November 6: THE CHURCH

“The body is a unit, though it is made of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ! For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NIV)
“So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:5)
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all who is over all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6 NIV)
The message is clear in the New Testament: There is only one Church in whatever city or town you live. It may meet in many different places. It may have many different ways of worship. It may have several different organizational styles. But each is an expression of The Church.
Don’t put your adjective before the word Church. Just let The Church be The Church. A lot of money that is used for competitive advertising could be saved. A lot of energy that is wasted in defending a particular style or doctrine could be saved by simply allowing the Church to be the Church according to simple New Testament descriptive terms from the Book of Acts.
When Ephesians 5:25 (NIV) says, “Christ loved the church and gave himself for her”, was the Bible meaning to say just your denomination or your local congregation? The answer is obvious. It is time for us to overcome our pride, cliquishness, traditions, and whatever else separates us from being the Church.
When the people of God act like the unified family of God, many more people will believe.

“Help your children, God, to know that they are all beloved children
and that they are all loved equally and should act like it. Amen”