Millions of people around the world attend "church" every week. But what is God's Church? It is not an actual building where people go to worship, pray, sing praises, etc. The Church is more accurately a group of people, but they don't have to be together to qualify as God's Church. His Church is you and me, believers in Christ Jesus - His beloved bride.
Unfortunately, many people have been turned off by God and/or Jesus because they believed they needed to "belong" to a particular religious congregation, that made them uncomfortable in one way or another. For a more in-depth explanation of Christianity and how it compares to other world religions, please see Christianity.
On this page, I will try to explain what God's Church is and how we can all be a part of it.
Acts 20:28 - The book of Acts was written by the disciple Luke between 65-70 AD. The book of Acts was written to show the spread of the gospel (the message of Christ) from Jewish territories of the world to those of Gentiles (non-Jews).
The following is a quote by Luke of the apostle Paul who traveled with Luke to Ephesus with a warning:
" And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God's flock - his church, purchased with his blood- for the Holy Spirit is holding you responsible as overseers."
Matthew 16:18 - The book of Matthew was written by one of the original disciples of Christ around 60-70 AD. Matthew is a testimony of how God can work in and through any one. Matthew was a tax collector, detested by everyone. Jesus showed God's love for all people and called Matthew, despised by men, to follow him early on during his public ministry. This passage, like many in the book of Matthew includes words spoken by Jesus. This verse quotes Jesus as he spoke to another of the 12 disciples, Simon Peter.
"You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church,
and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it."
Colossians 1:18 - The book of Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul in Rome around 60 or 61 AD. Paul was originally a Roman citizen who persecuted the early Christians and did not follow Jesus while He was here on earth. After an encounter with the resurrected Christ, Paul believed He was the Son of God and not only became a Christian, but the greatest of the Apostles. The book of Colossians was actually a letter Paul wrote to believers in the city of Colosse.
"He (Christ) is the Head of the body made up of his people - that is, his church - which he began;"
Ephesians 5:25 - The book of Ephesians was also written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Ephesus around the same time as the other letters he wrote. Verses like this one were instructions:
"And you husbands, show the same kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the church when he died for her, to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's Word; so that he could give her to himself as a glorious church (bride) without a single spot or wrinkle or any other blemish, being holy and without a single fault."
5:29,30 - "No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body the church, of which we are parts."
So, as these verses make clear, as a believer, you are part of God's Church.
How do I Become a Part of God's Church?
God loves us. Jesus died for us. This is a gift from God. We don't have to do anything to EARN it! All we have to do is accept it! We don't have to DO anything! Isn't that wonderful? All we need do is make the decision to accept this wonderful gift. Like any other gift, it does not belong to us unless we accept it. To accept it, we need to BELIEVE in Him. By believing in Jesus and accepting His wonderful gift, we shall not perish! How can this be? Our bodies are only temporary vessels for our souls. If we believe in Jesus, our bodies may die, but our souls will go on forever! This is God's promise to us. That's it! It's not complicated at all! We don't need to be perfect or sinless. That is impossible for us humans and God knew that, so he came up with another plan to save us! Belief and acceptance of God's salvation through Jesus Christ is the ONLY action required on our part.
Since God gave us free will, we are bound to sin. None of us, not even someone like Mother Theresa, are free from sin. It is in our nature to do what WE want instead of what God wants some times. This inevitably leads us to sin. Once we sin there is nothing we can DO to make it go away by our selves...No amount of good deeds we do here on earth could ever make up for our sins! On the surface this sounds hopeless! But don't be discouraged! God has made our salvation easy for us! The hard part's been taken care of almost 2000 years ago by Jesus through his death on the cross. God, of course, wants us to be loving and kind to one another, but that is NOT what gets you in to heaven. Contrary to some MAN-MADE religions, you don't have to go through a bunch of complicated rituals, fasting, self-inflicted wounding, ceremonies, prayers, rites, chants or mysterious proclamations to "earn" your way in to heaven!! I can't stress this point enough! If you are approached by anyone or any religious group who insists that you jump through a bunch of complicated hoops to earn your salvation, RUN! Seriously, God never intended such things for us. He does not want to make our salvation complicated or difficult so that only a few can attain it! He made it simple for ALL to attain, because He LOVES ALL OF US!
The acceptance of God's perfect gift can be totally private! You do NOT need to stand up in front of hundreds of strangers and profess your belief to accept it. Of course, you can do so, if you feel so inclined, but even if you are home alone at your computer, you can accept this most awesome gift RIGHT NOW! Here's all you need to do:
1. Tell God that you know you've sinned, you are sorry for those sins, but you realize there isn't
anything YOU can do to make them go away.
2. Tell God that you BELIEVE that He gave his Son to die on the cross for your sins.
3. Tell God that you ACCEPT His wonderful gift of forgiveness.
4. Thank God for sacrificing His Son for you and the world.
5. Ask Jesus to come in to your heart and in to your life.
Close this simple prayer with: "In Jesus' name, Amen".
God asks that we make our requests in His Son's name, since it is through Him that we are saved, forgiven of our sins and then able to commune with God the Father. That's it!! You've done it!! If you have done the above with sincerity in your heart, you are now a Christian and a member of God's Church! Congratulations! You have just made the HUGEST decision of your life!! Not only within this body, but for eternity! That is awesome! The Holy Spirit has entered your heart and will ALWAYS be there to help you along your new journey. Read, learn and pray as much as you can to learn what God's will is for your earthly life. You are not now perfect, just forgiven and saved for eternity! You have already won the battle of the Apocalypse with this salvation. God Bless You!
