2 Corinthians 6:14-16 “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship
has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And
what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an
unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are
the temple of the living God. “
Continuing this short study of the Ecclesiology, the holy Christian
church, the lesson states that being set apart from the God-rejecting world
system, also means being set apart by God for God’s purposes to do that which
the Designer desired and brings with it great privileges and responsibilities.
In the rightly ordered “visible” church, people are privileged to hear the Word
of God preached and to receive the sacraments, and through these means the Lord
causes His people to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Members
o the “visible” church also benefit frorn the love of Christ for the corporate
body and the love of members for one another. But those who join the “visible”
church in covenant community also have the responsibility to repent and believe
the gospel. Joining a church does not make us a Christian, just as walking into
a garage does not make us a car. We must be “born again” in true conversion,
regeneration of the spirit, in complete dedication to, and devotion for
the Lord.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the
blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body
of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one
body; for we all partake of that one bread.”
What we may forget, however, is the doctrine of the
church concerning biblical understanding of the nature, mission, and marks of
the institution of church. God brings us to spiritual life and cares for us
through the “visible” church. Since the church administers the Word of God and
sacraments, God ordinarily works through the church’s ministry to save and
sustain His people. Our Lord remains sovereign. Membership in the “visible”
church, while essential, is insufficient for salvation. One must also be a
member of the “invisible” church, which consists of all those who possess true
faith in Christ. One has rightly pointed out that there are three elements to “saving”
faith: Knowledge, assent, and trust. True saving faith is putting our trust in Jesus
Christ for our eternal life. It is invisible to us, not to God.
1 Samuel 16:7b “For the Lord does not see as
man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance (the visible), but the Lord looks
at the heart (the invisible).”
Blessings
in Christ
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