Welcome to the Open the Bible Podcast, where we discuss faith, scripture, and how to live out Christianity in our everyday lives. My name is David Pick and I’m joined by Pastor Colin Smith. In our latest podcast episode, we discuss the analogy of the church as a building. Pastor Smith has shared that being part of the church is the greatest privilege of our lives and is key to our spiritual growth and relationship with God.
Pastor Smith emphasized that the church is an imperfect environment, much like a family, where we rub up against others. This is where God does His work in us, refining and transforming us. He refers to these moments as God’s use of abrasives. Yet, it is in these moments, facing challenges, navigating disruption, and seeking peace amidst disagreements, where God moulds us. He does this primarily in the family and in the church.
Toward the end of the episode, Pastor Smith encourages listeners to use the understanding of the church as a building to increase their joy and to stand firm against sin. As we are being built into a holy temple, our identity and character is formed. Understanding this should give us joy – joy that we have a part in the church, a home where we are surrounded by believers, chipping away at our rough edges and moulding us into who we are meant to be in Christ. This also gives us strength to defend against sin, because we belong to God and are part of His holy temple.
Finally, the discussion ends on a hopeful note. Pastor Smith gives us a wonderful future perspective: there is a day coming when Christ’s work in us will be complete. On that day, we will be more at home in the presence of Christ than at any other place or time in our lives. A glorious future awaits us in the completeness of Christ’s glorious home, His Church.
Join us for the next episode of the Open the Bible Podcast as we explore the significance of our relationships with our earthly fathers and how they affect our relationships with God, our heavenly Father.
