Grace Bible Church! (Sermons Online)
Saturday, August 21st, 2010
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Sermons Online WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE?
by Charles W. Wages
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Posts Tagged ‘Bible Studies’
THE CHURCH-WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? R. B. Shiflet
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
What difference does it really make whether I, as a Christian, understand the scriptural teaching about the Church God is building today? I find myself surrounded by churches of every description. I had nothing to do with the divisions that started these various denominations. I can do nothing to bridge the gap between them.
So what difference does it make whether I understand the Biblical doctrine of the Church. Should I not just find a denomination that I can work in, join this church of my choice, and do the best I can?
These questions are asked in all sincerity by many of God’s children who are perplexed in regard to the many divisions in Christendom today. Perhaps we can begin to answer these questions by using Paul’s metaphor or illustration of the Church as a building (Ephesians 2:19-22).
Viewing the Church as a building, we become aware of the fact that as believers we are members of the building, but in another sense we are also the builders.
In every building program God has undertaken, whether it be the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the Temple in Jerusalem, or the Church, the Body of Christ, which God is building today—He has stressed the importance of building according to plan.
Therefore, if we are to please God in His building program today, we must know the building plans.
THE BUILDER’S AIM Understanding What The Will Of The Lord Is
Let us consider our aim as builders, first. We are warned in Ephesians 5:17: “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” Only as we know the will of the Lord concerning the Church can we be builders who can be used.
UNDERSTANDING THE WILL OF THE LORD
Ephesians 5:17 What God Has Determined
As we study the Word, we learn that the will of God sometimes has to do with what He has determined. God has a definite plan that is being worked out and will continue to be worked out, until His ultimate intended goal is reached. Satan and his demons, evil men and wicked organizations, cannot hinder the will of God in this sense.
A sketch of God’s determinate will for the Church today is found in Ephesians 4:11-13. He has given the Church evangelists and teaching pastors. The evangelists and teaching pastors are given to adjust and to fit the saints for the work of the ministry and for the work of building up the Body of Christ. These functions are to be performed “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. . .” As each of us accomplish our part of the work of the ministry, the Church will grow into the “perfect man” God has determined it to be. Understanding what God’s will for the Church is, will make a difference in the strength of the Church.
What God Has Desired
The term “will of the Lord” is also used of what He has desired. The will of God as thought of in this way is God’s wish. For example, God “… is not willing (does not will or wish) that any should perish . . .” (II Peter 3:9). Yet people are perishing daily.
A clear statement of God’s desire for today is I Timothy 2:3,4. “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come u-nto the knowledge of the truth.”
Each of us must spread the gospel so men can believe and be saved. “He that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30), for he understands what the will of the Lord is.Understanding God’s desire will make a difference in the growth of the Church.
UNDERTAKING THE WILL OF THE LORD Separation
Once we understand the will of God and our role as builders, we must undertake His will in our spiritual life. One is just as important as the other! If we know Bible doctrine—even dispensational truth—to the extent that we understand clearly the will of God, it profits us nothing unless we undertake to do His will. In the same way, if we undertake to do His will without a Biblical and dispensational foundation, we will be completely^ frustrated. There can be no acceptable work apart from an acceptance of the Word.
The context of Ephesians, chapter 5, stresses the importance of a life of separation from things that would hinder us, verses 1-12, and a life of separation unto the God who has called us, verses 18-21. “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).
Spirit Control
This life can be lived only in the energy of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). It is the Holy Spirit who baptized us into the Church, the Body of Christ when we believed (I Corinthians 12:13). It is the Holy Spirit who sealed us in the Body of Christ until the day of our redemption (Ephesians 1:13). It is the Holy Spirit who also lives within us (Ephesians 2:22), and desired to fill or control us, making it possible for us to understand and to undertake the will of God in His building program for His Church today.
THE BUILDER’S APTITUDES
In the Old Testament, Jehovah gave the craftsmen building the Tabernacle a special aptitude for their task (Exodus 31:2-6). The Messiah told the builders of the Millennial Church to wait in Jerusalem until they received needed power from on high (Luke 24:49).
Each of us must know our human limitations, “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,” and to appraise our talents and abilities properly, “to think soberly, according to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). Nevertheless, we should proceed with the knowledge that “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). This is a worthy Christian attitude of our aptitudes.
