“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Romans 12:4-5 NLT
Some people view attendance in church as a recreational activity, only for special occasions. However, this is far from God’s plan for the church. The church of God is a gathering of believers unto God, and He orchestrated it for a specific purpose (Matthew 16:18). The church is for our spiritual growth and edification.
We are not meant to grow in isolation. Belonging to a local church is marked by constant fellowship. It gives room for accountability and strengthens the relationship between members of the church (Hebrews 10:24-25). The early church in Acts 2 is our perfect example:
“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42 NLT)
Apostle Paul never stopped praying for the church to grow in the knowledge of God (Ephesians 1:15-17), because he understood the importance of its growth in the spread of the gospel.
After salvation, God does not immediately take us away into glory because His design is that we grow in His knowledge, so that we can win more souls and raise more disciples. This is only possible when we belong to a local church.
No matter your position in the church, if you do not take the gathering of the brethren seriously, it will reflect in your spiritual growth (Ephesians 1:18). There are many souls to save, but if we as believers fail to pay attention to what is necessary for our spiritual growth, we will miss out on the important goal.
The writer of Hebrews warned about this in Hebrews 10:25.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
Dear believer, if you want to grow spiritually and be constantly edified, you should not neglect the gathering of believers. You must be committed to a local church. God has placed different people in the church, who are responsible for enriching us with revelation knowledge of God (Ephesians 4:11-14). We must graciously take advantage of these resources.
As God’s holy people and His glorious inheritance, we must constantly be in fellowship with one another because the church is a building ground for us. This is how we grow!
DO THIS: If you don’t already belong to one, commit to finding and serving in a sound local church. Take active steps towards your commitment.
Bible Reading Plan: 1 Samuel 18 -20