Many evangelical Protestant churches believe that the church is to function as a saving lighthouse for 'lost souls'. But if that is the case, then how about all human beings who lived before the birth of the New Testament Church in 31 A.D. They would all be doomed without hope of salvation and that would make God a respecter of persons, which is contrary to His nature and Scripture! In New Testament Greek, the Church is called ekklesia which means the called-out ones - the congregation of people that forms the Church. The name should be called "Church of God" which is used twelve times in the New Testament.
According to Herbert W. Armstrong whom God called to restore many biblical truth lost since the first century, the word church first appears in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus said, 'I will build My church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.' In plain language, it simply means - according to Herbert W Armstrong - "I will call out of Satan's world disciples, to grow into the altogether new and different world, which will be God's kingdom". Jesus Christ is the Founder and the living Head of the Church (Eph 5:23). Notice that Christ came to establish His Church and not churches. So there is only one true Church of God with one set of doctrinal teachings based solely on the Bible and not teaching as doctrines the commandments of men! (Mark7:7).
Jesus Christ did not come to earth in His first advent to save Satan's world while Satan still rules the world (2 Cor4:4). He will save the world in His Second Coming when Satan shall be restrained. Christ came some 2,000 years ago to qualify as the second Adam to replace Satan as King on the throne of the earth, ruling with the Government of God. He also came to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God (Luke 4: 43) as a Messenger sent from God the Father (Deut 18:15; Malachi 3:1c). Christ also died for the sin of all humanity and He established the Church to train all true believers whom the Father had called and chosen (John 6:44; 15:16,19) to be the Bride of Christ and be members of the Family of God.
Water baptism is an initiatory rite to be born of the Spirit of God. The kingdom of God will not be composed of mortal human beings for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50). The first Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Cor 15:45). God is reproducing Himself in His saints whom He has called and obeyed Him! For God to restore His Government on planet earth (and the whole universe in the age of eternity), He would require a group of trained and qualified God Beings who have rejected Satan's way of life and obeyed the righteous laws of God.. The Church will eventually be His instrument to bring salvation to all of humanity who have ever lived when they are all resurrected toward the end of the millennium age. The Church is the firstfruits (Heb 12:23; James 1:18), a chosen generation and a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9) who will teach the multiple billions of resurrected flesh and blood human beings since Adam the whole truth. All true Christians are drafted (predestined) and there is no volunteer!
That is why Christ spoke in parables often so that only His true disciples will understand and not the masses who were not called (Matt 13:10-11; Mark 4:10-11). God's plan of salvation for mankind is working one step at a time, and the time is not yet to reveal the whole truth to the world. This plan of salvation is contained in Leviticus 23 where the seven annual festivals is to be observed forever for all spiritual descendants of Abraham, including the Church. The Passover pictures the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross as payment for the sin of mankind. The seven days of Unleavened Bread pictures the Church coming out of sin just as the ancient Israelites came out of Egypt. The Day of Pentcost - originally called the Feast of Firstfruits - pictures the Church as the first begotten and born as children of God. The Feast of Trumpets pictures the Second Coming of Christ to rule over all nations and governments of the world. The Day of Atonement pictures the putting away of Satan at the beginning of the millennium. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the thousand-year reign of Christ with the spirit born-again saints. The Final Great Day pictures the final judgement of all humans who have ever lived.
When God closed the tree of life after Adam sinned, the Holy Spirit and salvation was cut off from humanity except for a chosen few whom God had called for a specific purpose. The Church was called not just for salvation and eternal life, but to develop the spiritual character of Christ and be trained to help Christ administer God's Government and redemption for the whole world when Christ returns (Rev 2: 26-27; 3:21). Those who are called are not saved by the blood of Christ but by His life (Rom 5:10) - by the resurrection - which will happen when Christ returns to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. Since Christ overcame Satan in the wilderness (Matt 4: 3-11) the Church must now overcome in the church age in order to rule with Him (1 Pet 4:17). The Church is required to overcome Satan, the lust of the flesh and the temptations of the world to qualify as kings and priests in the wonderful world to come. However, the rest of humanity will not be required to so overcome to obtain salvation when Satan has been restrained.
When a person is called of God and obeyed, he/she becomes a spiritual embryo and the church is to provide the spiritual food as nourishment for growth to maturity (Eph 4:11-13). The Church is the Jerusalem above, the mother of us all (Gal 4:26). The Church has the dual responsibility to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and Christ is to be preached in conjunction with the Gospel. In addition, it has to shepherd the flock of God (1 Pet 5:2). It behooves, therefore, that God's true ministers should protect and guard the spiritually begotten but yet unborn saints from false doctrine and deception!
