The Light of the Church

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​​Does going to church really matter? Ezekiel helps us understand how attending church can impact our community.

Ezekiel 37:26-28

“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.”

Church is not only about you and your relationship with God; it also serves a very important role as a witness to the lost. When God enters into a covenant of peace with someone, people notice. The favor of God is noteworthy even to the unsaved. When a group of people favored by God gather together faithfully week after week to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God, the community notices. The church becomes a beacon of light demonstrating the blessings of living in a right relationship with the Creator.

Your salvation serves two purposes. First, Christ redeems you from your sin. Second, your salvation witnesses to those who are still in sin that it is possible to be free from sin and live a life in accordance with the Scriptures. If you are saved by the blood of Christ and sanctified by the Holy Spirit to live a holy life submitted to the Father’s will, then you are living proof that a person can enjoy the benefits of God’s favor; you become the witness that God is real and that He saves.

Next time you feel discouraged about your faith, next time you wonder if it really is worth it to give up your free day and evenings to your church, remember that your faithful attendance is a blessed opportunity to witness. Simply living your life as God commands serves Him in a mighty way. Through your obedience, the lost have living proof that God sanctifies and lives with His people.

• Reflection: Do you recognize the importance of your everyday walk with Christ as a witness to those around you? Leave a comment below to share how God is transforming your life.