Sister, God bless you! I’m Pastor Clear. It’s nice to meet you!
Good to see you, too. Pastor, I’ve got many questions because I’ve just started attending the Church of God. My first question is this. Why is the church named the Church of God? Isn’t every church the Church of God if they believe in God?
Many people think that way. But, Sister, aren’t there many churches in your neighborhood? Among them, there are the churches established by God, and also the churches that were not established by God.
Is there a church not established by God? If that’s true, I must find out which church is established by God before I go to any church.
Then, how can I find the church God established?
It’s not that hard. You can find it through the Bible which is the word of God.
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
Acts 20:28
To save us, God Himself came to the earth and established the church. And God nurtures the church just as a shepherd tends the sheep. Then, among numerous churches these days, there must be the church God Himself has established and tended, right?
The name of the church established by God is the Church of God. That’s what the Bible tells us.
“Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy …”
1 Corinthians 1:1–2
As you read here, the name of the church the apostles attended was the Church of God.
What does the church of God “in Corinth” mean?
It means the church was located in Corinth. For example, if the church is in London, it is called the Church of God in London. Wherever it is, the name of the church established by God is the Church of God.
Are there more verses about the Church of God?
Sure. Let’s see another verse.
“For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.”
Galatians 1:13
Apostle Paul used to persecute the early Church that the saints who believed in Jesus attended. And he’s saying here that he persecuted the Church of God in the past. So, the name of the church Jesus established and the apostles attended was the Church of God.
Oh, I see. Then, the name of the church must be the Church of God.
You’re right. But just because a church’s name is the Church of God doesn’t mean that it is the church established by God. There is a characteristic of the church built by God.
Do you remember Acts 20:28 that we just saw? It said the Church of God was bought with God’s own blood.
As the Bible says, the true Church of God must be the church established through God’s blood of sacrifice. Then, what does God’s blood mean?
“Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me [the blood of my sacrifice, KJV] along with anything containing yeast, and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Feast remain until morning.”
Exodus 34:25
God’s blood is called the “sacrifice from the Passover Feast.” The sacrifice from the Passover Feast means the sacrifice of the lamb which was slaughtered on the Passover. God called the blood of the Passover lamb the “blood of My sacrifice” because God came to the earth as the reality of the Passover lamb. To save us, God came with the name of Jesus and promised His blood on the Passover before He was sacrificed on the cross.
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover … While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Matthew 26:19–28
The Passover has the blood of Jesus, that is, the blood of God. Both in the Old Testament times and the New Testament times, the blood of God means the Passover.
You mean the true Church of God established by God celebrates the Passover.
That’s right. The church whose name is the Church of God and keeps the Passover of the new covenant is the true Church of God established by God for our salvation.
With the Passover, I can find the Church of God established by God. It’s all clearly written in the Bible.
You’re right. From now on, you need to remember that the Bible should be the standard when you confirm whatever is related to God, not to speak of the church name.
Okay, I’ll always remember that I must have the Bible as the standard. See, I’m learning God’s words in the Church of God built by God! I’m so happy!