THE BUILDER’S WALK Walking Worthy Of The Vocation
This divine ability referred to in Philippians 4:13, provides for our walk, as members of God’s construction crew. It is that power which gives us, who were once without strength, an aptitude for service.
A Walk That Is Worthy
This aptitude makes it possible for us to walk worthy of the high calling that is ours in Christ (Ephesians 4:1).
A Walk That Is Different
It is to be demonstrated in a life that is different from our lives before we became Christian builders. “This I say therefore and testify in in the Lord, that ye walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind” (Ephesians 4:17).
A Walk That Is In Love
It is to be a walk in love toward our brethren (I John 4:11-21) and toward all men (Romans 13:8-10).
A Walk That Is In Light
It is to be a walk in paths of righteousness as the children of God bearing a family resemblance to Him (Ephesians 5:8,9).
A Walk That Is Diligent
Finally, it is to be a walk in diligence and caution, exercising great wisdom and avoiding the foolish (Ephesians 5:15,16).
THE BUILDER’S WORK Let Every Man Take Heed How He Buildeth
The divine capacity to please God in building His Church includes not only our walk as Christians, but our work. Just as He strengthens us and controls us
by His Spirit in our walk, so He enables us to be accurate in our work as builders for Him.
Paul, His apostle to the Gentiles, has given us the blueprint. He describes himself as the wise “masterbuilder” or architect, and tells us to take heed how we build from that plan (I Corinthians 3:10).
The Materials
The materials involved in this building are sinners saved by the grace of God. Our work as builders not only involves getting them into the building (evangelism); it involves using every provision available for their adjustment to service, (pastoring and teaching).
The Methods
The methods we use must be scriptural. The Bible warns, “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” (II Timothy 2:5).Schemes and gimmicks may attract more people; organizations and committees may be able to control more; recreation and entertainment may allure more, but our apostle warned young Timothy that even when men would not endure sound doctrine, his responsibility was still to PREACH THE WORD.
We cannot depend on carnal means to do spiritual work. Though hard work and good planning are always important, methods must not take the place of the preaching of the Word.
The Motives
Our motives, too, must be pure. The love of Christ is our compelling force (II Corinthians 5:14). We labor to be accepted of Him (II Corinthians 5:9).
THE BUILDER’S ASPIRATION Pleasing The Lord In All Things
Our aim as workmen is the third great reason for understanding the Church, God’s program for today. Paul, our masterbuilder, shows us what our single desire should be, “proving what is acceptable [well pleasing] unto the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10).
THE REASONS
Our ambition is to edify or build up the Church. Greatest care should be taken to be sure that our aspiration is always in keeping with sound doctrine. “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and lov& which is in Christ (II Timothy 1:13). False teaching and doctrines of devils will steer many to destruction (I Timothy 4:1-3; II Timothy 2:16-26).
Sound Doctrine
Think again of the instruction to “prove what is acceptable unto the Lord.” The word “prove” means to “put to the test and then approve.” We can test spiritual things only through the searchlight of God’s Word—trying the things that differ (Philippians 1:9-10), and then holding to that which is sound doctrine.
Sane Deportment
When we know what is well pleasing to the Lord, we can “approve” those things by “practicing them” through the controlling power of the Holy Spirit. The result will be sane deportment!
THE RESULTS Finding The Peace Of God
The result of our labors as workmen aspiring to please the Lord in sound doctrine, will be the peace of God keeping our hearts.
Fruitfulness In Service To God
Another outcome will be fruitfulness in the service of the Lord. This fruitful-ness will be found both in our lives (Colossians 1:10); Galatians 5:22-23), and in our service to the Church (Romans 1:13; 16:5).
Furtherance In The Knowledge Of God
Still another effect of aspiring to sound doctrine will be continued growth, a progression, in the knowledge of God and His will.
Bible knowledge of God’s plan, put to practice in Christian service as builders with Him, is somewhat self-perpetuating. The more we study the Word, the
greater our desire to serve the Lord. The more we reap the joys of service, the greater our appetite for studying the Word.
THE BUILDER’S APPRAISAL We Must All Appear Before The Judgment Seat Of Christ
The purpose of the judgment seat is not to determine our salvation. That, praise God, was settled at Calvary and became ours when we believed. The aim of the judgment seat is to examine our works as believers. Work that meets the building code (standards laid down by Christ through the Apostle Paul) will be rewarded. Work that is not in compliance with the architect’s plan will be condemned.
THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT
The proceedings at the judgment seat are given in detail in I Corinthians 3:9-15.
THE PREPARATION FOR THE JUDGMENT SEAT
The time to prepare for this in spection is NOW. Let every man TAKE HEED how he buildeth.
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE
What difference does it make whether or not we understand the Church as revealed by the risen Christ through Paul? What difference can it make as far as our Christian life is concerned?
What difference does it make whether or not the carpenter who is to build your new home understands the blueprint? The difference in both cases is the same.
Recently in a large city, a new multistory motel was under construction. When it was about half finished, something went wrong, and five stories came tumbling down one upon another. Someone did not understand the architect’s plan. It did make a difference.
Today, the majority of builders in Christendom are following the blueprints of Judaism that were given to Peter and the Eleven to offer God’s earthly kingdom to Israel. Others go all the way back to the blueprints of legalism given to Moses for the Dispensation of Law, which was also given to Israel.
Israel failed miserably in the Law Dispensation; she rejected the gospel of the circumcision preached by Peter and his associates (Galatians 2:7-9). The ascended Christ has now given us the plans for His building in the Dispensation of Grace. Let us follow the master-builder and TAKE HEED how we build on the foundation (I Corinthians 3:10-15). It does make a difference!
THE CHURCH-HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? Kenneth Parker
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
A woman in California cuts off her right hand according to Matthew 5:30 because it was cause for an offense (she felt it had led to a sin). A group of people in Tennessee meet to handle poisonous snakes as a sign of their faith according to Mark 16:18. Another congregation in Texas watches as a man is baptized for the remission of sins according to Acts 2:38. On and on it goes as we consider the various practices and beliefs of professing Christians.
To the woman who literally obeyed Matthew 5, people shake their heads in unbelief. The authorities of Tennessee seek to arrest those who handle poisonous snakes as part of their religion. Many voices are raised against the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
What is the cause for such confusion and difference of interpretation of the Word of God? How can it be avoided?
The answer is simply to understand the difference between what God wants for the Body of Christ, His Church today, and what God wants for the nation of Israel, His future millennial Church.
If the confusion exemplified above can be avoided with no more effort than that, why isn’t it?
The principle reason is a lack of care for knowing just what God has said. We have all heard it said at one time or another, of some issue, “I couldn’t care less.” It is this care-less attitude of Christians that results in the failure to realize fundamental distinctions to be made in Scripture.
Many Christians are concerned about the broad issues of Scripture but never get down to the equally important details of God’s Word.
It may be possible to get by with generalities, but if a person is to advance in his understanding of the Word and discover the grand beauty of God’s purpose and work, he must deal with the specific distinctions of Scripture as well.
The cry for world evangelism is often used as an excuse to avoid dealing with specific teachings of the Bible. There are those who take pride in the fact that theydon’t get involved in doctrinal questions. Their calling is evangelism! However, a successful world-wide evangelism program for all people of the earth without national and ethnic privileges depends on recognizing dispensational principles of the Word of God. Didn’t Christ once issue the restrictive order, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles”? (Matthew 10:50?
What authorization then do we have to go to the nations with the gospel of justification by faith? It is only because of the very basic difference between God’s plan for the Church, the Body of Christ, and God’s plan for the Israelitish Church of the Millennial Kingdom.
Another reason for failure to distinguish between the Church and Israel is the desire to reconcile the promises of prophecy with what God is doing today. There is often a desire to borrow and apply for today promises and blessing given to the nation of Israel in prophetic Scriptures. These promises can be more easily appropriated for today by blurring the
distinction between the Body of Christ and Israel.
Three Common Approaches
Three prominent views prevail regarding the relationship between Israel and the Church. Though there are many ramifications of each, these seem to be the basic positions most often held.
The Liberal position (the position taking the loosest view of divine revelation) suggests that the promises and plans of God for Israel have been set aside as illustrated below. This view teaches that the prophecies to Israel are only of historical importance and do not pertain to us today or to any future purpose of God and that the Church has replaced Israel and has a completely different structure. This view does not say that the Church is to be held in contrast to Israel, but that the Church is God’s replacement for Israel.
