The Role of the Church

 

The church is the body of believers who follow Christ. It is also a place where the grace of God is offered and the preaching of the Word is proclaimed to the whole world. The church started at the day of pentecost and since then has been saving souls and equipping the saints.

How does the Church save souls? 

The church saves souls by preaching the gospel to the lost. It is only by the grace of God and the work of Christ that we are saved. As Ephesians 2:8 says, we are saved by grace through faith and not by our own doing, but it is a gift from God. Does this mean we can do whatever we please? No, we can not have genuine faith in God and live to be apart of this world. True faith in God changes the believer to look more like Christ. Does not mean that a Christian won't slide back into old habits from the Old Adam.  By preaching Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, the church proclaims the gospel while the Holy Spirit moves the hearts of the unbelievers. The church's role is not to entertain the world, but to be a light to the world.

How Does the Church Equips the Saints? 

The church's function is not only saving the lost, but also making sure the saints who are already apart of the church are growing in Christ. This is done by the sacraments, preaching, and wise counsel within the church. When a church is only focused on those who are lost, then the saints are not being well fed spiritually. The saints need to be taught and discipled so that their Christian walk is strong and consistent.  

'So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. '

Ephesians 4:11-13