Long before the Catabolic church, orthodox, Lutheran, Church of God, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Anabaptist, congregational, Baptist, and the Pentecostal Church. God establish His true Church to be the pillar and ground of truth and the gateway to heaven.
The word church comes from the Greek word call ek-kle-sia.
The word ek means out and the word kle-sia means to call-indicating that God’s church is called out to be separate from all others and to fulfill s special purpose.
At the end of creation week, God made Adam and Eve (Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.) Adam is a typology of Christ and Eve a typology of His Church. It takes a woman and a man to bring out the beauty of God’s plan. As Eve was the bride of Adam so, the Church is the bride of Christ. (Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Rev 19:7-8 KJV)
The Bible tells us that God put Adam to sleep and took a rib from is side and made-Eve his wife. He did not make the woman at the same time when he made the man. Just as Adam was put to sleep and a rib was taken from his side to make his wife- the scripture shows us that Christ was put to sleep and out of His side came blood and water which was for the regeneration and rebirth of His church which, had been made defiled by sin. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. John 19:34 (KJV). Adam was put to sleep for the life of his wife and Christ was put to sleep for the life of His Church.
Adam was made the head and priest of his wife and Christ is made the head and High Priest of the Church. Eph:5:23: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
1Cor:15:22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Eph:5:24: Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Eph 5:25: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Eph:5:27: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Through Adam the church became corrupted and lost her way, but in Christ she is redeemed forever. When Christ says to Peter on this rock I will build my church and the gate of hell can not prevail against it, He was simply saying, that the first time the devil prevailed through Adam, but this time he have to come through me (Christ). And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt 16:18 (KJV)
God has a church on earth and it will always be-there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. This Church has a special purpose to fulfil before Christ returns. It must conduct itself in accordance with God’s will.
1 Timothy 3:15 (KJV).But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. There are seven foundational pillars that she must constantly build on. They are the Everlasting Gospel, the Law of God, The Sanctuary in Heaven, the Judgment, the Spirit of Prophecy, the Faith of Christ and the Second Coming. With emphasis on the “State of the dead” also.
God’s church will be a pure one- James 1:27 (KJV) Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
It is called to separate itself from apostasy, errors, and ecumenism. 2 Corinthians 6:17 (KJV)
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
The great mission of the church is to preach the everlasting gospel. Matthew 24:14 (KJV)
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Her mission is to call God’s people out of apostate false worship. Revelation 18:4 (KJV) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. John 10:16 (KJV) And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places,” the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10. AA 9:1.