The Koinonia of the Ekklesia: Part 1

Are you a Christian?  Are you a part of the Body of Christ?  What exactly does that mean?  There are many people in the world today who make the claim that they are Christians, but are Christians by name, only. The “fruit” that they bear says something completely different than the words that they say, and as we’ve probably all heard at one time or another, “actions speak louder than words.”

Last night I began a study dealing with what it really means to be a part of the “fellowship of the church,” or the “koinonia of the ekklesia.”  I’ll get to the koinonia part of this later, but first I want to deal with the ekklesia part of it.  What does it really mean to be a part of the church?  What does it mean to be a Christian?

The Greek word for church, ekklesia, says a lot.  Ekklesia is a word that means “the called-out ones.”  So, by definition, the church is not a building in any given city, suburb, or rural area.  The church is made up of the people of God.  They are “the called-out ones.”  But what does it mean to be a part of those who are called-out?  Here are some Scriptures that may make this a little clearer:

• 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;…
• John 17:11, 16 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world,…They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.
• 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
• Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…

The ekklesia are those who have been born-again (John 3:5-7).  The ekklesia are those who have walked out of darkness into His marvelous light, and are living in that Light.  This doesn’t mean that any of us are perfect, but that we have made the decision to flee from the shadows of the world and to live our lives in light rather than darkness.  For the person who has made the decision live for Christ (the Christian), we cannot say that we are living for Him and continue to live according to the world’s system.  Look at what the apostle, John, says in 1 John 1:3, 6-7:

• “…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ…If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

There it is!  To be a Christian; to be counted among the “called-out ones;” to be a part of the ekklesia, means that we are living every day in the Light. 

I know what it’s like to live in darkness.  But I also know what it’s like to live in the Light. And can I just tell you, there is nothing like living in the Light of God.  I don’t claim to have it all figured out.  I don’t claim to be perfect.  I don’t claim to be better than anyone else.  But I do claim to have accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord.  I do claim that I strive to live “in the light of His glory and grace” each and every day of my life, and there is no better place to be.

One Eye on the Headlines & the Other on the Eastern Sky

A few weeks ago, I went into my seven-year-old son Logan’s room to wake him up.  Normally, Logan is quick to open his eyes and smile at me first thing in the morning (quite unlike his oldest brother, Braxton).  But on this particular morning, Logan had no desire to be bothered.  As I tried to wake him up he did his best to ignore me.  Once again, I attempted to get him to wake up, but this time he stuck his head under his pillow and did his best to pretend that no one was there and nothing was going on.  Eventually, he uncovered his head, opened his eyes, and gave me the beautiful, heart-warming smile that always seems to brighten even the dreariest of days.

Later, as I was in the middle of preaching on a Sunday morning, I was reminded of this story.  This story reminds me of a passage of Scripture that I taught on recently.  It is taken from Romans 13:11-14.

In Romans 13:11-12, the apostle Paul tells us, “And do this, understanding the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”

There are a few things that we need to make careful application of:

1. We need to understand the present time.  Whether we realize it or not, according to the Word of God, we are living in the last days.
2. We need to “Wake Up!” from our slumber.
3. We must realize that our salvation (the return of the Lord) is nearer now than when we first believed.
4. Understanding that the “night is nearly over,” and “the day is almost here,” we need to “put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”  We need to prepare ourselves for the Lord’s return.  He is coming for a spotless, sinless bride.

“The world has had an endless series of wake-up calls over the past decade or so.” Even today, things seem to be going from bad to worse, yet many Christians seem to be asleep. Seemingly unaware of “the present time,” they do their best, like Logan, to bury their heads under a pillow as if nothing is going on.  How tragic?  Now is not the time to be sleeping.  Now is the time to “Wake Up!”  Now is the time to make certain that we are ready should He come today. Now is the time for us to lift up our eyes, because our redemption is drawing ever nearer each passing day.

The good news is that not every believer is asleep.  Many have already been stirred and realize the “day is almost here.”

Dr. David Jeremiah puts it this way:  “Christians all over the world are wide awake and more aware of the times than we’ve ever been.  As followers of Christ, we must be alert, watchful, and vigilant, with one eye on the headlines and the other on the eastern skies.” 

Walking in Victory

Many Christians today are living day after day in quiet defeat. Maybe we are among those who would say, “My days are a series of small defeats and clusters of sin that I just can’t seem to overcome.”  That may be true, but it doesn’t have to be that way. God has given us what we need to live every day in victory.  First, we receive the strength that we need from the Holy Spirit who resides in us.  Second, we receive a detailed strategy for victorious living in the pages of the Word of God.    If we have these keys to walking in victory, why aren’t we?  The answer is…US. We have the Holy Spirit.  We have the Word of God.  But you can have the Holy Spirit within you and read the Bible every day and still live a defeated life because you choose to ignore them both and follow after the flesh.

In Romans 13:14 we are given a genuine, hands-on strategy to live the kind of life we’d like to be living when Christ returns.  This verse has two calls to action:

1. Put on Christ
2. Make no provision for the flesh

What do these mean?  Let’s look at them one at a time.

1. What does it mean to “put on Christ?”  Ray Stedman suggests this approach:  “When I get up in the morning, I put on my clothes, intending them to be a part of me all day, to go where I go and do what I do.  They cover me and make me presentable to others.  That is the purpose of clothes.  In the same way, the apostle is saying to us, ‘Put on Jesus Christ when you get up in the morning.  Make Him a part of your life that day.  intend that He go with you everywhere you go, and that He act through you in everything you do…”
2. What does it mean to “make no provision for the flesh?”  The Bible tells us that we are to flee from four things: Idolatry, Youthful lusts, Materialism and Sexual immorality. 

The enemy of your soul has a broad arsenal of weapons that he will use to try to steal from you, kill you, and destroy you.  But you are not helpless.  You have been given what you need to walk in victory. 

The next time you are faced with temptation, remember to listen to the Holy Spirit, hold firmly to the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), and remember the price that was paid to purchase your salvation (Jesus’ death on the cross).  You’ve been given the keys to walk in victory.  Now it’s time to use them. 

(adapted from Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah)