Why do I need the Church?
Saint Cyprian wrote, 'A man cannot have God as his Father if he does not have the Church as his Mother'. God is salvation, and God's saving power is mediated to man in His Body, the Church. This stated the other way around by Georges Florovsky: 'Outside the Church there is no salvation, because salvation is the Church'. Jesus described the Church as His Body. This is not just a figure of speech or merely a spiritual reality; it must also be a real tangible and physical reality as well. The Church, like Jesus Himself, reflects both the physical human person and also the spiritual divine person. The Church is not simply made up of those who “Believe” in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but of those who also have a real tangible communion and fellowship with His Church here on earth. This Church is the very Body of Christ.
The Church is the unity of those united with God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. The One Church united as the three persons of Trinity are united. If one in the Church makes proper use of this Church, for communion with God, then he will become 'like' God, he will acquire the divine likeness that was lost by our first parents (Adam & Eve) in their walking away from their relationship with God; that which all of humanity now suffers from. In the words of John Damascene, he will be 'assimilated to God through virtue.' To come back to God through Jesus Christ (i.e. to become a Christian in Christ’s Church) is to re-acquire the divine likeness that was lost at the fall of man.
Jesus left the Church in the world to continue to do whatever it was that He, Himself, did. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are called to live out our Christian lives together in the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ here on earth. It is full of broken, hurt, damaged and imperfect people, who can and still do sin. But, we are redeemed, forgiven and are being made new creations in God through Jesus Christ. You cannot be a Christian apart from the Church - that, my friend, is a lie from the enemy himself. New life begins and ends with Jesus Christ. Come and find our more about Him!!
Come Home to the Church! Let us journey with God together...