Where is the church
- Thread starter ForestGreenCook
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those who have been 'called-out' and have 'repented of their sins' and have received
the Gift of The Holy Spirit, and show their Spiritual-New-Life-Walk - this does not have a (brand-name)...
ACTS 2:38.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and you shall receive The Gift of The Holy Ghost.
the Gift of The Holy Spirit, and show their Spiritual-New-Life-Walk - this does not have a (brand-name)...
ACTS 2:38.
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and you shall receive The Gift of The Holy Ghost.
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Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were PRICKED (to pain the mind sharply, especially of the emotion of sorrow) in their heart. Until a person is born again and given a new heart of flesh to replace the old heart of stone, the heart cannot be made to feel sorry for breaking a spiritual law that he can not understand (1 Cor 2:14). The men that stoned Steven to death were CUT TO THE HEART who were not born again. Matt 26:28, Without blood there is no forgiveness of sin and that was finished on the cross. Being baptised is simularily like taking of the wine and bread in remembrance of Christ. 1 Pet 3:20-21, When once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were SAVED (delivered) by water (saved, does not have reference to eternal, but to a deliverance from the water). 21. The like figure wherein even baptism doth also deliver (save) us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh (sin), but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Saved according to Greek = "delivered".
Where is it today:
1. Wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus' name.
What does it consist of:
1. Sincerely repented sinners (believe in thy heart, confess with thy mouth Rom. 10)
2. Apostles (it used to), disciples, teachers, prophets, worker of miracles (controversial), saints, etc..
What is the purpose:
1. Win/Establish those for Christ's Kingdom in heaven (God's longsuffering that as many as possible are saved)
2. Bring others to Christ
3. Sanctify ourselves
4. Praise and bring glory to God & Christ
1. Wherever two or three are gathered in Jesus' name.
What does it consist of:
1. Sincerely repented sinners (believe in thy heart, confess with thy mouth Rom. 10)
2. Apostles (it used to), disciples, teachers, prophets, worker of miracles (controversial), saints, etc..
What is the purpose:
1. Win/Establish those for Christ's Kingdom in heaven (God's longsuffering that as many as possible are saved)
2. Bring others to Christ
3. Sanctify ourselves
4. Praise and bring glory to God & Christ
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All true Christians, those who are presently alive here on Earth, and those who came before us, those who have already died and now live in God's presence, in Heaven are members of the Church Triumphant (take note below that "you have come" is in the perfect tense).
The church that exists here on Earth, the Church Militant, is made up of the body of believers who are alive today, living on earth, as well as
(I believe) a significant number of the unregenerate, reprobate men and women who are planted in the visible church by Satan. The Lord refers to His saints in the visible church as "wheat", and to the sons of the devil who are also part of the visible church as "tares" .. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.
The Reformers referred to both a visible and and an invisible church here on Earth. All who are part of the "invisible" church are also members of the "visible" church, but only the sons of the Kingdom are part of the "invisible" church, the sons of the evil one are not .. Matthew 13:37-38.
Also, the visible church is called "visible" because we can see it, because we know who is in it. The invisible church, on the other hand, in only invisible to us, not to God, who sees and knows what we cannot, the true condition of the hearts of men, and therefore who is (and who is not) a true member of His church.
~Deut
p.s. - though filled with both wheat AND tares, the Reformers nevertheless held a very high view of the visible church, as this excerpt from John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion demonstrates for us.
Hebrews 12
22 You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,
23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
The church that exists here on Earth, the Church Militant, is made up of the body of believers who are alive today, living on earth, as well as
(I believe) a significant number of the unregenerate, reprobate men and women who are planted in the visible church by Satan. The Lord refers to His saints in the visible church as "wheat", and to the sons of the devil who are also part of the visible church as "tares" .. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.
The Reformers referred to both a visible and and an invisible church here on Earth. All who are part of the "invisible" church are also members of the "visible" church, but only the sons of the Kingdom are part of the "invisible" church, the sons of the evil one are not .. Matthew 13:37-38.
Also, the visible church is called "visible" because we can see it, because we know who is in it. The invisible church, on the other hand, in only invisible to us, not to God, who sees and knows what we cannot, the true condition of the hearts of men, and therefore who is (and who is not) a true member of His church.
~Deut
p.s. - though filled with both wheat AND tares, the Reformers nevertheless held a very high view of the visible church, as this excerpt from John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion demonstrates for us.
4. As it is now our purpose to discourse of the visible Church, let us learn, from her single title of Mother, how useful, nay, how necessary the knowledge of her is, since there is no other means of entering into life unless she conceive us in the womb and give us birth, unless she nourish us at her breasts, and, in short, keep us under her charge and government, until, divested of mortal flesh, we become like the angels (Mt. 22:30). For our weakness does not permit us to leave the school until we have spent our whole lives as scholars. Moreover, beyond the pale of the Church no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for, as Isaiah and Joel testify (Isa. 37:32; Joel 2:32).
~Institutes, Book 4, Chapter 1, Part 4 (excerpt)
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Matthew 16:18
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 18:17
And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.
Acts of Apostles 20:28
Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
1 Corinthians 11:18
For first of all I hear that when you come together in the church, there are schisms among you; and in part I believe it.
Ephesians 5:27
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:32
This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
Colossians 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
1 Timothy 3:15
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 18:17
And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.
Acts of Apostles 20:28
Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
1 Corinthians 11:18
For first of all I hear that when you come together in the church, there are schisms among you; and in part I believe it.
Ephesians 5:27
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:32
This is a great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the church.
Colossians 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church:
1 Timothy 3:15
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
The visible and invisible church makes sense to me taking into consideration Ezk 1:16, The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl, and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 20 - Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them; for the spirit of the living creatures were in the wheels. The larger and outer wheel represents those of God's born again children who are still babes in Christ and are unable to digest the meat of the gospel and the smaller and inner wheel being those of God's born again children who have grown in the knowledge of the gospel and are able to digest the meat of the word. Both of these wheels is the church. The outer wheel being the invisible church and the inner wheel being the visible church. Jesus instructed his Apostles to go and preach the gospel to the outer wheel (lost sheep of the house of Israel). They were not lost eternally, just lost from a lack of knowledge of the meat of the gospel. Preachers duty is not to try to save souls eternally (Christ has already accomplished that on the cross) but to deliver the knowledge of the meat of the gospel to God's children who do not understand the fullness of the gospel.
