It is a study document produced by participants in the Consultation. The authorities who appointed the participants have allowed the Report to be published so that it may be widely discussed. It is not an authoritative declaration of either the Catholic Church or of the World Evangelical Alliance, which will both also evaluate the document. The love of God has been poured out by the Holy Spirit into the hearts of believers Rom This love summons Christians to follow Christ, embracing the way of the cross in humble self-giving Phil 2: In this spirit of love all are called to strive for what makes for peace and for building up the body, with all concerned for the whole community, the strong caring for the weak Rom Being joined to Christ through faith, each person is personally associated with Christ and becomes a member of his body.
But what is the Church, and who belongs to the Church, which is his body? We take consolation in knowing that the Lord knows his own and his own know him Jn Evangelicals understand that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the very moment one enters into a relationship with Christ through a personal commitment in confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior Mt 16 and is baptized, one belongs to the Church, the community which he established Mt At his second coming it will then be revealed in the heavenly community who belongs to the unity of the body of Christ throughout the ages and from all countries and languages.
Then, the whole creation will be incorporated into the eternal doxology of praise to God Rev ; Phil ; Rom ; 1 Cor There is a unity which the church receives, and which God has given. We realize that in the history of the Church, continuing even to today, divisions have damaged the visible unity of the Church and shaken the credibility of the Gospel that is to be preached in the world. Unity is something deeply desired by our Lord and empowered by his Spirit.
Therefore, the Church may not remain comfortable when the body of Christ is divided cf. In doing so, we are agreed that the Church must make every effort to preach the Gospel in its truth and purity, though we have not always understood what that means in the same way.
We recognize that in the history of the Church, striving for the truth of the Gospel has not always resulted in unity or resolved all of our differences. But we also welcome the renewed effort to address these divisions in our present consultation. According to the reports our consultation commissioned from 22 countries and from five continents, relations between Catholics and Evangelicals vary according to the regions, local history, public recognition and role in society as well as other new and emerging circumstances.
