Ecclesiology Quote by Michael S. Horton
““This may be the most valuable and the most challenging thing we can learn from Calvin’s ecclesiology today: that the church is not something that we form of our own accord. It is not a product of our reaching out to God, but a gift of God reaching out to us.”107””
About This Quote
Source Book: Theology of the Church, Michael S. Horton, 2022
The church is not a human project but a divine gift; it exists because God reaches out, not because we initiate it.
In simple terms: Church is a gift from God, not something we create.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility, seeing the church as God‑initiated.
Themes
faith
ecclesiology
humility
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
theological
educational
When to use this quote
- church membership
- mission work
- spiritual formation
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
theology of grace
divine initiative
community formation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to receive the church as a gift?
- How can we balance human participation with divine initiative?
A Different Perspective
Human efforts alone cannot sustain the church without divine grace.
![“As the pretensions of modernity are unmasked today, it is a good time for us to recover our nerve, “always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for the hope that is in [us]” (1Pe 3:15). By breaking into our history, sharing our history, and transforming that…” quote by Michael S. Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d20/michael-s-horton-7082_history_as-the-pretensions-of-modernity-are-unma_107863.jpg)
