1 Peter 2:4 (KJV)
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
Albert Barnes writes of this text: “The purpose was not to speak of a temple, like that at Jerusalem, made up of gold and costly stones; but of a temple made up of living materials—of redeemed people—in which God now resides…”
Even though Barnes comes from a Protestant background, holding to the doctrine of a universal invisible church, which effectively disannuls the church and defaults to Christian individuality, he cannot help but acknowledge the value of unity in a local assembly as seen in the Word of God.
This speaks to the significance of a local church—something only Independent Baptists consistently uphold. According to our passage, this local church is:
Disallowed of men
Even most Christians dismiss or overlook the local church, but what a terrible crime it is to disregard or harm it.
Chosen of God
Though despised by the world, the local church is ordained of God to be His tool to reach souls.
Precious to God
Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it.
Alive
The passage alludes to the foundation of the church, with Christ as the cornerstone.
God’s chosen church is neither universal nor invisible. It is local, and it is alive!
#LocalChurchMatters #IndependentBaptistBeliefs #BiblicalUnity #ChristOurCornerstone #ChurchAsGodsTool
Chosen and Precious: The Church That Jesus Built
- Do you value your local church as God intends?
- Commit to actively support and invest in your local church.
👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment