Page 13 - Just What Is the Purpose and Mission of The Church Pt.

“God says, work while it is day, for the night is coming when no man can work – in the Work of God!
“Nothing else is important in our lives, now, but this all important Work of God.”
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter, 22 November 1982.
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“What is the PURPOSE of the Church – its divine Commission? To proclaim this Gospel as a witness to the world. In other words, to carry on the WORK OF GOD, which Jesus, in person, started.
“After His resurrection, He gave His disciples this Commission: ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15).”
“First of all, the true Church of God is a spiritual organism. It is NOT a human organization. This spiritual organism is the ‘Body of Christ’ existing for the PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD.”
—Herbert W. Armstrong, “Just What Is the Church?” Worldwide Church of God article reprint, 1970.
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[Comment: THERE IT IS – THE SPIRITUAL ORGANISM ... exists for THE PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD. This, of course, is in the first part of this booklet, but repeated here for emphasis. It does not necessarily have to be an incorporated organization, because the Early Church was an organized organism, yet not incorporated! It is vital that we understand this!]
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“Unless we fulfill God’s SPECIAL PURPOSE for our calling now, we might never go into His Kingdom. This fact must not be taken carelessly!
“How many of us become unmindful of God’s purpose and assume we were called and put into God’s Church only to GET our personal salvation – and to ENJOY the fellowship and social life of our local church?” [Comment: or to "duck under the radar and avoid persecution."]
“When [Christ] returns [Luke 19:11-24], He will demand of each of us to show how we have used the GIFT of His Holy Spirit – how much we have CONTRIBUTED to His Work – the PURPOSE for which He put us in His Church NOW! ... Those who prove disloyal or drop out of the Work – the only purpose for which you were called now – will find themselves in the position of the one described in verses 20 and 24. They will lose the very salvation they were trying to GET!”
“You are each admonished to ‘make your calling and election SURE’!”