From the book “Seeing the Unseen: A Daily Dose of Eternal Perspective” by Randy Alcorn

Kumusta kayo? Welcome po sa ating daily devotions. And today is Day 2 of week number nine. Ngayong araw po we’ll be looking at Ephesians 5 and Hebrews 10:25.

²⁵ …Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)

²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)

Wow! Beautiful truths from the Word of God. And today we’ll be looking at the Church as the bride of Christ, the imperfect church but chosen bride of Christ.

Sabi po rito sa ating daily devotions na sinulat ni Randy Alcorn: “Jesus calls the church His bride. He died for her, and says that ultimately the gates of hell won’t prevail against her. If you walk away from church, you walk away from Christ’s redemptive work. I understand all the hurts people have experienced in churches.” Wow and I know we have those experiences, the struggles that we have in the church. Kadalasan naman yan, ng ating struggles, is because of the sin that still remains in us and whether you like it or not, we would sin, continue on sinning and we would sin against each other in the church. Ang dalangin ko sana, we would have Scripture to be the common ground. If we indeed have these struggles with someone from the church. Go to Matthew 18. Sabi ng Matthew 18: “If you have anything against your brother you go to that brother in private and then kausapin mo siya, and then if he agrees with you then you have won your brother over.”

Kadalasan, ang tendency natin when we have difficulties when we have struggles with people from the church is aalis na lang tayo. We have no biblical liberty to do that, that is not prescribed in Scripture. What is prescribed in Scripture is to go to that brother, to go to that sister, and talk. Yun yung first step in Matthew 18.

The church of the New Testament is not just the universal invisible body of Christ but actual local gatherings of imperfect people. Remember nung Sunday, sinabi po sa ating pag-aaral: we are united by virtue of what the Lord has done. We can never be more united than we already are because it’s a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. And so, ang kailangan lang dapat nating gawin is to maintain, preserve and fight for that unity. Sabi ko nga nung Sunday, if you’re aborn-again believer you’re not an only child. Marami tayong mga kapatiran and again because of the sin that still remains in us the selfish pride that we have, we all have, we would have struggles. Ano Ang dapat nating gawin? You agree in the Lord, you go back to Scripture and marvel at the gospel by which we sinners, according to Scripture, ay niligtas ng Paanginoong Diyos. Ibinuhos sa atin ang Kanyang pag-ibig upang sa ganun, we would be reconciled to Him but more that we were reconciled to each other, right?

We the church is a local gathering of imperfect people with imperfect leaders, including elders who teach and lead, where there is actual accountability, and yes, when necessary, even discipline.

Our devotion comes from the book:

Seeing the Unseen: A Daily Dose of Eternal Perspective by Randy Alcorn

From the author of the bestselling book Heaven, here are 60 meditations that will inspire you to live each day with an eternal perspective. In daily doses, Randy Alcorn offers insights on the Christian life along with Scriptures and inspirational quotes that can transform the way you think and live today.

Note: The Revised and Updated edition of Seeing The Unseen is available for purchase from their EPM store.