According to Herbert W. Armstrong whom God called to restore many biblical truth lost since the first century, the word church first appears in Matthew 16:18 when Jesus said, 'I will build My church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.' In plain language, it simply means - according to Herbert W Armstrong - "I will call out of Satan's world disciples, to grow into the altogether new and different world, which will be God's kingdom". Jesus Christ is the Founder and the living Head of the Church (Eph 5:23). Notice that Christ came to establish His Church and not churches. So there is only one true Church of God with one set of doctrinal teachings based solely on the Bible and not teaching as doctrines the commandments of men! (Mark7:7).
Jesus Christ did not come to earth in His first advent to save Satan's world while Satan still rules the world (2 Cor4:4). He will save the world in His Second Coming when Satan shall be restrained. Christ came some 2,000 years ago to qualify as the second Adam to replace Satan as King on the throne of the earth, ruling with the Government of God. He also came to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God (Luke 4: 43) as a Messenger sent from God the Father (Deut 18:15; Malachi 3:1c). Christ also died for the sin of all humanity and He established the Church to train all true believers whom the Father had called and chosen (John 6:44; 15:16,19) to be the Bride of Christ and be members of the Family of God.
Water baptism is an initiatory rite to be born of the Spirit of God. The kingdom of God will not be composed of mortal human beings for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50). The first Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit (1 Cor 15:45). God is reproducing Himself in His saints whom He has called and obeyed Him! For God to restore His Government on planet earth (and the whole universe in the age of eternity), He would require a group of trained and qualified God Beings who have rejected Satan's way of life and obeyed the righteous laws of God.. The Church will eventually be His instrument to bring salvation to all of humanity who have ever lived when they are all resurrected toward the end of the millennium age. The Church is the firstfruits (Heb 12:23; James 1:18), a chosen generation and a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9) who will teach the multiple billions of resurrected flesh and blood human beings since Adam the whole truth. All true Christians are drafted (predestined) and there is no volunteer!
That is why Christ spoke in parables often so that only His true disciples will understand and not the masses who were not called (Matt 13:10-11; Mark 4:10-11). God's plan of salvation for mankind is working one step at a time, and the time is not yet to reveal the whole truth to the world. This plan of salvation is contained in Leviticus 23 where the seven annual festivals is to be observed forever for all spiritual descendants of Abraham, including the Church. The Passover pictures the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross as payment for the sin of mankind. The seven days of Unleavened Bread pictures the Church coming out of sin just as the ancient Israelites came out of Egypt. The Day of Pentcost - originally called the Feast of Firstfruits - pictures the Church as the first begotten and born as children of God. The Feast of Trumpets pictures the Second Coming of Christ to rule over all nations and governments of the world. The Day of Atonement pictures the putting away of Satan at the beginning of the millennium. The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the thousand-year reign of Christ with the spirit born-again saints. The Final Great Day pictures the final judgement of all humans who have ever lived.
When God closed the tree of life after Adam sinned, the Holy Spirit and salvation was cut off from humanity except for a chosen few whom God had called for a specific purpose. The Church was called not just for salvation and eternal life, but to develop the spiritual character of Christ and be trained to help Christ administer God's Government and redemption for the whole world when Christ returns (Rev 2: 26-27; 3:21). Those who are called are not saved by the blood of Christ but by His life (Rom 5:10) - by the resurrection - which will happen when Christ returns to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. Since Christ overcame Satan in the wilderness (Matt 4: 3-11) the Church must now overcome in the church age in order to rule with Him (1 Pet 4:17). The Church is required to overcome Satan, the lust of the flesh and the temptations of the world to qualify as kings and priests in the wonderful world to come. However, the rest of humanity will not be required to so overcome to obtain salvation when Satan has been restrained.
When a person is called of God and obeyed, he/she becomes a spiritual embryo and the church is to provide the spiritual food as nourishment for growth to maturity (Eph 4:11-13). The Church is the Jerusalem above, the mother of us all (Gal 4:26). The Church has the dual responsibility to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and Christ is to be preached in conjunction with the Gospel. In addition, it has to shepherd the flock of God (1 Pet 5:2). It behooves, therefore, that God's true ministers should protect and guard the spiritually begotten but yet unborn saints from false doctrine and deception!
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