(1) Liberal Position (Israel) (Church)
The Traditional point of view (the view held by many major denominations) suggests that the Church today is the spiritual fulfillment of Israel. The Church is thought of as “spiritual Israel.” This point of view holds the promises of the prophets to be fulfilled in a spiritual way in the Church, and suggests that God is working in two stages. First, that He worked through the physical nation of Israel and second, that now since the Cross, He is working through “spiritual Israel” in the form of the Church, the Body of Christ.
(2) Traditional Position (Israel )( Church)
The Dispensational view recognizes that God has made definite and specific promises to the literal nation Israel and believes that these promises will all be fulfilled in a literal sense through this same nation. This point of view notes that the Church is neither the replacement for Israel nor the continuation of Israel in a spiritual sense. Instead, the Church, the Body of Christ, is understood to be completely distinct from God’s purpose and plan through Israel. The Dispensational view understands that God’s dealings with Israel were suspended when He took up dealings with the Church, the Body of Christ. See the illustration below. This view also recognizes that the dispensation of the Church will come to a conclusion, at which time God will resume His dealings with national Israel. This third point of view has the abundance of scriptural evidence to support it.
(3) Dispensational Position (Israel) (Church) Israel)
An Evident Distinction
Shortly after the Day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter invited the people of Israel to repent and be converted. He declared that if they would repent as a nation, the “times of refreshing” and the “times of restitution” would come (Acts 3:19-21). These “times of restitution of all things” had been spoken of “by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).
In Romans 16:25 the Apostle Paul talks about “the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.”
There is certainly a distinction to be noted between these two portions of Scripture! One speaks of that which had been spoken since the world began and the other speaks of that which had been kept secret since the world began!
This distinction between prophecy and mystery lies at the heart of the difference between Israel and the Church which is the Body of Christ. God’s intention to bring blessing through Israel as a nation was the theme of His prophetic design. On the other hand God’s plan to offer blessing to both Jew and Gentile alike is exclusive to His secret plan, the mystery
A Significant Chapter
God’s once secret plan now revealed is described in Ephesians, chapter three. In verse 2, it is spoken of as “the dispensation of the grace of God.” In verse 9 it is referred to as the “fellowship [or dispensation] of the mystery.”
The Bible calls several specific truths to our attention concerning this dispensation of the mystery. Ephesians 3:2-3 reveals that Paul was chosen by God to be the messenger of this mystery. On numerous occasions the Apostle Paul speaks of “my gospel.” In Romans 11:13, he speaks of himself as “the apostle of the Gentiles” and magnifies his office.
Ephesians 3:5 teaches that the revelation of the mystery was not made known to mankind in other ages. This statement could not be made of God’s prophetic purpose through the nation Israel. In Ephesians 3:8 Paul says it was given unto him to preach the “unsearchable riches of Christ.” The term “unsearchable” could be translated literally “untraceable.” The truth concerning the Body of Christ cannot be traced out or followed in the writings of the prophets.
Another difference to be noted is found in Ephesians 3:6. The revelation of the mystery shows the Gentiles being made joint heirs of a joint body. A person would look in vain for suggestion of this in the writing of the Old Testament prophets. Prophetic writings do speak of Gentiles being saved and blessed and of them partaking of the good things of God, but only through the blessing and establishment of the nation Israel.
Nowhere do you find mention in the Old Testament of the Gentiles being blessed as equals with the nation Israel. Isaiah, chapter 2, outlines the emphasis of the Old Testament prophets.
“And many people shall go and say. Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ” (Isaiah 2:3)
Distinctions We Need to Understand
Kingdom Vs. Body
God’s plan through Israel involved the establishing of an organization … a kingdom on earth over which Christ will reign as King.
In II Samuel 7:12-16, God promised David to establish a Kingdom through his family line. The prophets of Israel expand the testimony regarding this kingdom. Israel looked for a literal kingdom and a literal king.
When Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he said, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…” (Daniel 2:44).
The other kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream were literal, historical kingdoms. The kingdom which God will establish through the descendants of David will also be a literal, historical kingdom.
The Lord will raise up unto David “a righteous Branch” and a King who shall reign and prosper (Jeremiah 23:5). The Lord Jesus Christ is the Righteous Branch and the Prosperous King. As the Messiah of Israel He will surely deliver the people and be established as King. Study Isaiah 9:6-7.
