Ephesians: God's Big Plan for Christ's New People

Why should I be a member of a local church? Im a part of the body of Christ. Isnt that enough?An increasing number of people think of the Christian faith primarily in terms of themselves as individuals. Faith is not only a personal but also a private matter. For these believers church has become an optional extra a matter of convenience and personal choice.In his letter to the Ephesians the apostle Paul says a firm no to this idea. The church of Christ far from being an optional extra; it is the display of Gods wisdom to the universe! The church is Gods handiwork made up of people from every conceivable background living under the gracious rule of Jesus himself. To be a part of the church is to be hand-selected by God through Christ to make visible the mystery of Gods electing love.In short Christianity is far more corporate and public than we might first expect. We are redeemed as individuals but we are placed in a family. And living out the Christian life requires we live together with others who love the same Lord. It requires we actively participate in the church for the church is Gods only plan to raise us to full maturity in Jesus Christ.Ephesians is one of the most beautiful books in the Bible Thabiti said. The symmetry between rich theology and applied living can hardly be matched. So if a Christian wants to think carefully about what he/she believes and then walk out their beliefs Ephesians is an excellent book to study. I also love the book because of the honored place the book gives to the local church. If we would be healthy Christians we would be wise to build our lives around the kind of church that emerges from the book of Ephesians.The ten studies in this Good Book Guide will help groups and individuals discover the richness of Gods grace towards His people and grow as the body of Christ.