Things People Do Not Know About the Church

One should never minimize the importance of the church, the church Jesus built. I
am not speaking about manmade denominational churches. They are not one and
the same. However, many people do not understand that and have grown unhappy
with the old main line denominations and as a consequence have cast them aside
and decided they will take Jesus alone and forget about the church. Years ago this
sentiment was popularized by the saying, “Jesus yes, the church no.”

Certainly, one can do without the church if one is talking about a denominational
church (those in them will generally admit it does not matter whether or not you are
a member of their particular denomination for they say you can be saved without
being a member of their group). But, with all that being said it is a whole different
story when it comes to the Lord’s church. Here is a list of 12 things many people do
not know or understand about the Lord’s church – things that make all the
difference in the world.

(1) The same process that makes you a Christian adds you to the church. There is
no such thing as a Christian who is not a part of the Lord’s church. “And the Lord
added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47 NKJV) Who is
saved? Is it the Christian or the non-Christian? If God has not added you to the
church there is a good reason – you are not yet one of those who are being saved.

It is only the church that Christ sanctified and cleansed “with the washing of water
by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph.
5:25-27 NKJV) Only the saved are in the church. If you are saved you are in this
glorious church.

(2) Jesus is the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23) which is the church (Eph. 1:22-23,
Col. 1:18, 24). There is no passage to be found in the Bible where Jesus ever said
he would save anyone outside his body, outside the church. Paul speaking to the
Christians at Corinth said, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members
individually.” (1 Cor. 12:27 NKJV)

(3) Jesus purchased the church with his own blood (Acts 20:28). It is by his blood
that we will be saved. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of sins.” (Eph. 1:7 NKJV) One is either in the church purchased with
Christ’s own blood or he is outside it where the blood has purchased nothing. “The
Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:27 NKJV)
Saved how? By the blood of Jesus. The saved are in the church not outside it.

(4) You cannot join the church or be added by man. The Lord adds you to the
church (Acts 2:47) once you have obeyed the gospel and been cleansed by the
blood of Jesus in doing so. I heard a man make an excellent point the other day. He
said you cannot join the church because God adopts you into it, the church being
God’s family. God “predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 1:5
NKJV) If you are a child of God it is because God chose to add you to his family. He
willingly does so when we make our desire to be a part of the family known by
gospel obedience that is sincere and from the heart (Rom. 6:17).

(5) “Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.” (Eph. 5:25 NKJV) Will we
say Christ loved the church and still say it is worthless and does not matter? If he
loved the church should we not also love it? The church is, after all, just brothers
and sisters in Christ. What has Christ said about loving one another? Speaking
through John the apostle he said, “He who does not love his brother abides in
death.” (1 John 3:14 NKJV)

(6) When one persecutes, or belittles, or makes fun of the church (Christians are
the church) he is doing it to Christ. Saul who later became the apostle Paul was a
great persecutor of the church as you are well aware. When Christ confronted Saul
on the road to Damascus he says to Saul, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
me?” (Acts 9:4 NKJV)

[Please note I said “the church” not denominations for it would have to be first
proven that a denomination is the church. Since they all deny they are the church
and say you can be saved outside their denomination then surely they are right and
their denomination is not the church for you cannot be saved outside Christ’s
church.]

(7) God receives glory in the church. “To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Eph. 3:21 NKJV)

(8) It is through the church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known. “To
the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the
church.” (Eph. 3:9 NKJV) Do not ever expect to learn about God or the gospel or
salvation by those outside the church.

(9) The church is the household of God (Eph. 2:19), a spiritual building built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus as the chief cornerstone (Eph.
2:20), a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21), “built together for a habitation of God
in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22 NKJV). One either desires to a living stone in that building
or he does not. “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5 NKJV)

Paul told Timothy, “I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself
in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.” (1 Tim. 3:15 NKJV) One
is either a living stone in that building of God or else he is no part of it at all. Can
one be saved outside it? To ask is to answer.
(10) The church is where God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are. Jesus said, “I do not
pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word;
that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may
be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:20-21 NKJV)
Christians are the church. Christians have the Holy Spirit.

This is not to say God is unaware of those outside the church but it is to say he
abides within the church in a way he will never abide in those outside the church. If
you want to be where Jesus is, where the Father is, where the Holy Spirit is you
cannot remain out in the world away from the church.

(11) There is only one way into the church – through Jesus. “Jesus said to him, ‘I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me.’” (John 14:6 NKJV) Elsewhere he said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved.” (John 10:9 NKJV) The saved are in the church (Acts 2:47, Eph.
5:23, Col. 1:24).

To enter into Christ is to be baptized into his spiritual body (based upon a genuine
faith, repentance of sins, and a willingness to confess him with the mouth) – “For by
one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” (1 Cor. 12:13) Baptism is into Christ
(Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:27). “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (the words
of Jesus - Mark 16:16 NKJV)

“But, why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke
6:46 NKJV)

(12) The church is the place where prayers to God will be heard. “The effective,
fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16 NKJV) No one is
righteous who has not been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and who thus is not a
member of the church Jesus built. All the righteous are in the church, there are
none who are righteous outside it who are of accountable age and mentally
competent. “The prayer of the upright is his delight.” (Pro. 15:8 NKJV) “He hears
the prayer of the righteous.” (Pro. 15:29 NKJV)

If it be said that God heard the prayer of Cornelius, a man at the time outside the
church, the answer is yes he did. He will hear your prayer also outside the church
“if” you are willing to hear and obey his word. Those who are willing have become
Christians (or will do so immediately as soon as they hear the word). Cornelius was
a true seeker after God. How many can say that today that are outside the church?

Cornelius had a heart immediately ready to receive God’s word and obey it. God
knew that and thus it was not long until Cornelius was given the opportunity to do
so and thus soon became a Christian, a member of the church. But the scripture
says, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an
abomination.” (Pro. 28:9 NKJV) Want God to hear your prayers? In the church is the
place you need to be for that. “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the
Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out ‘Abba, Father!’” (Gal. 4:6 NKJV)

Much more could be said concerning the church and things most people are
unaware of as it relates to the church. However, this article is long enough and so
must come to an end. Let us all become students of that which Jesus loved and
died for, the church (Eph. 5:25), and love it as Jesus does.