What is the Church? (Part 1) The actual word "church" as the Bible uses it, is the Greek word EKKLESIA (from ek, out of, and klesis, a calling) which means "the called out ones". Rather than a building or particular denomination this word denotes the people whom God has called out of the world and unto Himself; and has two applications: 1) the universal body of believers, and 2) a local assembly of believers. With that definition in mind let's look at this amazing Bible verse describing God's eternal plan and purpose for the church: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God." -Ephesians chapt. 3, verse 10 If you've been reading along with me at all in previous entries you know that "principalities and powers in heavenly places" describes the angelic beings, both the demonic ones and those that are still obedient to God, but it's important that you check me out on whatever I say so I'll reference here a few scriptures to support that statement: Ephesians 1:21, 6:12, Colossians 1:16, 2:10, I Corinthians 2: 7-9. And by the way, don't just accept whatever anyone says as if it were the final word of God because it's not. Check it out in your Bible and make sure it says that. It is God's plan that the church be the means through which He reveals His manifold wisdom unto the principalities and powers in heavenly realms. Many of those who oppose God ask a question that goes something like this: "How could a good God set before us good and evil and then condemn us to hell for choosing something so attractive and tempting as evil?" Let's look at this a different way. I often answer that question with a question: "How could He not?" We must look at the far reaching, broad scope of God's infinite vision when we contemplate our plight, heaven, the universe, time and eternity. We must gain God's perspective, allowing ours to be enlightened with the manifold wisdom of God. With this as our perspective and not the limited scope of man's natural vision we can begin to grasp the answer to this question. But as Jesus told Nicodemus , "Unless a man first be born again, he cannot even receive the things of God." (John chapter 3) or as Paul says, "But the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness to him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (I Corinthians chapt. 2, verse 14) The simplest explanation is often the best; Another answer to this question is this: God didn't want robots! He wanted His creation to love Him. If there was no choice then our love would be mechanical at best. Let's take that a little further. If God had immediately crushed Satan when he rebelled then there would always be cause for the other angelic beings to wonder, "Hmmmm... if God's way of doing things is best then what's He got to be afraid of." Ofcourse I realize that this may be over-simplifying things a bit, but it makes a good point. God allows Satan to continue for a time in order for His perfect plan of Love as the ruling principle of the universe to be seen as the best way. And He does this through the church. We are His living model in the earth. The body of Christ, as we are called in the Bible, is the ongoing expression and active agent of Christ in the earth today. And Jesus always said and did as He saw His Father doing. "The works that I do," Jesus said, "are not mine but the Father that dwells within me, He does the works." The truth of the matter is, once a man is born again, or born of the Spirit of God and raised to new life in Christ, the very Life of God comes into him and he is regenerated; this is a mystery that even angels are peering over from heaven's bannister to behold (I Peter 1:12). Stay tuned for more on this! |