Jesus Loves The Church - What Will It Be Like?

The New Testament writers seem to have a vision of church that is glorious. What will church be like?

In Revelation 7 we have a glorious picture of the church made up of people from every tribe and language - every people group. There will be some surprising people and some surprising expressions of church there I am sure! Throughout Paul’s letters we find the big issue for him was unity - Jewish disciples were looking down on Gentiles and Gentiles were not understanding or respecting Jews. Paul emphasised there can be no distinctions because when we are born again - however people understand that - we have a new Father.

The Old Testament Tabernacle and later the Temple were places for God’s presence to live as people came to worship. Until Jesus’ death and resurrection we could not be made holy, so God’s holy presence was restricted to just the Tabernacle or Temple (or occasionally elsewhere when certain people had an encounter with God).  The New Testament explains that we, God’s people are now the place for Him to live. The church is a spiritual Temple (Ephesians 2:19-21 and 1 Peter 2:4-10). In Ezekiel 43 vv10-12 there is a promise that when we proclaim the Temple - in our context that is what the church should be, a place where God’s presence is experienced - then people change to become more like Him.

We need that sort of change, to become loving and forgiving, to become more gracious and generous. But we cannot change ourselves - we need to be filled with God’s supernatural love to move towards what God intends. Ephesians 1:8b-10 sets out Paul’s immense vision of where God is leading to - gathering up all things in Christ!

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19 is both wonderful and revealing. In v 18 he emphasises that all this is only possible “with all the saints.” So we cannot hide away in our hurt, separate from others as Simon and Garfunkel sang in “I am a rock; I am an island.” If we want to experience the fulness of God’s love we have to take the risk of building relationships that are mutual and based on grace not compulsion. We have to keep it simple, but keep it real and open to others.

As we do this, we are building a throne, a place where God loves to be, and one day He will come in all His fulness. Let’s be ready to welcome Him!

- Chris Horton

Chris’ book ‘Belong’ - published in May 2024 - explores these themes and more.  
Available from All Nations or Amazon (ISBN 1739098668 or 978-1739098667)
Web link: Belong: Living in God's Family: Amazon.co.uk: Horton, Chris: 9781739098667: Books