Question 37: What is the Church?

Read: Ephesians 2:11-22
Listen: Ephesians 2

Question: What is the Church?

Answer: The church is the community of all true believers in Jesus Christ, both universal and local.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” Ephesians 2:19

The believers in Ephesus need to understand their new identity as part of God’s people. They come from a vast array of backgrounds—Jews, Gentiles, slaves, free, men and women from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. In this letter, Paul explains that all divisions have been set aside through Christ’s work on the cross. God unified his people into one body: the church. All believers are now “fellow citizens with God’s people” and “members of his household.” The Ephesians were now part of a worldwide community of Jesus followers united through faith in Christ.

We are part of this same community of believers spanning the globe. The church is the community of all true believers everywhere—not a denomination, building or concept, but the people of God. Our local churches belong to this worldwide community, too. Through the church, God is doing something vital and powerful—something not contained in a building or program. The church is more alive than any institution and is God’s mission in the world, blessing every nation on earth. It is a privilege and joy to belong to the church—the people of God.

TODAY: Thank God for making you part of his worldwide church family. Reflect on how you are connected to believers around the globe through Christ. Commit to actively participating in our local church, playing a part in God’s global mission. Learn more about the church in our We Believe document.