Hebrews 3:1-6
God wants the church to be holy, to be different. The church is not just a building. We and our holy brothers and sisters are the church. Together we create the body of Christ on earth. It is the work of Christ to make this church holy. He starts the process in an instant; at the point of salvation, he makes the new Christian a child of God. The process of building a holy church continues as a Christian’s obedience consistently changes them into the likeness of Christ. Christ has not called the church to appear and act like a social club. He has not called the church to be a political action committee. He has not called the church to be a community organizer. Christ has called the church to be different from any other social organization. He has called the church to be his body on earth. Christ has called the church to do God’s holy work.

God has given the church the task of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, visiting those in prisons and helping the poor. There are social non-religious organizations that do all of these things. The tasks God has given the church are not in and of themselves holy. The difference is not in the work, but rather in the way God has told us to go about doing the work. When the church does good works, God has told us to do them so that they reveal His love. The church carries out its’ ministry so that God receives the glory. Everything the church does should center on spreading the good news of God’s love and his gift of salvation. When the world interacts with the church in any fashion, it should encounter the gospel of Christ.

The church is the house that Christ built. He built it for God, and as God’s son, he is faithful over his father’s house. We are the church. Only a holy people can make a holy church. We must be different from the world.