The Sacred Assembly – Part 3

The church defined by design and function.

God builds His church Matthew - 16:18
He adds those who are saved – Acts 2:47
Those he purchased with His own Blood – Acts 20:28
The church sends missionaries – Acts 15:22
The church consists of those sanctified in Christ Jesus – 1 Corinthians 1:2
The church is the temple of God – 1 Corinthians 3:16
God builds His church by placing real spiritual gifts into His people – 1 Corinthians 12:28
Christ leads the church – Ephesians 5:23
The church declares the manifold wisdom of God to the spiritual realm – Ephesians 3:10
The church will one day be presented to Christ – Ephesians 5:27
The church is the pillar and ground of truth – 1 Timothy 3:15
The church is made up of those whose names are written in Heaven – Hebrews 12:23

How do unbelievers participate in these things? They can’t. The unsaved are not part of the true church. They are not sanctified in Christ. They should not be choosing or sending missionaries. They are not part of the temple of God where His Spirit dwells. They do not follow Christ’s lead. They do not possess spiritual gifts. They will not be presented to Christ as His bride. They cannot proclaim the manifold wisdom of God to the spiritual realm, as they do not know what it is and only proclaim rebellion towards God to the spiritual realm. Their names are not written in heaven and they have not accepted the truth of who Christ is, the very truth the church is meant to present.

It does not matter how many people profess faith in Christ, open a building, call it a church, and invite unbelievers to attend a show. There is only one church and God defines who it is and what it is meant to do. God builds it and everything else that is built and called church is a fake. The true church only contains those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Only the true church has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Only the true church can participate in the spiritual act of service and worship described in Romans 12. Only the true church is the temple of God and a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

We are warned not to have unbelievers in our temples – 2 Corinthians 6:14
Be warned that God does not want His temple defiled – 1 Corinthians 3:17

The sacred assembly is the time and place where the true church gathers to be built up by spiritual gifts and to proclaim to the spirit realm the manifold wisdom of God. Unbelievers cannot participate in these functions so why are they there? The answer is simple. A long time ago men decided to let them come in so they could use religion as a tool for political power. If that is your goal then continue in your ways. If you want to experience the power of the sacred assembly you will have to leave the fake church to find it.