“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:2-3)

Today, the church is a place where we go. We treat it as another item on our calendar.  However, in Scripture the church is people. It is people who have come to faith in Jesus Christ and are called to live daily in a relationship with Him. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) When we follow Jesus as His disciple, we are to be there for each other and encourage each other as we follow Him. “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) This is accomplished as we interact among each other.

Paul also reminds us that the church has a localized presence, as well as being all those around the world who have come to faith in Jesus Christ and are following Him. “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.” (1 Corinthians 1:2-3) All of the church is called to be followers of Jesus Christ. We are to live our lives as followers of Jesus Christ, part of His localized and universal church.

“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.” (Ephesians 4:1b-7)

What unites us is God at work in our lives as He molds us into the image of Jesus. He is sanctifying us in Jesus. “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14) Through this work of sanctifying, He is also making us holy. “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” (Hebrews 2:10-11) He is making us His family.

We become God’s family because everything that brings us together is given to us through His grace. When we receive His grace, He brings to us His peace. This is why church is not a place we go to but who we are in Jesus Christ. When we walk with Jesus as part of His family, He is able to use us to impact this world together for Him. Paul offers us this prayer, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block