The church are the individuals who have been given by God a "new heart" and a "new Spirit", the Holy Spirit to live inside them and guide them.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
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I John 2
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
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You cannot make this world righteous by setting up laws.
In the 1920's they tried to eliminate drunkenness by prohibition.
God's way is to eliminate drunkenness by giving the drunk a new heart and a new spirit.
A
woman who was raised Baptist but was not born again became a drunk.
She tried to stop drinking but it was like people who make New Year's
resolutions. She failed many times. Then one day, something happened. God revealed HIMSELF to her, giving her a new heart and a new spirit. It happened instantly without her doing anything. She
told her husband she was stopping drinking. She had told him that many
times before. But this time she did because she was born again by God.
Ezekiel 36 God says:
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.
God does this when you are the elect of God, chosen by God, born again by God by the Spirit of God.
Then you belong to God, created by God, a child of God.
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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.
So if this has never happened to you, turn to God and ask HIM to save you, to give you HIS heart and HIS spirit.
When
you know there has been a change in you without your doing anything you
can rejoice in God who has done this and not in yourself. God changes us from the inside, from our heart and spirit.
And it is God that puts us into the church by giving us a new heart and a new spirit.
I John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in HIS Son.
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