I pray all my readers let this sink deeply into their heart and guide them into the heart of their local church. May we be as committed to our local churches as Jesus is.

John Stott:

We are not only Christian people; we are also church people. We are not only committed to Christ, we are also committed to the body of Christ. At least I hope so. I trust that none of my readers are that grotesque anomaly, an un-churched Christian. The New Testament knows nothing of such a person. For the church lies at the very center of the eternal purpose of God. It is not a divine afterthought. It is not an accident of history. On the contrary, the church is God’s new community. For his purpose, conceived in a past eternity, being worked out in history, and to be perfected in a future eternity, is not just to save isolated individuals and so perpetuate our loneliness, but rather to build his church, that is, to call out of the world a people for his own glory. Indeed, Christ died for us not only “to redeem us from all wickedness: but also to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:14). So then, the reason why we are committed to the church is that God is so committed. True, we may be dissatisfied, even disillusioned, with some aspects of the institutional church. But still we are committed to Christ and the church. (Taken from The Living Church, p. 19-20)

1 Corinthians 12:27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” May we live accordingly.