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I wonder if the church is as important to us today as it was to the Christians in the first century? There’s an old saying that states something like: “Don’t let the urgent overtake the important.” There are a lot of urgent matters in the world today, but we must not let them crowd out the importance of the church. Let’s use the book of Ephesians to prove this point.
The Church is Important Because of the Father’s Purpose (Eph. 3:8-11). In this section we can clearly see that God had the church in mind all along! The church is not an afterthought, a plan B, or a substitute as some claim. It is not by the will of man or by some accident that the church exists. God had the church planned from eternity. He is the mastermind behind the true and wonderful church (Eph. 3:14-15). That makes it very important indeed.
The Church is Important Because of the Son’s Purchase (Eph. 5:25-27). Christ’s sacrifice shows the value God places on the church. Would you be willing to give your life for something of unimportance? Of course not, and neither was Jesus! It is sad to hear some people say, “Give me Christ, but not the church.” That’s like saying, “Give me the head, but not the body.” The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). You can’t separate Christ and the church. The church cost Jesus His blood. Because of that, it should be extremely important to us.
The Church is Important Because of the Spirit’s Presence (Eph. 2:19-22). The church is the temple of God. In Old Testament times, God’s Spirit dwelt in the tabernacle and later the temple. But now the church is the temple of God and the Spirit still dwells in it. Like the temple of old, in the church, where the Spirit lives, God is worshiped and given glory (Eph. 3:21). This makes the church a matter of great importance.
Without a doubt, the church is important to God. If the church really is that important to Him, then that would make proper association and involvement within it important, as well. And, without a doubt, it is. Is the church important to you? Are you an active member of it?
Edd Sterchi
Broadway church of Christ
Campbellsville, KY