for you, and fill up that which is
behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake,
which is the church.' This says the church is His body. Are there any
texts to explain that?" said Mary.

"Try Col. 1:18," said Robert.

"'And he is the head of the body, the church,'" Mary read.

"Read Eph. 1:22, 23," said Robert.

"'And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him
that filleth all in all.'"

"I guess we shall have to look up the word 'body' to find out just
what it is," said Robert. "Here is I Cor. 12:13."

"'For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made
to drink into one Spirit.'"

"Try Romans 12:4, 5," said Robert.

"'For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another.'"

"This makes it plainer," said Robert. "As I see it now, Christ's body
is the church, and the church is His people. That is logical. Just
like my body, it has a variety of members, yet it is just one body. So
Paul says the church is."

"How do persons get into this church of God? Mr. Jones asked us to
join the church. So did Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Johnson. They said that
they would open the door and receive members. But, Robert, I feel,
yes, thank the Lord, I know that I am saved, and yet I am not a member
of any church. How can this be?" asked Mary.

"I do not know about that, Mary," replied Robert. "Maybe you are a
church member, after all. Let us see another text. Yes, don't you
remember Acts 2:47, which said that 'the Lord added to the church
daily such as should be saved'? If salvation made them members then
why does not salvation make us members now? Why, Mary, surely it
does. This must correspond with Paul's saying that we read from I Cor.
12:13, about the Spirit baptizing us all into one body. I begin to
see now that we get into the church that Jesus built by being saved
through the Spirit, and that salvation makes us members of the church.
Well, praise God for these truths! They fit right into my heart."

"Now another point seems plain," resumed Robert, "the church, in order
to be pure, must have only saved members. And Jesus would not add any
but saved members. I see that."

"And more than that," said Mary, "if Christ add