Who Are the Church?
Who are the church?
The church members are those Christians who are built only on the teachings of Christ, His gospel. (Romans 15:20). The church is God’s building, His house, His temple. Each Christian is to take heed on what they teach, because their teachings will be tested by fire on the day of judgment and it will be revealed whether their doctrines will endure or be burned. Each Christian, universally and locally are fitted together to be a dwelling place of God (1 Corinthians 3:9; Ephesians 2:19-22).
The called out are those many members who are baptized into the one body (the universal church) and who present themselves as instruments of righteousness. For an example: one cannot be one spirit with the Lord, by teaching that fornication is sinful, yet practice any form of fornication with anybody other than with one’s lawful spouse (Romans 6:13; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14). The one who practices fornication is not an instrument of righteousness and is not in the universal church. The Holy Spirit further illustrates this point in saying that one can keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, is guilty, a transgressor, of the whole law (James 2:8-13).
The church member(s) are those whose one faith came from hearing the word of God and were obedient to the gospel of Christ (Romans 10:16-17; Ephesians 4:5). The church member(s) are those who believes the gospel of Christ, who abides in His word, which includes in believing He is the Son of God (John 8, 24, 31-32; Mark 16:15-16). The church member(s) are those whose hearts are pricked by the gospel and admitted they have transgressed God’s commandments and needed to repent of their sins (Acts 17:30). Likewise, they need to respond like those in Acts chapter two when they asked what they must do to be saved. And they were told to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:37-38). Because of the word of faith that was preached, the church member(s) confessed with their mouths that they believe God raised Jesus from the dead, and that the Christ is Lord. The church member(s) understood this confession was necessary for salvation (Romans 10:8-10). This was the confession which was made the Ethiopian eunuch before he was baptized (Acts 8:37). The church member(s) like the Ethiopian eunuch were baptized in much water (Acts 8:36, 38). Understanding it was commanded by the Lord Himself, plus to observe (and be obedient) to all of His teachings (doctrines) (Mark 16:16; Matthew 28:19-20). Baptism is what washes away sins and puts one into Christ (Acts 22:16; Galatians 3:26-27). The members of the church understood that redemption could only be accomplished by the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). This redeeming blood is only accessible in Christ Himself, His body, His church, His Kingdom (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14; 2 Timothy 2:10). The church member(s) understood they needed to be faithful in all the all the teachings of the gospel of Christ up until the day they die (Revelation 2:10).