God predestinated you to be conformed to the image of his Son; holy as he is holy; merciful as he is merciful; perfect as he is perfect; pure as he is pure; righteous as he is righteous; as far separated from the world as he is from the world, and one even as God and his Son are one. Such is the perfect redemption offered to man in this life through God’s beloved Son. What can be more beautiful upon this earth than a soul redeemed from sin and a life reflecting the holy life of the Savior. “Christ before Pilate” is a rare and much admired work of art, but Christ in the soul and life is a work more grand and beautiful. For man to properly reflect the divine character necessitates a very close walk and deep communion with the Deity. There must be a constant feeding upon the divine life. There must be a careful watching and an effort to cultivate a deeper sense of the presence of God. Happy and blessed is the man whose heart is so filled with heavenly love and reverence to God as to cause him to give “all diligence” to develop into his own glorious image. Chapter VII. The Church Of God. More than one hundred times the words church and churches are used in the New Testament. It is always translated from _ekklesia_. Most translators agree that a more correct translation of this Greek word would have been congregation. “The church of God” would then have read, “Congregation of God.” “The church of the first-born” would have read, “The congregation of the first-born.” The church that was at Antioch would have read, “The congregation that was at Antioch,” etc. What Is The Church Or Congregation? The word church is a much misused word. It is commonly used at the present day when speaking of the edifices erected for the purpose of the assembling of the church to worship God. The quoting of a few texts will give us the Bible definition of this word. “Likewise greet the church that is in their house.” Rom. 16:5. This was the home of Priscilla and Aquila. This church was in their house. This house was not the church. The church was in their house. The command was to greet the church. This certainly begins to throw some light upon this subject. See 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Phile. 2. “And he hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Eph. 1:22, 23. “And he is the head of the body, the church.” Col. 1:18. See also 24th verse. These texts plainly teach the church to be the body of Christ. What is the body of Christ? Ans.—“Now ye [Christians] are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” 1 Cor. 12:27. The body of Christ is the church. The church is Christians. This enables us to understand how the church could be in Priscilla and Aquila’s house, and how we can greet the church. This is the Bible definition of church. Which, One Church Or Many?