by Timothy W. Burnett
Among the saints there are those who have started calling upon the name of the Lord. this distinction is revealed in Paul's salutation to the church in Corinth where he said, "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord." (1Corinthians 1:2).
We learn from Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 that to call upon the name of the Lord results in salvation. With this in mind it can be seen that the saints can get saved when they start calling upon the name of the Lord by the spirit of God. Acts 2:4 provides the first example of people who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ unto being filled with holy spirit, and began to call upon the name of the Lord by the spirit of God unto salvation.
The church is not defined by a religious order of doctrine and rules. When we walk into a church, we meet a number of people who basically agree on the rules and doctrine of that church. Some are devoted followers and others not so devoted. Some may be very new in the word and do not yet believe with their hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. Others may be very experienced at looking good and clean on the outside, but on the inside they are against the simple truth. Others who are new may believe, yet still walk as unbelievers. Yet it may be that not everybody in the assembly are filled with holy spirit.
The people in the above example who are filled with holy spirit make up the true church in that assembly. This truth can be seen in Paul's letters to the Corinthian believers and brethren. He said, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as babes in Christ." (1Corinthians 3:1). They were part of the church of God, yet he referred to them as carnal babes in Christ. While they were truly the church, their believing and spiritual lives were weak. Notice that their life styles did not change their standing as God's church.
"I have fed you with milk, and not with meat. For you were not able to bear it, neither now are you able. For you are yet carnal. For whereas there is among you envying, strife and divisions. Are you not carnal, and walk as men?" (1Corinthians 3:2-4). God's saints stand with holy spirit in them, yet it is possible for them to walk as carnal men who have not the spirit of God in them.
Jesus Christ understood this very well when he said, "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white sepulchers which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." (Matthew 23:27). Jesus addressed people who were good at making and following their own rules and appearing godly, yet on the inside they had nothing to do with God.
The chuch of God is not defined by how people act, good or bad, but by whether they are filled with holy spirit. It's that simple.
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