We hear the gospel, the good news that the Christ came from God the Father, was given the name Jesus, and suffered and died on a cross in submission to the Father’s will, and that this was for us, for our moral purification. The good news speaks further to us, the God raised this Jesus from the dead, so he now lives to save us, and to mediate for us with the Father. We might them believe he died for us and receive what he then gives us by the Holy Spirit. Purification. Then by this same Holy Spirit we are tasked with building up the church in love, as we do the tasks given us by God to do.
How is the church built up today? We start with being given knowledge of the truth that is in Jesus. Someone learns the truth about the Father, God Himself, and then about His Son, Jesus. To this person, this disciple of God, the Father reveals what convinces them that Jesus is the Father’s Son. This begins the revelation step.
Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them” (John 6:44). God the Father initiates the process by revealing the identity of Jesus as His Son to the heart of the seeker.
This revelation is personal and spiritual, not just intellectual. It’s similar to Peter’s confession: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus replied, “This was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:16–17). It is grace-initiated, not man-initiated. Jesus told Peter that flesh and blood did not reveal this. This revelation establishes the foundation of faith. It typically starts with a few who receive such revelation who then go on to bring others into fellowship. The few have fellowship with the Father and the Son by abiding in, adhering to, what is revealed. They then preach to others who join them in fellowship.
They all go on to learn from Jesus that Jesus is Master, the Lord, a human of perfection, full of love and fully loved by the Father, the Master of the household of God. That is all a part of the revelation step.
Then comes the anointing step. Jesus recognises in this person the success of the revelation given by His Father, and applies anointing of the Holy Spirit to this person.
Jesus is the baptizer in the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). The anointing is the Spirit’s work of teaching, confirming, and empowering the believer.
“But the anointing you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But... his anointing teaches you about everything...” (1 John 2:27).
The anointing teaches that it is the Father who has created all things and who has woven into all of Nature a name He so loves—the name, brand, reputation of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God makes all this truth known through the anointing which is given to this person—an anointing of the Holy Spirit. They learn the reputation behind the name of the Lord Jesus Christ which is so effective for saving them from their sins, and so effective for building them into the Temple together with others so anointed. Their faith in the sonship and lordship of Jesus grows into faith in the power of the reputation of his name. They learn to take action for his name, bringing others together by it, and blessing those gatherings, such that the power of the Holy Spirit enters and blesses these gatherings.
The believer’s faith deepens—not only in who Jesus is (Son and Lord), but in what His name accomplishes:
“There is no other name under heaven... by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The “name” represents Jesus’ authority, mission, and character.
Through this, the believer acts in Jesus’ name—praying, serving, gathering others, and building the body.
In all this blessing for the sake of Jesus’ the church is built up. This brings glory to Jesus and to God his Father. It creates a family for God. This family is the true church.
A key truth of the New Testament: that believers are not just individually saved, but joined together into a living Temple:
“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood...” (1 Peter 2:5).
The Spirit-anointed disciples are drawn together in unity, and the Spirit blesses these gatherings in Jesus’ name.
The result is a true family—not just an organization, but a relational body built by love and spiritual reality:
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God...” (1 John 3:1).
This family glorifies both the Son and the Father, as Jesus Himself prayed: “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).
