San Dimas CHURCH of CHRIST

When did God plan for the existence of the Church and why did He build it?

God had predestined a plan for salvation before the foundation of the earth, before time began (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9). Salvation was predestined before the creation of mankind, before mankind not having done any good or evil (Genesis 1:27; Romans 9:11).

When God created everything, sin did not exist in the world (Romans 9:11). Even when the tree of the knowledge of good and evil existed in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9), sin was still not in existence in the world. Adam and Eve were commanded not to touch or eat of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they would (spiritually) die (Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:2-3). Sin still was not in existence in the world. Sadly, Adam and Eve gave into their temptation and sin was born in their hearts (James 1:15). They grabbed hold and ate the forbidden fruit. This was when sin and spiritual death first entered the world because of disobedience (Romans 5:12, 19). The soul who sins shall die. The soul of each individual parent and child belongs to God (Ezekiel 18:4). The child is not a sinner because the parent sins, nor is the parent a sinner because the child sins. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). It is each individual’s iniquities that have separated themself from God; and each person sin(s) have hidden the Lord’s face from the sinner (spiritual death) (Isaiah 59:2). Also, darkness is equated to sin (John 3:19; Romans 13:12). All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Jesus is the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23). His body is the church (Colossians 1:18, 24). Salvation is only in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:10). It is God who calls sinners out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). God only adds those who are believing, those who are faithful, those who are saved to Christ’s church (Acts 2:41, 47; Acts 5:14; Acts 11:24).

Hence, God planned for the existence of the church, to add the saved souls of the one faith, to the one body (church), by one gospel (via the one Spirit) in the one hope of their calling (out of darkness/sin) (Ephesians 4:4-6). This God planned before time began, before the creation of all things, before sin coming into the world. Christ’s church was part of God’s eternal plan (Ephesians 3:10-11). He declared this plan would end from the beginning of time (Isaiah 46:10). This plan would end on the judgment day, when Christ delivers the kingdom (the church) to God the Father (2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Corinthians 15:24).