God’s People—The Church

Photo by Tamara Bitter on Unsplash

Is the church a place you go to, or is it a people you belong to? Is the church an organization or institution, or is it an organism or a movement of God’s people?

Jesus’ church transcends a building and a steeple. The church is about God’s chosen people. The church is the body of Jesus Christ living kingdom lives and doing God’s kingdom work in the world.

As the Apostle Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NIV).

The church is God’s united and holy people—set apart by God to declare God’s praises and to shine God’s light into the darkness as his chosen people.

God’s church is a chosen people—called to God’s purposes as a royal priesthood. We are individual members of the body of Jesus, set apart to belong to one another, and to serve Jesus in common mission and purpose.

The Apostle Paul wrote the Roman church, saying, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (Romans 12:4-5, NIV).

The church is one body of Jesus followers, united together as one in Jesus. The church is a diverse many—members of one another—who are one in Jesus—as his body. And as members of God’s church, we belong to Jesus and we belong to one another as God’s people.

May we be the body of Jesus—the people of God, and as faithful members of the body, may we bring God’s kingdom to the world.

In Christ alone, Robbie

A Prayer For The Universal Church, by William Laud: “Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.” (#2., Book of Common Prayer, 2019).

Photo by Tamara Bitter on Unsplash