The local church is also a wonderful restriction God has given to us. Understanding the principle of local churches prevents us from both big unions and small divisions. A church cannot be so big that she would think that there is only one church on the earth. Nor can a church be smaller than her locality. In other words, any factor that would divide the church smaller than its locality, such as race, practices, or offenses, should not be accepted. The principle of a local church helps us see that all the Christians in one locality must stand on the ground of oneness with one God, one Lord, one Spirit, and one body, while holding fast to one faith, living in brotherly love, manifesting the Lord in whom we have believed, and testifying of Christ to the world.
Adapted from Romans: The Gospel of God,
by Titus Chu; Volume One, page 20.
Tomorrow: “The Testimony of the Body of Christ” (6)
