To Whom Do We Belong?

The church is the family of God that is created by the Father through the Word, led by the Son, and filled with the Spirit. It is universal, local, and celebratory.

The Bible speaks of the value and necessity of belonging, commitment, and shared belief and purpose. In recent years, evangelistic messages have emphasized an invitation to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. No doubt, in our individualistic culture, this message has a certain appeal. Christian, here is good news: there is no such thing as “you in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” To be a believer is to be in relationship with both God and His church.

We call the study of the church ecclesiology, from the Greek word ekklesia, meaning “gathering” or “assembly.” The doctrine of salvation declares the good news that we belong to God. The doctrine of the church declares the good news that we belong to one another. In an age of individualism, the call to belong is both countercultural and compelling. “Christian individualism” is an oxymoron. We are called not just to believe in the church, but to belong to it—both the church universal and the church local.

The universal church is made up of all believers, of all times, and all locations. The universal church stretches outward to every nation, tribe, and tongue, backward through time to all previous generations of believers, and forward to all future generations of believers. John’s vision in Revelation shows us a snapshot of the universal church, where every nation, tribe, and tongue worships before the throne of God. The universal church reminds believers of the beauty of our fundamental unity in Christ, no matter our particular context.

The local church is the embodied gathering of Christians in a particular time and place, centered around the proclamation of the Word and celebration of the ordinances (more on that in a bit). These local churches may speak different languages, believe slightly differently on secondary issues, and express worship through varying styles, each seeking to make the glory of God known where they are, each in their particular context. The local church reminds believers of the beauty of diversity that exists among the children of God.