YOU, CHRIST AND THE CHURCH
By Olamide O. Folarin
Image from hardonsj.org
As I share my thoughts with you today, I intentionally remind myself that the word of God is the premise on which every revelation and its inherent wisdom should be built. I write with great humility as someone who has received the privilege to share a part of what I believe is a core segment of God’s timeless agenda for humanity and return all praises to God for the ability to put thoughts into written pieces.
Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything coming from us, but our power, ability and sufficiency are from God. 2 Cor 3:5 (AMPC)
The goal of this article is to lead those who read it, back to the word, to fellowship and the knowledge of our primary purpose in God.
Amid a world full of charades, I pray that we are quickened as we read to understand our place in Christ through the church and function in it.
Who are You and Why are you here?
God’s desire for fellowship is seen and expressed in the believer. Man (Humans) is not just some thoughtless piece God put together after he got bored with the animal kingdom. God created man to reflect him, commune with him, and dominate with him. We see this in God’s interaction with man in Genesis 1: 27 — 31. God created man in his image and his likeness. The psalmist in considering humanity’s frailty and simplistic appearance as compared to many of God’s other creations had this to say:
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:3–9 (ESV)
Up until this point, I have attempted to show you humanity from God’s perspective because if any of us truly wants to discover who he/she is, such a person must first look to the word just as you consult a manual to understand the capacity of your appliance. When you don’t follow the manual’s instructions, you will abuse the product, damage it and shorten its lifespan.
Based on all of the above we can say that you are a living being created by God in his image and likeness to dominate the earth, express God’s nature through your daily life. Our finding fulfilment is in how well we give room to him gaining expression through us.
As to why you are here;
For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above — spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set] so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. Ephesians 2:10(AMPC)
Though our purpose may find expression in varying forms, everything can be summarized in this phrase “giving expression to the God-life in us”. After man’s progenitors, Adam and Eve sinned and submitted their God-given authority to Satan in the Garden of Eden, we needed salvation. So, God (Yahweh) gave himself for our redemption and saved us unto himself through the person of our lord Jesus.
I will not attempt to go into the subject of Jesus’ deity as that isn’t the focus of our discussion. However, I will leave you with a reference.
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!” Phil 2:6–8 (NIV)
If you have questions on that, feel free to ask questions under this article as I’m certain that the Eden House Community will be glad to help you gain clarity.
In continuation of our current discussion,
We are saved by the grace of God to do good works which leads others to the same salvation that we have. We are not saved by works, nor qualified or accepted by our works but saved to do his assigned “good works” by his grace unto all. And though Satan tried to defeat man’s original purpose as recorded in Genesis chapter three, our all-knowing creator and father had the eternal remedy to glitch prepared in the person of Christ. He is the eternal propitiation for man’s sin and the pathway to restoration of our relationship with the Godhead [Elohim].
Thanks to the mercies of God, by faith in Christ and our confession of the same [Romans 10:10], we receive salvation and are restored to the original posture God designed.
We who have been restored unto God and have let go of the nature of sin, are expected to function like him in this world. Hence the origin of the word Christians [Acts 11:26]. At salvation, every believer becomes one with Christ. Christ is now in you; the evidence of which is the seal of promise- the holy spirit.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Eph 1: 13–14 (NKJV)
Therefore, you are now in Christ and one with him. More reading here; 2Cor 5:17, 1Cor 6:15, Gal 2: 20, I John 4:4.
The Church of Christ and Your Place in it
The relationship between the believer, Christ and the church can be likened to a triangle; three perfectly connected lines that cannot be separated. As you know, anything less than three lines can’t make a triangle. No matter where we find ourselves, or what we find ourselves doing, being in Christ and functioning as a part of the whole body(church) gives us value. We are incomplete outside Christ and the church [1 Cor 12:27].
You cannot say you are in Christ and refuse to function as a part of the Church (ecclesia) through a local assembly.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
The church is a place of preparation and training to maturity for the believer. We are trained in the word and prayer by our leaders and our maturity is tested in readiness for representing Christ in our diverse spheres of influence.
● How will you love and forgive the perpetual sinner outside if you have not first learned to forgive your brother (fellow Christian) who stepped on your toe? 1 John 4:10–12 KJV
● How will you preach the gospel to the lost if you are not taught? Eph 4:11–13 NIV
● Where will you learn to exercise your gifts if not within the church? Rom 12:4–8 KJV
See also 1Tim 3:15, Eph 4:11
“I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly, I will sing praise to You” (Hebrews 2:12).
As members of his body (Eph 5:30), God has expectations of us — to grow and grow others. In trying to simplify things, I have highlighted five points that in my opinion, many believers are starting to forget/deviate from:
● To reconcile lost souls Matt 24:14, 2Cor 5:19, 1 Cor 9:16 KJV
● To encourage one another in faith Prov 27:17 NIV
● To serve in the local assembly 1 Cor 3:8–9 KJV
● To live in dominion Gen 1:28, Luke 10:19 KJV
● To live as it pleases the lord Col1:9–10, 2Cor 5:15, John 4;34 KJV
It is imperative to remember that this assignment that God has committed to us is not denomination bound. Today, we see disparities and sometimes outright disputes amongst members of the same body in the name of denomination and here is my counsel to every believer in this regard-
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thes 5:21 KJV
“Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2: 14–15 KJV
Just as the church in Berea did, we must so do today (Acts 17: 10–12)- receiving the word with meekness and studying to be sure what we’ve been taught is the undiluted truth of God’s word. When one amongst us is erring in doctrine, we must with love restore such a one (Acts 18:24–28) ensuring that we ourselves are not as Paul puts it “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2Tim 3:7).
Putting above all else, continued unity as we carry out our masters bidding.
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”Ephesians 4: 1–6
Shalom
