Earburner
Well-Known Member
So therefore, only the born again members of the church(es) ARE the body of Christ, but they themselves are not the Savior of the world.Membership in the Church guaruntees access to Grace to help us live in 'this world' as we make our pilgrimage to our true home.
It does not guaruntee that one will avail themselves of that Grace..
Pax et Bonum
As a result, they are only acting in His stead, as ambassadors for Christ in the reconciling of the world unto God, and are made to be priests unto God for that purpose.
2 Corinthians 5[17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
[18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
[19] To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
[20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:
we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Peter was just the beginning of the building of Christ's church. He was the first to hear the Father's witness that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God".
THAT IS the first step to becoming "born again".
To each born again Christian forward, they ALSO are given the keys to the kingdom of God, thus having the authority to be an Ambassador for Christ, and be a priest unto God for the reconciliation of others to God through Christ.