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I) WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A) PEOPLE'S VIEW OF "THE CHURCH"
A PLACE FOR CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION WITH CREEDS AND DOCTRINES BASED ON THE NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE, OR---
A FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVING PEOPLE, OR---
A PLACE FOR PRAYER, MEDITATION, AND THE STUDY OF CHRISTIANITY, OR---
A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES MORALITY AND SPIRITUALITY BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE, OR---
ETC.
B) GOD'S VIEW OF "THE CHURCH"
READ (MATTHEW 16.13-18)
READ (GALATIANS 1.2-4)
READ (REVELATION 1.4-6)
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POINTS TO
CONSIDER:
THE BIBLE NEVER DESCRIBES THE CHURCH AS A PLACE OF WORSHIP OR A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION.
IT IS MORE PROPERLY DESCRIBED AS AN "ORGANISM", FOR IT CONSISTS OF PEOPLE, NOT THINGS.
THE WORD "CHURCH" COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD "EKKLESIA", MEANING "TO CALL OUT", THUS THE CHURCH REFERS TO A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN "CALLED OUT" OR SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF MANKIND IN GENERAL.
ACCORDING TO MATTHEW, JESUS CHRIST OWNS THE CHURCH.
ACCORDING TO BOTH GALATIANS AND REVELATION, THE CHURCH CONSISTS ONLY OF PEOPLE WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.
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QUESTIONS TO
PONDER:
If we take the Bible's definition, what must happen to a person spiritually to become a "member" of the Church?
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Why would you say there is such a big difference between what the Bible says about the Church compared to what people say?
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II) GOD'S CHURCH PLAN
POINTS TO
CONSIDER:
THE TEXT IN ROMANS REFERS TO THOSE PEOPLE "WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO GOD'S PURPOSE", I.E. THE CHURCH.
IT INDICATES THAT GOD IS WORKING OUT HIS PLAN IN THEIR BEHALF, AND THAT HIS ABILITY IS SUCH THAT NOTHING CAN PREVENT IT FROM COMING TO FRUITION.
THAT PLAN IS UNFOLDING IN FIVE STEPS, I.E. "FOREKNOWLEDGE", "PREDESTINATION", "CALLING", "JUSTIFICATION", AND "GLORIFICATION".
A) "FOREKNOWS" (ROMANS 8.29a)
THE WORD "FOREKNOW" MEANS TO PERCEIVE OR RECOGNIZE BEFOREHAND.
GOD HAS NUMBERED OUR DAYS BEFORE BIRTH AND ALREADY KNOWS WHO WILL BY FAITH, RECEIVE THE SALVATION HE HAS FREELY OFFERED TO THE WHOLE WORLD.
B) "PREDESTINES" (ROMANS 8.29b)
READ (JOHN 6.44)
READ (JOHN 15.16)
READ (EPHESIANS 1.3-5)
READ (I TIMOTHY 2.1-4)
READ (I JOHN 2.2)
THE WORD "PREDESTINE" MEANS TO PREDETERMINE OR DECIDE BEFOREHAND.
THESE TEXTS EXEMPLIFY THE TENSION THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE "ELECTION" OF GOD AND THE "FREEWILL" OF MAN.
GOD TOOK ACTIONS IN THE SENDING OF HIS SON TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, INDEPENDENT OF MAN'S FREEWILL. THESE ACTIONS WERE PREDESTINED OR PREDETERMINED.
SIMILARLY, GOD CONTINUES TO TAKE ACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THOSE PEOPLE HE "FOREKNOWS" TO CONFORM THEM TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, INDEPENDENT OF THEIR FREEWILL.
YET THE I TIMOTHY AND I JOHN TEXTS INDICATE THAT GOD IS NOT CAPRICIOUS, BUT DESIRES THAT ALL MANKIND BE SAVED BY THE "ONE" SENT TO "COVER" THE SIN FOR THE WHOLE WORLD.
Based on the above Bible texts, which one of the following statements do you believe is most in keeping with them?
God has predetermined the individuals who are to become members of His Church. ___
God has predetermined the method or Plan for those individuals who are to become members of His Church. ___
God wants everyone to become a member of His Church, and individuals may come whenever they choose. ___
C) "CALLS" (ROMANS 8.30a)
READ (MATTHEW 22.1-14)
List several ways that God could "call" someone.
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If many are called but only a few are chosen, why?
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D) "JUSTIFIES" (ROMANS 8.30b)
READ (GALATIANS 3.6-9)
THE WORD "JUSTIFY" IS A LEGAL TERM APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN A COURT OF LAW. IT MEANS "TO BE MADE RIGHT" IN THE SIGHT OF THE JUDGE OF ALL CREATION, BY SOME REQUIRED ACTION.
