The Church is God’s Dwelling Place (First Love Fire Part 5)
What comes to mind when you think of the church? A building? A weekend service? A list of religious duties?
Scripture tells a different story.
The New Testament paints a picture of the church as the household of God (Ephesians 2:19, ESV)—a place where family gathers and where God Himself dwells. That means the church isn't just a club or a religious system. It's the living, breathing family of God, built from people redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
The Drift from First Love
The series title, First Love Fire, draws from Revelation 2:4–5 (ESV), where Jesus gently but firmly confronts the church in Ephesus: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.”
The Ephesian church was known for its endurance and commitment to truth. They were doing a lot right. But they had drifted from the intimate love and zeal they once had for Jesus.
This isn't just their story—it’s ours too. We often start our faith journey in awe and gratitude, full of fresh fire. But time, hardship, and spiritual fatigue can wear us down. Slowly, we find ourselves going through the motions, fueled more by duty than delight.
The call is simple but powerful: Return.
Return to the heart of worship. Return to the joy of salvation. Return to your first love.
The Danger of Rugged Individualism
We live in a culture that prizes independence. From customizing our sneakers and phone cases to curating our Instagram profiles, we are taught to find ourselves in ourselves. But this idea, known as “rugged individualism,” clashes with the gospel.
God designed us not as isolated islands, but as interconnected parts of a greater whole. We were made in the image of a triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who Himself exists in perfect relationship.
You cannot fully discover who you are apart from community. That’s why even in our quirkiest expressions of individuality, we still search for belonging. Whether it’s Renaissance roleplay groups or packs of dog walkers, we long to be part of something.
And that longing is by design.
Saved into a Body, Not Just from Sin
Salvation isn’t just about being rescued from sin—it’s about being placed into a family.
Paul puts it plainly in 1 Corinthians 12:12–14 (ESV):
“For just as the body is one and has many members... so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body... and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”
In other words, when Jesus saves you, He doesn’t just save you. He joins you to His body—the church. You're not a spiritual lone ranger; you're a hand, foot, eye, or ear in God’s masterfully arranged body.
Disconnected, we flounder. Connected, we flourish.
Ephesians 2: A Vision of the Church
Paul writes,
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19, ESV).
This household is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus as the cornerstone. It is “joined together” and “built together” into a “dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:21–22, ESV).
That’s the vision: a church where God loves to dwell. A community so knit together in love and truth that heaven itself takes notice.
When this happens, as Paul says in Ephesians 3:10 (ESV), “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”
Yes, church can be messy. Yes, the body of Christ has scars. But when we live as the redeemed family of God, we declare the wisdom and victory of Jesus to every unseen realm.
Identity Before Instruction
Ephesians is split into two clear halves: chapters 1–3 focus on identity, and chapters 4–6 on instruction. Paul intentionally spends the first half of the letter declaring who we are in Christ—adopted, alive, reconciled, included—before he gives a single command.
Why? Because if you don’t know who you are, you’ll never live how you’re meant to.
The gospel isn’t about behavior modification. It’s about transformation. We’re not called to try harder, but to be born again—to receive a new heart, a new nature, and a new community.
The Beauty and Burden of the Church
God’s design for the church is breathtaking: a diverse family, made one in Jesus, living out His mission on the earth.
That’s why criticism, cynicism, and division grieve His heart. Jesus won’t dwell in a house where His bride is dishonored.
But when we honor the church—when we fight for togetherness, pursue reconciliation, and lay down our preferences—something glorious happens. We create a place where God wants to be.
Let’s not be casual about the church. Let’s be captivated again by God’s vision for it. Let’s return to our first love, together.
Reflection Questions
Have I allowed rugged individualism to shape the way I view my relationship with God or the church?
What aspects of my identity in Christ (adopted, reconciled, alive) do I need to revisit and believe afresh?
How can I more fully engage in community, helping to build a church where God loves to dwell?