God’s plan for the Church of this dispensation is different. It involves the calling together of a spiritual organism to a heavenly citizenship.
Today, Christ is not ruling on an earthly throne as King. He is now seated 10 at the right hand of the Father in glory as Lord and is bringing together Jew and Gentile into one Body.
Christ is the Head of this- spiritual Body.
“And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head of the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. ” (Eph. 1:22-23) As Head, He directs all believers as members of His Body. “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. ” (Colossians 1:18)
We are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh according to Ephesians 5:30!
There is, therefore, a great difference between the visible organization of the Kingdom and the invisible organism of the Church. Christ’s role as King differs from His role as Head of the Body. The Kingdom on earth is different from the Body of Christ which is blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies (Ephesians 1:3).
Prophecy Vs. Mystery
We have already mentioned the difference between Acts 3:21 and Romans 16:25. One passage speaks of something spoken by the prophets since the world began and the other speaks of something which was hidden since the world began.
Searching the prophets of Israel will uncover no mention of the Body of Christ. As we have already stated, there was reference to Gentiles being saved, but only through Israel’s blessing. Israel was to mediate salvation to the nations of the world. Today the Gentiles are saved apart from the priesthood of Israel.
Blessed Israel Vs. Fallen Israel
According to prophecy, the Gentiles were to receive salvation through the rise and blessing of Israel. Zechariah 8:22-23 speaks of the people of the nations (Gentiles) seeking the Lord in Jerusalem, through the Jews! Note what the peopleof the nations will say during the Kingdom age.
“… We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
This is different from the truth found in Romans 11:11:
“Through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy. ”
The difference is that under God’s prophetic plan, the nations are to be blessed through Israel’s rise, and under the plan of God in the Church, Gentiles are blessed aside from Israel and as a result of their fall.
Supreme Vs. Same
A promise that a great nation would proceed from his descendants was given to Abraham (Genesis 22:17-18). This “great nation” is the nation of Israel. This place of supremacy is further stated in prophecies, such as Isaiah 2:2:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. ”
The mountain of the Lord which will be again exalted refers to the nation of Israel during the Millennial Age.
There is a sharp contrast in Colos-sians 3:11. This passage describes the Body of Christ as a spiritual creation.
“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free . . . .”
The conclusion is that God’s prophetic plan calls for Israel to be supreme as a “great nation.” God’s secret plan in the Body of Christ places Jew and Gentile on equal ground.
Return Vs. Rapture
“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives” (Zechariah 14:4).
This Scripture speaks of the second coming of Christ to the earth. The Lord Himself describes His coming to earth in Matthew 24:27.
“As the lightning cometh out of the east and shine th even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ”
His coming will be a literal return to the earth. It will be evident to all the world.
A difference develops when we read in I Corinthians 15:51-52.
“Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last’trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Here we have a resurrection which will take place in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye. This could hardly be the coming seen by all the world.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 states that Christ will meet the Church in the air as contrasted with His return to the earth. This is an important difference between the prophetic return of Christ to set foot on the earth and the meeting in the air described by the Apostle Paul as “a mystery” in I Corinthians 15:51.
Twelve Vs. One
Another important distinction is the choice of twelve apostles to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom as opposed to the choice of one apostle to make known the message of the mystery.
In Matthew 10:5-7, the twelve are sent to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” to preach that the “Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Later, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the eleven continued to witness of the promise to Israel as recorded in Joel’s prophecy (Acts 2:14-16).
The twelve apostles received the promise of reigning with Christ over the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). We cannot separate them from the purpose of God in and through the nation of Israel on earth.
In I Corinthians 15:5-10, the Apostle Paul distinguishes himself from the twelve by saying that after the Lord appeared in resurrection to them and others, that “last of all he was seen of me also, as one born out of due time” (I Corinthians 15:8).
Paul does not speak of being commissioned to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. Instead, he speaks of having been given the dispensation of God concerning the Gentiles being blessed in Christ (Colossians 1:25-29). In Ephes-ians 3:1-5, we see that to Paul was given the “dispensation of the grace of God.” This was something not made known unto any of the sons of men until that time. In Galatians 1:10-17, Paul speaks of the unique ministry given to him.
“I neither received it of men, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Paul’s special apostleship was not a matter of sharing in the ministry of the twelve apostles on behalf of the Millennial Kingdom.
