Christ's Church

Thinking about church and 'The Church', today. Some thoughts from my treasured devotional. I love this thought about Christ's love for the Church...that is us, me and you who live from Him. We are the Church because of Him. I love this life that is from Him. Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Ephesians 5:25 KJV "It never says Christ loved the world; nor does it say God loved the Church. It says, "Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it." If we want to know what are Christ's interests to-day - where the circle of His interests are to-day, we have the answer in this beautiful passage before us: it is the Church. The Lord thinks everything of the Church. The circle of His interests all center there in this present day. He loved it and gave Himself for it, and He is engaged in active service on high today on behalf of it; and He is going to take it to glory to be with Himself soon, and then bring it back and display it in all the brightness and splendor of His own glory with which He will adorn it, when it will shine forth as the Holy City, New Jerusalem, having the glory of God - the Bride, the Lamb's wife. It is an immense thing, for our souls to get hold of that, and to find ourselves in the power of it. Especially is it needful for those who are young in the ways of the Lord. It is a great thing for us all to see that the affections of the Lord's heart flow out at the present time to His Church and not to the world. William Easton Just a short addition from today's....."And so the summons of the Gospel is not that we behold what is impossible for us in Christ, and reach forth to it; but rather that we behold what is accomplished for us in Christ, and appropriate it and live in it"...... and this phrase that I hear the true Church saying so oftern, ...."In Christ Jesus we work no longer for life, but from life." A. J. Gordon