Where is the church that Jesus Christ built? Is it possible to distinguish it from the midst of the babble of confusion that exists today! Since He said that, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” it must be somewhere still in existence, and one should be able to identify and distinguish it from all counterfeits.
Since God is not the author of confusion, but a God of peace as in all the churches of the saints, it is for certain that most of the churches we see today do not represent the church which Jesus Christ built. I know that it is quite convenient for people to say that, God has His people everywhere, but that still does not make them the church, the body of Christ which Jesus Christ built.
Let us also not ignore the warning which Jesus gave saying; “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many” (Matthew 24: -5).
How then can the Church which Jesus Christ built upon Himself be identified and differentiated from the many counterfeits? First and foremost, the church is not a worldly organization, it is not a denomination: As a matter of fact, having the preconceived notion or idea of belonging to a particular sect or religious denomination is already a sin called sectarianism.
In pleading for the unity of the church the apostle Paul wrote; “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this that each of you says, “I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)
The apostle Paul further admonished the church by stating; "For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?" (1 Corinthians 3: 3-4).
The church in true perspective comprise of believers who forms the body of Christ. The word church refers to all who have been redeemed, and also groups of Christians assembled for worship. In reality, people do not go to church as it is commonly said, but rather the church meets at a particular time and place.
The church, the body of Christ is a kingdom of priests with Jesus Christ being the High Priest and head of that kingdom. As it is written; “God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church, the kingdom of priests, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. He is the chief corner stone that was rejected by men. He is the noble man who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, but his citizens hated him, saying, ‘we will not have this man reign over us’ (Luke 19:12, 14).
He is the son of the owner of the vineyard whom when the vine dresser saw, reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours” (Luke 20:14-17).
To this end there has to be definite prescribed sign/s that distinguish the true church, the body of Christ, the royal priesthood, the holy nation which Jesus Christ built, from all other counterfeits.
To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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