God called him to be the apostle to the Gentiles and to make known the revelation of the secret concerning the Body of Christ.
How important it is to distinguish between the ministry of the twelve apostles of the Kingdom and the ministry of the one apostle of the Body of Christ.
Sign Gifts Vs. Ministry Gifts
The various gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in such portions as I Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, can be divided into at least two types. Sign gifts are those, as the name implies, which serve as signs or demonstrations of God’s working. Ministry gifts are those which relate to the effective ministering of the Word of God and the encouraging of the people of God.
The sign gifts include such gifts as prophecy, supernatural knowledge, tongues, and the gift of healing. In I Corinthians 13:8 we are told that such gifts were only temporary and would one day pass away. In I Corinthians 13:8,9, we see that knowledge and prophecy were “in part.” When the perfect or complete had come, then the partial would be done away or cease. Colossians 1:25 indicates that the fullness of knowledge and prophecy came with the full revelation of the Dispensation of the Grace of God; even as it says, it “fulfilled the Word of God.” The sign gifts ceased when the Word of God was completed with the revelation of the mystery. There was no longer any need for the partial now that the completed had come.
The sign gifts relate to the nation Israel. It is the Jews who required a sign (I Corinthians 1:22). From the very beginning of the ministry of signs and wonders (God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt), such signs pertained to the nation Israel. More than this, in I Corinthians 14:21,22 we are told that the sign gift of tongues pertains not to the believing but to the unbelieving of the nation Israel. Tongues were for a sign to unbelieving Israel.
Though sign gifts were temporary. and pertained to Israel, the ministry gifts are never said to be temporary and are associated with the Body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-16 makes this clear.
Many sincere Christians are confused by undue stress upon the sign gifts given to Israel, while paying little attention to the ministry gifts for the Body of Christ. This failure is another classic example of how people continue to confuse Israel and the Church.
John the Baptist said, “… but that he should be manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.” (John 1:31)
John’s baptism Was of repentence for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4), and pertained to making Christ manifest to Israel. It is this very baptism which Peter preached on the day of Pentecost to that congregation of Jews:
“Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
Today if one were to preach the necessity of water baptism for the remission of sins and to receive the Holy Spirit, he would be frustrating the Grace of God. He would be teaching contrary to the message of God for this present day. Paul’s letter to Titus in chapter 3, verse 5, makes it very clear that we are saved NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, but BY HIS MERCY. Again, to the Ephesians Paul writes that only by God’s grace through faith and by reason of the shed blood of Christ are we granted salvation and the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8,9).
Who then was right—Peter or Paul? The answer is both, for each was speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Peter was’ right in telling Israel that they must receive the baptism of repentence for the remission of sins. They were to do this not for national redemption but for nation restoration. Paul was also right in preaching to the Body of Christ that through faith in Christ and because of the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s blood, Jew and Gentile alike are baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ.
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free; all have been made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13).
There is a great difference between a ceremonial water baptism offer to Israel for the remission of sins, and the spiritual baptism of the individual into the Body of Christ because of the remission of sins.
These are but a few of the basic differences between Israel and the Church. Making such distinctions is fundamental to “rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).
Knowing Who We Are
Where do you fit in God’s picture? Failure to distinguish between God’s prophetic program and the mystery, between Israel and the Church, causes many Christians to not know their true spiritual identity. They are not aware of their own particular place in God’s eternal purpose and thus, fall short of their calling in Christ (Ephesians 4:1).
Do not be robbed of the blessings and privileges which Christ has purchased for you as a member of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 2:8). Know them, understand them, claim them by faith!
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent [”distinguish between the things which differ” - alternate rendering] , in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10)!
THE CHURCH - ITS COMMISSION - James Boeck
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
History records a long line of costly purchases. Among them is the purchase of a single Rembrandt painting for $2,300,000.00 and sale of a sculpture for $380,000.00. The greatest transaction ever made, however, involved the Church of God purchased at the price of His own blood. No finite measure could convey the value of this purchase.
Certainly God had a reason. What return does God expect of His Church now that He has completed so priceless a purchase? Paul informs us that we are His “work of art,” “created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). To what “good works” are the redeemed of the Church, the Body of Christ, ordained? What is our call of duty?
