“Here is another with ‘church of God’ in it—­1 Cor. 10:32, and another in Gal. 1:13; also one in I Tim. 3:5.  All of these have ’church of God’ in them.  Oh, yes, I skipped one text in I Cor. 15:9,” said Robert.  “That is a good name.  It shows that it is God’s church.”

“What have we learned so far?” asked Mary.  “We have learned that Christ built the church, and that it was named the church of God.  What else can we learn about it?  I would like to know who the members were, and how they were made members.”

“Maybe there are Bible answers to these questions,” said Robert.  “See Col. 1:24.”

“’Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.’  This says the church is His body.  Are there any texts to explain that?” said Mary.

“Try Col. 1:18,” said Robert.

“‘And he is the head of the body, the church,’” Mary read.

“Read Eph. 1:22, 23,” said Robert.

“’And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.’”

“I guess we shall have to look up the word ‘body’ to find out just what it is,” said Robert.  “Here is I Cor. 12:13.”

“’For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.’”

“Try Romans 12:4, 5,” said Robert.

“’For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:  so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.’”

“This makes it plainer,” said Robert.  “As I see it now, Christ’s body is the church, and the church is His people.  That is logical.  Just like my body, it has a variety of members, yet it is just one body.  So Paul says the church is.”

“How do persons get into this church of God?  Mr. Jones asked us to join the church.  So did Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Johnson.  They said that they would open the door and receive members.  But, Robert, I feel, yes, thank the Lord, I know that I am saved, and yet I am not a member of any church.  How can this be?” asked Mary.

“I do not know about that, Mary,” replied Robert.  “Maybe you are a church member, after all.  Let us see another text.  Yes, don’t you remember Acts 2:47, which said that ’the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved’?  If salvation made them members then why does not salvation make us members now?  Why, Mary, surely it does.  This must correspond with Paul’s saying that we read from I Cor. 12:13, about the Spirit baptizing us all into one body.  I begin to see now that we get into the church that Jesus built by being saved through the Spirit, and that salvation makes us members of the church.  Well, praise God for these truths!  They fit right into my heart.”