It is not an exaggeration to say that a picture is truly worth a thousand words. God harnesses the power of pictures to help us visualize the essential nature of His Church.
The New Testament describes the Church in at least seven ways:
Unlike any other social institution, the Church houses God on the earth. The Church welcomes God as His abiding place; a home, a place designed and perfectly suited for Him. The saying relates that a man’s home is his castle. The Church functions as a dwelling place where everyone revolves around the King of the house, God our Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Church is divinely conceived and divinely built, where God is Master and Lord, and all things reflect His holy presence.
Ephesians 2:21,22: ...21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
1 Peter 2:5: ...5you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 3:15: 14I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.
The Church is the Family of God. God is our Father and we are all adopted sons and daughters. God sits at the head of the table. Jesus is the first born among many brethren.
In His family, the full range of strengths and weaknesses are present; all the faults and foibles along with goodnesses and graces. The joined lives of real people make up God’s family, each one loved and adopted by God our Father.
A healthy family’s bio would read: Loving relationships, trust, responsibility, encouragement, training, discipline, commitment. If there ever were a complete family, God’s family can meet and exceed all expectations.
John 1:12,13: 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Mark 3:35: 35For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.
Romans 9:26: 26And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” there they shall be called sons of the living God.
Romans 8:10-16: 10If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh– 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God...
Jesus is the Head. We are His body, fulfilling His will in the world. Every body functions with purpose and working parts. Its health depends on the fitness of each individual part, even the least. The Church performs the tasks, and Jesus provides purpose, power and plans. Jesus is alive and well, His body functioning in the world and fulfilling His ministry. The movements of Jesus come alive, a motion picture of skill, coordination, energy and direction. Jesus’ Body continues the mercy deeds of Jesus on earth, a man who went about doing good, and always fulfilling the deeds that pleased His Father (Acts:10:38).
1 Corinthians 12:27: 27Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.
Colossians 1:24: 24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.
Ephesians 5:28-30,32: 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body... 32This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
The New Testament pictures the Church as a royal, holy priesthood; an assembly or nation of priests to God, ministering to God with praise, thanksgiving and prayer. We, as priests, lift others before God’s throne in prayer and through our witness to the World bring the light of the knowledge of the glory of God to those living in darkness.
The writer of Hebrews records Jesus as a priest according the Order of Melchizedek, not according to the lineage of Aaron, but by the power of an indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16). By that same life, eternal life, we follow in His footsteps as priests according to that same order.
1 Peter 2:5,9: ...5you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light...
Revelation 5:9,10: 9And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
The Church shoulders a singularly solemn and sobering responsibility, lifting up God’s truth in a world where the Prince of the Power of Darkness reigns (2 Corinthians 4:4, Colossians 1:13). Jesus entrusted His Church with the sacred scriptures, inspired by the Holy Spirit and alone able to impart life, health, peace, joy, and the true love of God.
1 Timothy 3:15: 14I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.
14You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
The Church is the Bride of Christ, its members betrothed, eagerly awaiting the final and complete union with Christ in God. As man and woman become one in marriage, the dawn of the day of God will inaugurate the marriage supper of the Lamb when the redeemed Church unites with her Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even now, Jesus prepares New Jerusalem and the Marriage Supper. He will return for the Church - The Bride of Christ.
Revelation 21:9,10: 9Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11having the glory of God...”
Revelation 19:7: 5And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Give praise to our God,
all you His bond-servants,
you who fear Him,
the small and the great.”
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God,
the Almighty, reigns.
7Let us rejoice and be glad
and give the glory to Him,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come
and His bride has made herself ready.”
8It was given to her to clothe herself
in fine linen, bright and clean;
for the fine linen is the righteous acts of
the saints.
Revelation 22:17: 16I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. 17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come” And let the one who hears say, “Come” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”
The picture of God’s flock illustrates two characteristics central to understanding the church. 1) The flock needs its shepherd. 2) The flock knows its shepherd. Take a good look at the brethren around you. We are all sheep in God’s flock. We all personally know our Good Shepherd and follow Him. Thank God for our Shepherd and the simple truths that unite us! Psalm 23 deepens our understanding of the benefits of the Shepherd’s care.
1 Peter 5:1,2: 1Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2shepherd the flock of God among you...
John 10:14-16: 14I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
There are those who tend his field but God causes the growth.
1 Corinthians 3:1-9: 1And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.