Many people today consider themselves “spiritual but not religious”, maybe going so far as to say that they love Jesus but detest “organized religion.” The problem with such a view is that Jesus is the Head of a people organized according to His Word, the church (Eph. 1:22-23)! “The Church, with its ordinances, officers and courts, is the agency which Christ has ordained for the edification and government of His people, for the propagation of the faith, and for the evangelization of the world” (BCO 3-5; cf. 1 Tim. 3 and Matt. 28:16-20). But the church is more than its officers, for it is the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:10-17), the family of God (1 Tim. 5:1-2), and the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:4-31; Rom 12:5-6). For the church to function properly the whole Body needs to be functioning properly and growing to maturity. Every member plays an important role when the whole Body is equipped for ministry.
