What is the Church? Following is how I understand it:
“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God…on this Rock I will build my church (ecclesia) and the gates of hell (the grave) shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16-18)
The word translated church is “ecclesia”. Ecclesia is a Greek word meaning “called out”. Members believe they will be called out of death into immortal life. In its final form it will include all humanity.
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive…The last enemy that will be abolished is death…that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-28)
Christ is the Rock, the Cornerstone, and the Firstfruits of that collective body of the called-out. All humans will die just like Jesus, and all will be called out of death to walk in newness of eternal life as did Christ Jesus.
“For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come….God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5)
Human beings have been promised eternal spiritual life to begin upon their resurrection.
“But someone will say, How are the dead raised?...It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a Life giving spirit…Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly…flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery…when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26; 35-54).
The Bible informs me that humanity, all of us, are destined to become the immortal image of God and His Son. We all will be "called out" of death.
"You should not be ashamed, then, of the testimony of our Lord, nor yet of me, His prisoner, but suffer evil along with the good news in accord with the power of God, Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, not in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, yet now is being manifested through the advent of our Savior, Christ Jesus, Who, indeed, will abolish death, yet now illuminates life and incorruption through the gospel/good news of which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the nations...I am not ashamed, for I am aware of Whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard what is committed to me, for that day." (2 Timothy 1:8-12)
So, like the Apostle Paul, I am not ashamed to be a part of the Church that Jesus Christ is building!