What is a Church?

A church is a creation of Christ. He builds His church (Matt 16:18) using Spirit-directed pastors and leaders (Eph 4:11-13) and arranges members in it according to His will (1Cor 12:18). Therefore spiritual leaders and members should have respect for the pastor and every member God has placed in their church.

A church is a living body of Christ with many members (1Cor 12:27). The church is not a building or an organization. It is a group of people built up into a body.

A church is uniquely related to Christ as Head of the body (Eph 1:22; 4:15-16). All matters in a church are to come under His lordship.

Members of a church are uniquely related to every other member of the church (Eph 4:11-16; 1 Cor 12). All members are interdependent on one another. All members need each other.

A church is on mission with Christ in our world carrying out the Father’s redemptive purpose. (Matt 28:18-20; 2Cor 5:17-20) “We are God’s fellow workers.” (1 Cor 3:9)

Throughout the New Testament, God expresses some of His desires for the church.

1. God wants His people to be holy and pure.

“Do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Pet 1:14-16

2. God wants His people to display unity.

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph 4:3)

3. God wants His people to love each other.

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another…Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth…This is His command: to believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.” 1 John 3:11, 18, 23)



Excerpted from: Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby & Claude King, 1990. pp.163, 164.