The Church
The body of Christ, united for worship and service.
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Matthew 16:18, KJV
There are some misconceptions about this above verse.
It is talking about the Church of Jesus Christ, founded on the foundation of Jesus Christ's Church, which will endure despite the power of death and evil, which the gates of hell represent.
God (and therefore, Jesus) is referred to as being “the rock” upon which we are to build our house - the solid foundation.
And this is the actual Church of Jesus Christ; the body of Christ - not a physical building.
We learn this in 1 Corinthians:
“12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.”
1 Corinthians 12:12–14, KJV
We are baptised by one spirit into one body.
And the body is not just one member, but many.
The church is a spiritual concept rather than a physical one.
That doesn’t mean going to (a physical) church shouldn’t be done.
This is because we are not to forsake assembling together:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:25, KJV
More can be done as a group rather than just by ourselves.
At the same time, anyone truly filled with the spirit can move mountains - if it is God’s will for him or her to do so.
There are many denominations out there.
Not all of them follow the Bible as it is written.
But some do.
Do you belong to a denomination that has the Bible as its guide?
At the end of the day, it is up to you to study the Bible to show yourself approved unto God:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15, KJV
We can not blame our church leaders if we ourselves are unwilling to study for ourselves.
Be not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word.
I hope you were blessed by today’s message.
I wish you a wonderful rest of your day.
Reflection:
In what ways does being part of the “body of Christ” strengthen your personal faith?
How can you use your gifts to serve and build up the church community?
Prayer Suggestion
“Lord, thank You for making me part of Your church, the body of Christ. Help me to grow in fellowship with other believers and to use my gifts to serve with love and humility. Unite us in purpose, worship, and service for Your glory. Amen.”
I feel that whether in church or not we as Christians are all part of the body of Christ. Recieving and giving, reading and learning from the Bible are all key connections between us. Without it and without God we are disconnected from the very Source that binds our souls. I pray for connection in Jesus to all. Amen 🙏 thank You God Amen 🙏