What Is The Church's Identity

Lesson Objective

To enable believers to clearly articulate the church’s biblical identity through essential Scriptural images - such as the Body of Christ, the Family of God, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Bride of Christ, and the Royal Priesthood - and to inspire them to incorporate these profound truths into their daily lives and the vibrant life of the congregation. When many people hear the word “Church,” they think of a building. However, the Scriptures consistently describe the Church as a living community – Jesus Christ’s body, His bride, God’s household and temple - made up of ordinary people whom God has called to Himself in Jesus Christ. In this lesson–study, we will explore what the Scriptures say the Church is, so that we can see ourselves not as spectators at a religious service, but as a people who belong to God, indwelt by His Spirit, and sent together for His purposes in the world.

The Church Defined (What is the Church?)

The Church is a dynamic community of believers called together by God through the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This unified body is actively formed and guided by Jesus Christ Himself, by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. In short, the Church is people called by God, formed by Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit!

Scriptural References

1 Peter 2:9-10 (MSG): “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you - from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”

Ephesians 2:19-22 (ERV): “So now you non-Jewish people are not visitors or strangers, but you are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family. You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus Himself is the most important stone in that building. The whole building is joined together in Christ, and He makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Christ you are being built together with His other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (CEV): “Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.”

Scriptural Images of the Church’s Identity

There are 5 core images in scripture that identify the Church:

1) The Church is the Body of Christ

2) The Church is God’s Family / God’s Household

3) The Church is God’s Dwelling Place (Temple)

4) The Church is the Bride of Christ

5) The Church is a Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation

The Church is the Body of Jesus Christ

• The Church is repeatedly called the body of Christ, with Jesus Christ as the head, meaning the Church is His visible representation and instrument in the world. By the Holy Spirit’s work, believers are baptized into one body and share one common life. So, to see the Church correctly is to see something of Jesus Christ Himself.

Meaning: Jesus Christ is the Head; believers are members with distinct roles and gifts.

Identity implication: You do not “attend” the body - you belong to it and contribute to its health.

1 Corinthians 12:27 (CEV): “Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of His body.”

The Church is the Family/God’s Household

• The Church is God’s household and family, where believers are adopted children and fellow citizens in the church of the living God. It is also God’s flock, cared for by Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd and overseen by under-shepherds (pastors) who guard and feed the people of God.

Meaning: We relate as adopted sons and daughters, with shared responsibility and care.

Identity implication: The Church is a covenant community.

Ephesians 2:19 (NLT): “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.”

The Church is God’s Dwelling Place (Temple)

• The Church is described as God’s holy temple, built together in Jesus Christ as a dwelling place for God by the Holy Spirit. As God’s temple, the Church is called to holiness and worship, manifesting God’s presence and glory in the world.

Meaning: God’s presence is among His people; holiness and unity matter.

Identity implication: The Church is not primarily a building where God is visited; it is a people where God dwells.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ERV): “You should know that you yourselves are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you. If you destroy God’s temple, God will destroy you, because God’s temple is holy. You yourselves are God’s temple.”

The Church is the Bride of Jesus Christ

• The Church is portrayed as Jesus Christ’s bride, chosen in love, cleansed by His word, and being prepared to be presented to Him in holiness and splendor. This bridal imagery underscores exclusive devotion, covenant loyalty, and the Church’s destiny in the final “marriage supper of the Lamb” {Revelation 19:7-9}.

Meaning: Covenant love, fidelity, purity, readiness for Jesus Christ’s return.

Identity implication: The Church’s loyalty is to Jesus Christ above all competing loves.

Ephesians 5: 26-27 (ERV): “He (Jesus Christ) died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water. Christ died so that He could give the church to Himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.”

The Church is a Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation

• The language of the Church as a “royal priesthood” and a “holy nation” shows that God gives His people both a new status and a new way of life in the world. In Jesus Christ, the whole church shares a priestly privilege of access to God and a royal calling to represent His holy character in the world.

Meaning: God’s people represent Him (worship, intercession, witness, and mercy).

Identity implication: Every believer has a priestly calling; ministry is not limited to clergy.

1 Peter 2:9 (ERV): “But you are His chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things He has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into His wonderful light.”

The Church’s Identity Markers:

1. Jesus Christ is central (Head and our Lord)
2. Word-formed (Teaching and obedience)
3. Holy Spirit-indwelt (Presence producing holiness and power)
4. Love and unity (Visible witness)
5. Mission-shaped (Sent to make disciples)

Let’s summarize what we’ve learned:

• The Church is not primarily a building; the Church is:
• The Body of Christ: Connected members, Jesus Christ is the Head
• The Family of God: Belonging, care, and responsibility
• The Temple of the Holy Spirit: God’s presence, holiness, and unity
• The Bride of Christ: Covenant devotion and faithfulness
• A Royal Priesthood: Worship, intercession, witness and service

Lesson Summary

The Scriptures portray the Church as Jesus Christ’s beloved bride, God’s own household and temple, and a Holy Spirit-empowered body in which every member belongs and every gift matters. Because that is who we are, our calling is to live as a family that reflects God’s character, a body that serves and suffers together, and a bride that remains devoted to Jesus Christ alone in a world that’s watching.