Wednesday 23 August 2017

#OpenHeavens 23rd August,2017: Morning Daily Devotional by Pastor E.A Adeboye – The Church Of God II


Topic: The Church Of God II

"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"– Ephesians 4:13

Please Read: 1 Corinthians 1:1-11

MESSAGE:



The Church of God is the embodiment of Christ here on earth and for all eternity (Ephesians 1:23). God will continue to inhabit His people, and His people will continue to live in Him and worship His majesty forever (John 14:16). The Church of God on earth is the representation of His personality among men. She is the Body of Christ, filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, and so, she renders all honour and adoration to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Although the Church is operating in the world, there is no room for the world in the Church (John 17:16)

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1

The Church of God called to live in blameless unity. Unity is a characteristic that distinguishes God’s people. We derived this characteristic from the nature of God in us; therefore, God expects His Church to manifest unity, through commitment to one another. In essence, the Church of God is one, because it is founded on one gospel, united in one Lord and walking in one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4-6). However, the unity of the Church is constantly under attack because the enemy knows she is unstoppable when she walks in unity. Because it is inherent in our fallen human nature for people to be divisive, unity needs to be continually maintained and actively expressed in fellowship. The fellowship that Christians share as a result of our common union with God through Jesus Christ is expressed as we share the triumphs and challenges of life together. The Bible strongly emphasizes the importance of Christian unity. Act 4:32 says,

“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”

God exhorts the Church to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3-16). We as Christians are to preserve the oneness that the Spirit imparts to all are baptised into the Body of Christ, which is identical to the oneness of the Holy Trinity. The unity of the Church should be evident in our love for one another, in worshipping together and in a practical commitment to one another, which is demonstrated through deep concern for the weak and a readiness to provide for the poor and needy.

Prayer Point: Father, please baptise your Church with true love and bind the Body of Christ together with a strong cord of unity in Jesus’ Name.

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