Christianity In Ephesians 2

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The church is not a dormant, stationary entity but it is a living organism that serves humanity by providing them with an opportunity to experience and encounter God. It is true that mankind is in desperate need of God, this condition is reflected in the depreciation of the morals and values of society. Man has forgotten to honor their creator, but God in His mercy has provided the church as an anchor for communities and families to find their way back to Him. The truest definition of what a church is, is revealed in Ephesians 2, this chapter uncovers some fundamental truths about the purpose of the church: it’s a place where people with new found identities in Christ can gather and become part of the household of God, where Christ …show more content…

In 1 Corinthians 16:19, Aquila, his wife Pricilla, and the church that meets in their home sends greetings to Paul. This is one of the first New Testament point of reference for the visible church, and it takes into consideration the requirement of Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Unfortunately, one disadvantage of the visible church is that anyone can confess their faith but may not be genuine believers of Christ; verbal expression of faith is not enough, this is why the local church is so important. A local Church is defined as a gathering of believers within a specific geographical location for the purpose of worship, communion, and fellowship. People who identify themselves as being part of the visible church can express this by becoming attached to a local church. Since, it is through the ministries of the local church that the fruits of the Spirit can become materialized in a person’s life. The apostle Paul throughout the New testament makes reference to the local gathering of believers in Acts 1:8, when he mentions the church in Jerusalem and in Acts 13:1, when he addresses the church in Syria which was called …show more content…

This is not so, since, “The visible and invisible church while not identical are inseparable. It is the invisible church which turns the visible children of God into who they are.” In John 14:23, Jesus explains the benefits and requirements that comes with being a part of the invisible church, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” This invisible church stretches beyond geographical locations and connect believers from different parts of the world, together in a common theme of love, hope, and faith. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member but many.” (1Corinthians 12:13-14). The invisible church is directly related to the global or universal church, and it refers to believers everywhere, who are united in Christ, the head of the church (Colossians 1:18). Together the invisible and global church serves to transcend boundaries that are formed by denominational line, cultural limitations, and the norms of

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