The church is not an organization, although it requires structure and leadership. The church is a living organism, a living being whose divine life is fueled by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. After the resurrection, Jesus ascended to the right hand of His Heavenly Father. Still, in a real tangible sense, He is continually manifested in the world through His body and, by which He fulfills His early mission. We read, “So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mark 16:19-20).

The study of the church, including its nature, ordinances, ministries, mission, and governmental structure, is called Ecclesiology. Evolving from the Scottish word kirk, the English word “church” derived from the Greek Kuriakos, meaning “belonging to the Lord.” It is found only twice in the New Testament, an adjective applied to the Lord’s supper and the Lord’s day. The frequent word ekklesia was translated into the English expression “church” that we employ in the New Testament today. Neither Kuriakos nor ekklisa were used to refer to a building or place of gathering until the Greeks, in post-Apostolic times, substituted the term kuriakos, meaning “the Lord’s House,” to designate a church building. In the New Testament, the words used for a religious place of assembly are exclusively temple or synagogue.

There is something profound in the Lord’s eyes for those from Abraham’s natural lineage. Paul said, “Concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers” (Romans 11:28). This verse implies that Israel is elected (chosen) by God. Chosenness is deeply misunderstood. To be chosen means to be entrusted with a role, task, or mission more significant than your small self. Chosenness infers we have meaning, destiny, and a greater purpose that is God-given rather than self-motivated. Paul said, “For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). Divine election carried Israel to a whole new level, and she is beloved for the sake of the fathers. When God assigned Israel her purpose, she became the fulfillment of that purpose in the form of a nation, and her irrevocable calling was and is to be a light to the Gentiles.

Throughout history, the church has sought to understand Israel’s place in God’s Kingdom, and the re-establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 has made this issue even more pressing. But the separation of the church from its Hebraic origins drove it into a period of great darkness. This was only exacerbated by an abyss of unbelief and skepticism caused by “the Enlightenment” (Aufklarung in Germany) that had opened in the West, culminating in self-centeredness, self-worship, and a rise in humanism during the Renaissance.

God’s first and only covenant nation is Israel, and He called them His “firstborn son.” And Israel is the only nation He sovereignly chose to reveal Himself to, not a giant and mighty nation, but so insignificant they appeared to be nothing more than a small, powerless family. It says, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth” (Amos 3:2); “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7).

It can be said that Israel’s origins begin with Abraham, the father faith, as Paul, “It is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16). God desired that Abram become a source of blessing to the whole world, setting before him a moral imperative to obey His commandment to leave everything of this world behind. Nearly two thousand years before the Advent of Christ, the Lord God made a covenant with Abraham, promising to make of him a great nation and a company of nations: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).

The assurance and security of the believer are essential to understand, and there are widely varying theological positions on the issue. But the assurance of our salvation provides the foundation and stability to our lives, removing doubt and uncertainty and deepening our faith and trust in the Lord. It enables us to enjoy an uplifting and rewarding prayer life, again trusting Him no matter what the current circumstances look like because we have an eternal promise of salvation. It gives us power over the fallen nature, temptations of the flesh, and the spirits of darkness that work against us, knowing that our lives are hidden with God in Christ. And it provides us with the strength to share our testimony of salvation and influence others with the Gospel, even in the face of adversity and persecution.

Several aspects of sanctification are important to Christians. The primary meaning, which occurs at the moment of our salvation, is the dedication, consecration, and setting apart of the Christian for the holy work of God. And the secondary meaning of sanctification is the cleansing and purging of all moral defilement, which is an ongoing, progressive experience for the believer. Lastly, the complete and final sanctification occurs when Jesus returns, and we are delivered from our old sinful nature into a resurrected eternal, incorruptible body.

Adoption as a doctrine is not frequently discussed but is important for the believer to understand. The scriptures speak of adoption as both a present and future condition of the believer, the future inferring the return of Christ and our resurrection. Paul said, “We also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23); “Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:5).

One of the most critical verses we find in scripture is in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. Jesus told him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Being born again is undeniably essential for our salvation. But what exactly is our new birth?

Justification and regeneration are closely related doctrines. Regeneration occurs in believers' hearts when they receive Christ and become “born again.” It refers to an impartation of life and is God’s answer to the problem of sin and spiritual death. In comparison, justification by faith is the foundational truth of God’s provision of salvation. Justification is often misunderstood but is one of the profound truths of God’s salvific plan restored to the church from the Protestant Reformation.

Our salvation requires faith, and Jesus was looking for it when He came to the Jewish people. Jesus told His disciples: “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

But Paul said: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). From his words, we are not saved by faith. Instead, God’s grace saves us through faith. But even our faith is a gift from God lest we erroneously believe that somehow, we can save ourselves from our dead nature caused by sin. No, we were dead in trespasses, and dead people are neither aware nor capable of making themselves alive through faith. Only God can save us by His grace and the faith He has given us so we might choose Him. As we read, “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith” (Romans 12:3).