Ephesians • Enjoy Your Treasure in the Church

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Are you currently active in a local church community? If not, why not? You have a treasure in the Church as the Body of Christ. You can enjoy relationships and spiritual growth within this Church community (both local and universal). The Church is another blessing jewel we have from God through Jesus Christ. In the last article in this series, we basked in the treasure of prayer and being dearly loved by our God. This is post #6 in the Ephesians blog series. In this post, we will look at the treasure we have in being part of God’s church.

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from the Seek the Treasure Bible Study covering Ephesians in the New Testament. (8 lessons)

Birth of the Church

On the day of Pentecost around 30 AD, the power of God poured forth on the followers of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem. The church of Jesus Christ was born. On that day, God’s Holy Spirit came to live in all the believers present. And since that day, every person who trusts in Jesus Christ for salvation is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and added to the body of believers in Jesus Christ known as the Church. We learn from the book of Acts and Christian history that the Church was well-established within just a few decades.

The Church was a radically new creation on earth that never existed before that time. It wasn’t created by natural power but by supernatural power. And the power behind its existence is the Holy Spirit. The Church is something that was kept in the heart of God for many years until He revealed that mystery after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

The Community of Faith before Christ

Before Christ, there were basically two groups of people in God’s eyes—the Jews and the non-Jews. The Jews were in a covenant relationship with God based upon the Mosaic Law, which God had given to the nation of Israel. The other group were those not born as Jews, also called Gentiles or Greeks in the Bible.

The non-Jews were separated from God because they did not know Him. They were excluded because they were not in the covenant relationship with God based on the Mosaic Law. They had no rights of citizenship in God’s kingdom. And they were foreigners to the promises of God. Outsiders. And as outsiders, they lived in a world without God and without hope because what they worshiped as gods could give them nothing good.

Read the blog, “Ephesians • Remember the Treasure of Your Rescue from Darkness.”

Before Christ, a non-Jew could join the Jewish faith and start obeying the Mosaic Law. They didn’t become Jews, but as “converts,” they could participate in the Jewish religious ceremonies and receive the promises of God. That was the old plan.

At the time of Paul, some Jewish Christians, especially those who had been leaders in Jewish teaching, thought it still worked that way in the Church. But our gracious and merciful God had a new plan with a different goal.

God Had a New Plan and a Different Goal

God made the two groups (the Jews and the non-Jews) into one group by breaking down the one barrier that was the dividing wall, creating hostility between them. That one barrier was the Mosaic Law.

Christ fulfilled every religious requirement of the Mosaic Law by His death on the cross. Both groups could now be reconciled through a common factor—the blood of Jesus Christ. The Law then became obsolete. All people groups would now be completely included in God’s promises through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians chapter 3 calls God’s plan “a mystery.”

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you,that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 3:2-6)

This mystery had been unknown to the Jews in the past. It was a great secret held in the heart of God now being revealed after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Gentiles would now be included in God’s promises through the gospel of Jesus Christ. To God be the glory! I am a gentile, not born a Jew. My heart is very grateful for God’s plan.

Jesus Christ united what was once divided. This included all people groups. From that point until today, there are only Christians and those who reject Christ. And the new group created by God is the Body of Christ, also known as the Church with a capital “C” to distinguish it from local individual churches. God’s power brought this new humanity into existence.

At the moment of salvation, the Spirit of God places every believer into the Body of Christ regardless of birth, ethnic background, age, or gender. All enter as equals and co-heirs of everything promised by God to all those who believe in Jesus Christ. All share equally in the spiritual blessing jewels. All are equally loved by God. All have equal access to God by one Spirit—the Holy Spirit indwelling them. This is the treasure of the Church.

Read what happens when God places every believer into the Church in this blog, “Acts 2 • Spirit Baptism.”

What the Church Is

The whole concept of the Church was very new to the people of Paul’s day. So in Ephesians, Paul used several images to illustrate what the Church is.

The body of Christ with Christ as the Head

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way … Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:15-16)

The Church is pictured as the body of Christ with Christ as the head. We are His body. We can understand the image of a body since we all have one. In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul even described how the body of Christ is joined together and grows stronger just like a human body does.

God’s people in His household

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

Here, Paul referred to the Church as God’s people in His household. The Church is like a huge family spread across the whole world and made up of every culture and language. It includes all believers alive on planet earth now and those in heaven since the first century AD. We can understand that image because we all have family of some sort and ancestors who lived before us who were part of our family.

A building built upon Christ as the foundation

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:20-22)

Paul also used another familiar image to everyone—a building being built upward from the foundation. The “cornerstone” was the crucial part of the foundation of a building. It was the stone the builder used to square every other stone, including the other foundation stones. This stone is Christ—the chief cornerstone.

The rest of the foundation is laid by the apostles and prophets based on that one cornerstone. As this building rises up from the foundation, it is the new temple on earth where God’s spirit dwells.

God’s temple dwelling is no longer in a physical building. The Spirit indwells every believer individually and collectively as a group. Our modern church buildings are not the house of God—only a place for the people of God to meet together.

The moment you became a Christian, the Holy Spirit placed you into this new family called the Church with Christ as its head. The Church is spread across the whole world and made up of every culture and language. It is not limited to a building, just as a natural family is not limited to their house. As Christ is the head of this universal family, all members are considered part of the Body of Christ. That includes every local church as well.

The Treasure of a Local Church Family

While you are part of the universal Church, God wants you to be part of a local church family. It is like having relatives all over the world but living with your immediate family.

A local church is a group of believers committed to worshiping Christ, learning His Word, supporting each other as you follow Jesus together and proclaim the good news to others. You can enjoy relationships and spiritual growth within this Church community. God has designed the local church to be an important aspect of life for every believer with benefits for you to enjoy. It is a place of community, spiritual growth, protection from false teaching, learning how to love others well, and using your spiritual gifts to help the body of Christ grow.

God knows you need the guidance of a pastor, the care of other Christians, and the safety and support of a good church community to help you grow as a Christian. Yet, no church is perfect just like no family is perfect.

So, what makes a good church? A healthy church community is committed to certain values. Look for a local church that does 4 things.

#1 Worships Christ

A healthy church presents Jesus as the Son of God and faith in Him alone as the only way to be saved from your sins and have a relationship with God.

Look for a church that…

#2 Teaches His Word as truth

A healthy church honors the Bible as God’s Word, completely true, and the guidebook for life and decision-making.

Look for a church that…

#3 Grows believers to follow Jesus together

A healthy church encourages you to personally follow Jesus as His disciple and grow stronger in your faith just as we read in Ephesians chapter 4. When you are joined together with other believers who are growing in Christ, you each encourage one another and keep each other “fired up” in your mutual faith.

Look for a church that…

#4 Encourages believers to proclaim the good news

A healthy church is actively obeying Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:19 to share the good news about Jesus with those who don’t know Him yet. This is the main purpose of the worldwide Church—to tell others about Jesus that they, too, may be saved and added to God’s family. Look for a church that reaches out to non-Christians in your town.

Pray and ask God to help you find the local church He wants you to join. He has promised to provide for you, so you can trust Him to answer your request. When you find a healthy church that is committed to the four values I just mentioned, thank God! Ask Him how you can live as part of that church family.

Here’s a word of warning, though. Once you become part of a local church community, learning how to live as part of a church family can be challenging.

The Challenge of Living as Part of the Church Family

Enjoying community as part of a church family is called fellowship (from the Greek word meaning “sharing in common”). This sharing of our lives requires intentional and unconditional love for one another—the kind of love that God has for us. That’s why Jesus’ command said that relationships among believers should be marked by that kind of love for each other. This is not only mutually beneficial to Christians in a church family. It is one thing for sure that attracts those to Jesus who do not have a relationship with Him. But there are others that we will see in the next blog.

Jesus knows our hearts. He knows the difficulty we all have at times with one another. Our relationship with Him does not prevent us from misunderstandings or differences of opinion. Sometimes these relational challenges tempt us to harbor grudges against someone with whom we differ. Or they tempt us to isolate ourselves from the whole community. Neither of these is healthy for a believer.

So here are a couple of intentional ways to respond to people challenges in your church community:

Reconcile relationships quickly

Jesus helped His disciples through their conflicts with one another. By faith in Christ, we are not only commanded to love but are given His love to give to others. God’s Spirit enables us, as we trust Him to do so. We can say, “I can’t, Jesus, but you can through me.” And He will.

Jesus said this in Matthew 5,

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)

That is wise advice to follow. Remember this, though. You are not responsible for the other person’s response. You are responsible for your own efforts to initiate reconciliation. Pray for help, do your part, and leave the rest in God’s hands. Reconcile relationships quickly.

Read more about this in the blog, “Philippians 4:1-3 • Joy in Conflict.”

Stay connected

One of the main reasons some Christians live defeated lives is that they have isolated themselves from other believers. That was a struggle for many Christians during 2020 because of Covid-19. Praise God for technology that allows virtual community, at least.

Coming together with others in Christ’s name is similar to hot coals, which keep each other hot when lumped together. A coal that is separated from the others will soon grow cold. Isolation will lead to stunted spiritual growth and a lack of joy in your life.

God wants you to be part of a local church family. So stay connected.

Read more about this in the blog, “Naomi and Ruth • Life Should Not Be Lived Alone.”

The Treasure of the Church

You have a treasure in the Church as the Body of Christ. You can enjoy relationships and spiritual growth within this Church community (both local and universal). 

Someone once said that believers are “Jesus in the flesh” to one another. It is truly awesome to fellowship with others who love Christ and are living for Him!

Praise and thank God for adopting you into His family and giving you a community (the Body of Christ) in which to enjoy your life in Christ.

If you do not belong to a local church right now, ask Jesus to lead you to a church community where you can learn God’s Word and continue to grow in your faith.

In the next post, we will look at the treasure of God’s empowering presence in our lives.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with the confidence that the treasure you have in Him is more powerful and valuable than anything you could substitute for Him.

All of the above information is covered in the Seek the Treasure Bible Study covering Ephesians in the New Testament.

Other Resources

• Ephesians • Remember the Treasure of Your Rescue from Darkness  
•  Acts 2 • Spirit Baptism
• Philippians 4:1-3 • Joy in Conflict
• Naomi and Ruth • Life Should Not Be Lived Alone

AI was not used to generate this post.