Today we have many different concepts of church. We have the biblical definition of the ecclesia. We then have differing opinions of the original Greek word. We then have denominationalism and the 45,000 flavors and branches and splintering’s. Yes, you read right 45,000. Then we have the moral mixture of LGBT etc. We then have the different tags of seeker friendly, hyper grace, Pentecostal, Charismatic, Kingdom, Apostolic etc. As we look at each of these how do we really know if it is a church by Gods standards. After all that is what really counts.
In each of these can be found a measure of truth. Some are closer to full truth than others. Some have mixed truth with personal preferences. Others have a mixture of truth and man-made doctrines. Still others just have manmade structures. An unbeliever is becoming increasingly confused about what to believe as we keep allowing cultural influences to define what we believe. We are close to going over the edge of just having an open believe system.
Part of this is due to no apostolic bible-based accountability. Another part is secondhand truth due to a busy society that demands more time than we have, so our pursuit of studying Gods truths is secondary. It also is due to so many translations of the bible which have moved from word to word to thought to thought to paraphrased and finally opinion.
So, I want to endeavor to give you what the Holy Spirit said to me on this. I have tried to define the church we see or should see many times. I see the unbalance and not conformity of one new man in the body of Christ as well. I start the journey looking at the original intentions of God in the church birthed at Pentecost. The first church everyone was truly born again, truly water baptized and received the mind of Christ, truly was filled with the spirit. This way they saw the kingdom John 3.3 and entered the kingdom John 3.5. These three things were foundational and authentic. They also brought union with Christ and formed one body around the understanding of these truths and the experiences these truths brought. No one in the early church had a belief of not being spirit filled.
Just because the name church is on the name and the IRS papers are filed does not automatically make something Bible based. It does make them recognized as a religious organization or institute. I believe this definition would cover the majority of what we see with signage and religious rituals and practices. The question I have is do we think Jesus and the early apostles would approve the current definitions of church?
Many people are in pre-new birth, seeking and practicing religion, but not placed in the true one body. Religion binds the individual to a hopelessness of sin. “The Faith” frees the person into a kingdom destiny and purpose. What seems to go on is people deciding what is the best fit for what they belief vs being fit by how God would fit them in. The early apostles would die for “The faith”. Wonder how many leaders of religion and faith are willing to die for what they believe? Maybe that sorts some things out as well.
The church today is like the church of Thyatira in Rev. 2:18. We have done many things and have kept people busy doing things. Works, charity, service, faith and patience are all listed in the Rev. 2:19. But works is listed twice. We have gotten caught up in the activity of ministry. The superstardom of ministry. We have allowed Jezebel, which is a spirit, room in our activities. We have created false prophets and even false ministries. We have not solid doctrine V.24. But I think most of us can sort out what is wrong. But can we find answers that are correct or give better definition?
1 Corinthians 12:12 — 12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
The Christ is the Head and we are the members of one Body. Christ does not join himself to a harlot, or a prostitute. He joins himself with those who have been redeemed. The body is not all who say they are even Christian. The body is all those born again and have started the journey of salvation, walked away from sin, and embraced the provision of the finished work of the cross. This defines the activity of redemption that leads to the infilling of the spirit. These two are the beginning definition of the church or ecclesia as we know it. As we remove church from our vocabulary of what we currently say is church and say Body of Christ it becomes even more evident of how God may view what He is building. His goal is to build a body into a governing dimension he called ecclesia. Now we have a third definition.
Ephesians 4:1–7 — 1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
The Holy Spirits focus is not just on the individual as separated from others but as connected to the whole corporate one new man being created. The Holy spirits role is to build “One New Man”. The Holy Spirit knows this will be the full expression of Christ. This new man is created in holiness, because of the process of redemption and Holy spirit infilling and activity. This is not embracing any and all belief systems for the sake of unity. Unity is no concern to God but union with Christ. This is the fourth definition, who is reflecting union with Christ and reflecting his image, and not a tainted image of our preferences or own belief system.
Ephesians 1:23 — 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
His body is the expression of his fulness. This fullness fills each other as we gather. The whole connected body that is filled to full with Holy Spirit is “The church” and there is no other church. So, what Holy Spirit showed me is the biblical definition of church is:
A redeemed body that is reflecting and evolving, regenerating and reproducing the very image of Christ not just each individually but corporately. This is done by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit forming the exact image of Christ individually for a corporate expression. Once that image is formed, they become an ecclesia that is ruling and reigning. This is the only church that God recognizes, which is first a living Body filled with the life of God according to biblical president and truth. The Holy Spirit first introduces Christ into the believer, and in so doing He is forming in all who believe one Christ, constituting one Body, and that is the Church as in the New Testament. It must be redeemed, it must be filled with Holy Spirit, it must come into governing, it must reflect Christ image.
You see it not the things you do…. It is the reflection of Christ and the Holy spirits activity. Without these you are apostate. It is the battle between Freedom verses Religion and Life verse Ritual.