (I & II Thess. 1:1).
- It is chosen by God in election (compare I Cor. 1:2 with Eph. 1:1,4,5).
- It is built by God through Christ (Matt. 16:18).
- Implications.
- Jesus is the Head of the Church; which is His body.
- The Body is one whole, each in their own place serving the purpose of the whole.
- Of the Body, Christ is the Head.
- He is the life of all the members (Galatians 2:20).
- The relationship of Christ and the members is extremely close, never separated.
- So close that the church is the ”fulness of Christ” (Eph. 1:23).
- Jesus is incomplete without His church.
- His being in us means that He fills us; our being in Him means that we fill (complete) Him.
- Implications derived from this intimate relationship.
- Christ works all things “to the church,” i.e., for the church (Eph. 1:22).
- The church and each member must always live in the consciousness of total dependence of her Head.
- In Christ, our Head, we attain fulness, collectively and individually (Col. 2:10).
- Every need of the church and of each member is fulfilled with and by Christ.
- Thus the church and we its members are to strive to do the will of our Head.