heatherdills

The Church is "glorious" or "resplendent" because it is where we can come together with others who believe to praise and seek Him. Paul is tlaking about when Christ comes. I determined this becuase the church will be presented to Christ when the end comes and by that time, onlt the truly faithful and pure will remain.

The word of God works in the cleansing, purifying process by revealing God's love for us and what He wants for our lives. The word of God should be implemented in a congregation to achieve this purpose by taking His word and breaking it down to see what it is saying to us and to become better and more Christ=seeking than when we first entered the building. We can use the Word for purification without relying on threats of hellfire to scare people into repentence by revealing His love for us is His purpose.

The amount of cleansing through the word of God constitutes the "holiness" of a church. The church is holy because of God's sacrfice for her and because of her own actions to subit and be thankful for that sacrifice. We can be holy without being legalistic and judgemental toward one another by acknowleding we are all sinners and are all just as deserving as the other of forgiveness and salvation through the Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Christ "gave himself up" for the Church means that He set aside His own needs and desires to fulfill His purpose and calling. This teaches us that God is wholeheartedly commited to us and that we sahould be just as committed to Him. This sacrifice was both altruistic and self-serving. It was altruistic because it was the greatest act of love ever shown. It was self-serving because if He had not sacrificed His son, noone would have salvation, but eternal damnation because we are all sinners.

Submission, in regards to the Church's relationship to Christ, means to yield to the will of God. My own submission to Christ in practical experience means tha tI am to obey Him without question. A congregation that actually took seriously submitting its corporate life to Christ would look like worshippers, praisers and the faithful. Christ being the Head of the Church means that His laws and principles should be followed and that He should be turned to for advice and counsel.

The purpose of constructing a healthy local congregation is to grow and mature in the fullness of Christ. That is, to be strong in faith, strong in knowledge of Him, strong in praise th Him and worship of Him, to be strong in all things that are good and pleasing to Him and what He wants for us as His children.

From a strategic point of view, it is vital that pastors focus on "equipping the saints for the work of ministry" so that others can become established figures in teaching the word of God. This equipping might involve visiting other churches, going to conventions and continuing education. "Equipping...for ministry" is similar to what Jesus did when He trained His disciples in that teachers teach God's words as Jesus taught them to His disciples.

Pastors and teachers work to build up the Body by telling God's words and works and helping the congregation apply the lessons and principles to their lives. Small group leaders and Sunday school teachers build the Body by sharing their knowledge of the Word and helping answer questions people may have in ways they can understand and apply.

An evangelist in a congregation looks like everyone else. A local church evangelist encourages people to find faith in Christ. They build up the Body by teaching other members how to effectively share their faith with others.

Verse 7 teaches us that all Christians have received spiritual gifts bt stating that God has given each of us a gift through His grace. The implication of this in light of the clause in Ephesians 4:16 that mentions "each/every part" is that each "member" will be gifted to complement and build the church "body" to bless others and to be strong representatives in the Lord.

APOSTLES AND PROPHETS BUILD UP THE BODY BY MAKING IT STRONGER. EACH PERSON BROUGHT TO CHRIST MAKES THE BODY AS A WHOLE LARGER AND STRONGER, WHICH IN TURN MAKES SATAN SMALLER AND WEAKER. THEY BUILD AND ESTABLISH CHURCHES BY GOD'S VISION AND TEACHINGS AND GIVE WARNINGS AGAINST SIN.

An act of Christian unity I could practice over the next two weeks that would help me live out this truth in my life is to accept all thoughts others have to live a Christian life. I need to repent in not stepping out in faith and worshipping Him as I know I should be. I need to have more confidence in myself through Him.

"One baptism" should unite us rather than divide us because we are all baptized in the Spirit. We cannot maintain the unity of the Spirit and still disagree with other Christian groups about the administration of baptism as long as it is done according to the scripture. Striving for unity should not blur our faithfulness to Biblical understanding. We must balance the two by respecting each other's beliefs as long as seeking the Lord is the ultimate goal and the doctrines are based on His word.

The 7 elements that unite all Christians mentioned in verses 4-6 are one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. The most compelling are one hope and one faith because they both rely on the grace and the mercy given by God to us through our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

According to verse 3. we bring about the unity. I think a "bond of peace" is a general consensus among Christians to set aside personal differences to serve the Lord as a whole. According to the wording in verse 3, Christian unity is to a prime goal for us.

Characteristics or attitudes that are necessary for maintaining unity with other Christians according to verse 2 are gentleness, humility, patience, and loving kindness. The most important is loving one another. It is also the most difficult because it is hard to love people that are not easy to love.

"Living a life worthy of your calling" has everything to do with maintaining unity in the Church in verses 2-6. If we are not living according to the principles the Lord gave us, we are not building a Christian body. Unity is "worthy" in that it brings everyone together for the purpose of serving the Lord and living in His word. By keeping a separation from fellow Christians we are "worthy" by keeping our personal beliefs personal in our walk with Him. Our "calling" is to build a relationship with the Lord and to be obedient to His will.

My congregation should be "a dwelling place for God in the Spirit" by being a place of worship and praise as well as obedience. According to verse 22 the members of a congregation help bring this about as live intertwine and testimonies and experiences are shared, The Lord ties us together for His glory. This should take shape in my life so I can be a place where His Spirit can dwell. In the life of my congregation this should take shape so we can be strong in His presence.

"The apostles and the prophets" contribute to my life today by showing me how to obey God in a pleasing way to Him. Jesus Christ should serve as a cornerstone to my congregation by revealing that each blessing in each members life builds and binds the body closer together. A congregation grows and rises by adding faithful members one at a time. Growth occurs to bring this about by making Jesus the foundation of all we do. By excercising faith and giving God the glory until we are a body that houses the Spirit of the Lord in all ways and set a good example to the surrounding community.

The phrase "member s of God's household" tells us about the nature of the Church and about the nature of God that we are part of the body of Christ and part of God's temple. It tells us about the kind of fellowship that is appropriate in the local congregation that it should be reverent and worshipping, glorifying, and raising up the Lord God. The implications for those Christians who aren't faithful to gather with the local congregation are that they will not be filled with the presence of the Lord, they will be left out of His body, and will not be a part of the foundation of God's temple.

If we are fellow-citizens with the Jewish believers, then we are citizens of God's household. We are "holy" or "saints" in that we have been cleansed by the bllod of Christ and are the instruments of His will.

Having "access to the Father" is important because we can seek His love and mercy. Access to the Father is similar to having diplomatic realtions in that we are given a pardon from our sins and given favor for our cause because we are his children. We obtained this access through the crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This access fulfills the two greatest commandments and God's purpose for us by communicating with the Lord God and giving Him all the praises, as well as praying for others with as much faith as we have for ourselves.

God's power works within us according to verse 20. There is as much power there quantitatively as we exercise faith for. It isn't more evident because we lack the proper faith. Excercising Christ's power on earth brings glory to God by showing others His love and mercy. He wants to give blessings to us, but we have to earn them by trusting Him and obeying His commands.

It means for us Christians that Christ is "head over everything for the church" that He is in control. This says about the Church's power that we are His instruments to fulfill God's will.

From the standpoint of power, the significance of Paul's statement that "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..." is that we are just as powerful in our faith in Him as He is by His mercy for our salvation.