Two Churches

Eph.4:4  There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6  one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 

New Testament scripture always points toward the fact that there is ONE church ... one universal church on the earth and one local church in each city.  The local "churches" are all a part of the universal church.  Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one, all of the "churches" also are one according to scripture. 

I'd like to develop the point that there are actually TWO churches (or at least two things that we call "the church")  that are entwined together.  One is the real church which consists of the people of God (the ecclesia) who are walking in HIS Spirit and focused on HIM (the one described above in Ephesians 4), and another which is the religious order which we often call the "church."   This order is part of the "world systems."   You can see it in operation when people are more concerned with liturgies, religious order, money,  admiration of men, etc.  When their love is for the things of the world.  Understanding the difference can free God's people to better represent Jesus as they utilize some of the worldly assets of the "church" (buildings, leaders, finances, etc.) but remain focused on "life in the Spirit" and free of having those "things" become their main priority.

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