I Believe an Holy Catholic Church

What it is.
1. The church of Jesus Christ is an object of faith.
2. As an object of faith, the church is composed of only true believers from the beginning to the end of the world.
  1. The church is a living organism, sharing one life and each growing from that life.
  2. Jesus Christ is the Head of the church and the life of all the members (Gal. 2:20).
  3. The body is so intimate that the church is the “fullness of Christ” (Eph. 1:23).
The church has four attributes.
1. Unity: there is one church which consists of all the elect.
2. Catholic: universal, through all of time, embracing the whole human race and all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:3; 17:5,6).
3. Holy: the church is not perfect nor evidenced so it can be seen, but it is holy because it is washed in Jesus’ blood.
4. Apostolic: the church is built on the foundation of the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42; Eph. 2:20).
The church’s existence, nature, and calling are determined by his Head (not by the judgments of the members).
1. Christ works all things in the history of the world “to the church,” i.e., for the church (Eph. 1:22).
2. The church and every member must live in the conscious, total dependence on her Head.
3. And then we are to strive to do the will of our Head: seek constantly to praise Him.