THE WORD ITSELF DOES NOT CONVEY WHETHER THAT ACTION IS TO BE TAKEN BY THE DEFENDANT OR BY SOMEONE ELSE, BUT THE GALATIANS TEXT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT ABRAHAM DID NOT JUSTIFY HIMSELF; HE WAS "JUSTIFIED", I.E. MADE RIGHT BY GOD, SIMPLY BECAUSE HE "BELIEVED" GOD.
IT INDICATES THAT ABRAHAM PLACED HIS FAITH IN GOD'S PROMISE, "IN YOU ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED". WE ARE TOLD HERE THAT THIS WAS THE "GOSPEL", I.E. MESSAGE OF GOOD NEWS, AND WE NOW UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS FULFILLED WITH THE COMING OF JESUS CHRIST WHO CAME TO BE THE SACRIFICE FOR THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD.
THEREFORE ABRAHAM'S KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROMISE AND HIS WILLINGNESS TO PLACE HIS TRUST IN THE GOD WHO MADE THE PROMISE RESULTED IN ABRAHAM'S "JUSTIFICATION".
QUESTIONS
TO PONDER:
If this basis for justification with God worked for Abraham, do you think it would work for us? Yes ___ No ___
If justification is not the result of good works on our part, what action is required on the part of God to guarantee that it has occurred?
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E) "GLORIFIES" (ROMANS 8.30c)
READ (COLOSSIANS 3.1-4)
READ (I JOHN 3.1-2)
THE WORD "GLORIFY" REFERS TO THAT WHICH IS TO BE EXHALTED, MAGNIFIED, AND HONORED.
THE FIRST TEXT ABOVE REFERS TO THE SON WHO HAS NOW ASCENDED TO THE FATHER, AND IS PRESENTLY TO BE EXHALTED, MAGNIFIED, AND HONORED.
THE REMAINING TEXTS REFER TO THE GLORIFICATION OF HIS CHURCH IN THAT FINAL STEP OF GOD'S PLAN WHEN THEY ARE TO BE FULLY CONFORMED TO THE LIKENESS OF THE SON.
III) RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD
A) THE "FATHER" AND THE CHURCH
READ (JOHN 17.20-26)
B) THE "SON" AND THE CHURCH
READ (EPHESIANS 5.25-32)
READ (COLOSSIANS 1.13-18)
C) THE "SPIRIT" AND THE CHURCH
READ (ROMANS 8.12-27)
POINTS TO CONSIDER:
THE JOHN 16 TEXT INDICATES THAT THESE MEMBERS OF GOD'S CHURCH HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER SO THAT THEY CAN PRAY DIRECTLY TO HIM.
THE JOHN 17 TEXT DESCRIBES A MYSTERIOUS SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE GODHEAD IN WHICH GOD IS SPIRITUALLY "IN THEM" AND THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY "IN HIM".
THE CORINTHIANS TEXT PICTURES A SPIRITUAL "BODY" MADE UP OF MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH WHO ARE DIVERSE IN SPECIFIC TASKS BUT UNIFIED IN PURPOSE AND DIRECTED BY CHRIST HIMSELF.
THE EPHESIANS TEXT DEPICTS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH LIKE THAT OF AN IDEAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE, CHRIST IN THE ROLE OF THE LOVING "HUSBAND" AND THE CHURCH IN THE ROLE OF THE SUBMISSIVE "BRIDE".
THE COLOSSIANS TEXT PLACES THIS CHURCH IN THE HIERARCHY OF GOD'S PLAN FOR HIS KINGDOM.
THE ROMANS TEXT SPEAKS OF THAT BODY OF PEOPLE NOT ONLY INDWELLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD BUT ALSO LED CONTINUALLY BY THAT SPIRIT.
QUESTIONS
TO PONDER:
There are five steps in God's Plan for the living members of His Church (Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, Justification, and Glorification). With respect to the earthly life of each member of His Church, when are these actions taken?
Foreknowledge: Past ___ Present ___ Future ___
Predestination: Past ___ Present ___ Future ___
Calling: Past ___ Present ___ Future ___
Justification: Past ___ Present ___ Future ___
Glorification: Past ___ Present ___ Future ___
Of these five, in which can we participate and what can we do?
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Based on the Bible texts you have read in this study, what would you say is God's chief purpose for creating His Church?
To get them to Heaven? ___
To produce in them a changed life for others to see? ___
To glorify Himself and declare His sovereignty? ___
To produce a people with love for and a special relationship with Him? ___
To produce a people who would obey Him? ___
On which one of the following do you think God's Plan for the Church is founded?
On God's love? ___
On God's justice? ___
IV) PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS
How have you been viewing God's Church?
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Are you presently a "member" of God's Church? Yes ___ No ___
If not and you would like to be, go to the Basic Bible Studies on REPENTANCE, FAITH, and the NEW BIRTH.
Questions and/or Comments
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