Chap. 1 - God’s Purpose for His
Church
The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation
of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to
carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been
God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the
world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the
church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His
marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is
the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through
the church will eventually be made manifest, even to “the
principalities and powers in heavenly places,” the final and
full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10.
Many and wonderful are the promises recorded in the
Scriptures regarding the church. “Mine house shall be called
an house of prayer for all people.” Isaiah 56:7. “I will make
them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I
will cause the shower to come down in his season;
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there shall be showers of blessing.” “And I will raise up for
them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed
with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen
any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God
am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are
My people, saith the Lord God. And ye My flock, the flock
of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord
God.” Ezekiel 34:26, 29-31.
“Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant
whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me,
and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God
formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the
Lord; and beside Me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and
have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange
god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses.” “I the Lord
have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand,
and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people,
for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out
the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness
out of the prison house.” Isaiah 43:10-12; 42:6, 7.
“In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of
salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and
give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth,
to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say
to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show
yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures
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shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor
