Faith About The Church
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 2/16/2014 AM |
Text: | Ephesians 1:22,23, 2:20-22; Lord's Day 21 |
Psalters: | 349, 342, 239, 379 |
- What it is.
- The church of Jesus Christ is an object of faith.
- As an object of faith, the church is composed of only true believers from the beginning to the end of the world.
- It is the church "of God" (Acts 20:28; I Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; II Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:13).
- It is chosen by God in election (compare I Cor. 1:2 with Eph. 1:1,4,5).
- It is built by God through Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18)
- Its earthly manifestation takes place by it being "called out" of the world and into conscious fellowship with God.
- Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His body.
- This figure implies that the church is a living organism, sharing one life.
- It is one whole with a definite number of members, each in their own place and each serving the purpose of the whole.
- As an organism, unlike the unity of a building, each member has the common life, and each grows from it.
- Christ is the Head.
- He is the life of all the members (Gal. 2:20).
- The relationship of Christ and the members is extremely close, never separated and almost indistinguishable.
- The body is so intimate that the church is the “fullness of Christ” (Eph. 1:23).
- Jesus is incomplete without His church.
- Jesus’ being in us means that He fills us; and our being in Him means that we fill (complete) Him.
- This figure implies that the church is a living organism, sharing one life.
- Implications.
- The church’s existence, nature, and calling are determined by his Head (not by the judgments of the members).
- Christ works all things in the history of the world “to the church,” i.e., for the church (Eph. 1:22).
- The church and every member must live in the conscious, total dependence on her Head.
- And then we are to strive to do the will of our Head.