Could the commission of the Church be summed up in the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”? Is it to live out the ideals of the Ten Commandments? Do you suppose, as some teach, that our commission is “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”? Have we as the Church on earth been given the responsibility of solving the physical and social ills of the world? Should we contemplate World Peace as a result of our efforts?
God did not leave us to guess. The Scriptures offer a distinct and enlightening understanding of the Mission and Commission of the Church. In so doing, the Bible also provides us with a great sense of urgency concerning our life and work as members of His Church.
We will pursue this study along three avenues:
The Church—Commissioned to Be the Instrument of God’s Working
The Church—Commissioned to Be the Habitation of God
The Church—Commissioned to Be the Display of God’s Wisdom and Glory
As we search the Scriptures, may the Holy Spirit impress on our minds and hearts that what is true of the Church is true of us individually.
1. COMMISSIONED TO BE THE INSTRUMENT OF GOD’S WORKING
God is at work!! What a comforting fact in this “present evil age.” If you ask, “How is He working?” listen to this.
“For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians2:13)
“Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God….” (Galatians2:20)
Christ is made known to the world through the life and lips of the believer. We, as Christians, are to “magnify” Christ in our body. We extension of Him. Hence, we are the instruments of His work on earth.
THE PREPARATION OF THE CHURCH
The tools God chose to work with were not “ready made.” We were “… dead in trespasses and sins . . . and were by nature the children of wrath…”(Ephesians 2:1,3)
“But God. who is rich in mercy . . . made us alive together with Christ (by grace ye are saved}…” (Ephesians 2:5,6) and fitted us for the work He desired to do through us!
“Giving thanks unto the Father, who hath made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. . . .” (Colossians 1:12)
Notice as we proceed that the Church is prepared for its commission in four ways.
Prepared by New Creation
“We are his workmanship, CREATED in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained [prepared] that we should walk in them. “(Ephesians 2:10)
This passage makes it clear that it is not our works that save us. Good works, that are pleasing to God, cannot be produced by spiritually dead sinners who are at enmity with God. Good works, acceptable to God, come as a result .of our being saved into a new kind of life. Having been made spiritually alive and endowed with a new nature, we have been made a part of God’s “new creation” in Christ. Knowing this to be true, we then learn that we were, “created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS.”
Paul persuades us to …” … be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:17)
The path is well prepared, all that we need to do is KNOW IT and WALK IN IT. The latter is no doubt the most difficult part. There are so many things that would hinder us from DOING the will of the Lord. Too much resistance on an electrical system produces low voltage and poor performance of equipment. Similarly, the “old nature” or the “self will” is the greatest resistance to a walk in the good works that God has prepared for us. God’s desire is that . . .”He might . . . purify unto himself a peculiar people, ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS, (Titus 2:14) which are . “… good and profitable unto men.” (Titus 3:8)
Prepared Through the Word
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly thoroughly furnished unto all good works. ” (II Timothy 3:16,17
Please observe that the Word is “profitable” for every spiritual need and “furnishes” us with the resources to be an instrument of God’s working.
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because, when ye received the word of God winch ye heard of us, ye received it, not as the word of men but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually work-eth also in you that believe.” (I Thessalonians 2:13)
The Apostle Paul was concerned that the believer would have 20/20 spiritual vision! He reminds us in Acts 20:20 that he …”… . kept back nothing that was profitable . . . .”
Then he goes on to say,”For I have not shunned to declare unto you ALL THE COUNSEL OF GOD.”
“And now brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to BUILD YOU UP, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”(Acts 20:27,32)
It is impossible to be ignorant of God’s Word and expect to serve Him acceptably. The child of God will be effective in his ministry to the degree that he is faithful in the study of the Word (II Timothy 2:15).
Prepared Through Spiritual Offices
“And he gave some, apostles: and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers [teaching pastors].” (Ephesians 4:11)
The Church is gifted with evangelists and pastors who are teachers. The offices of apostle and prophet were withdrawn when God’s written revelation to man was completed.
Evangelists are personally gifted of God for the work of “heralding” or “announcing” the Gospel. Their work is primarily to those outside of Christ with a view to them being “born again” and being made members of the Body of Christ.
Teaching pastors are given . . .” … for the perfecting of the saints . . . .” (Ephesians 4:12)
The Greek word translated “perfecting” is katart ismos. The English word artisan comes from that root. It is the description of a man who either SHAPES or MENDS things with his hands. Jesus found James and John ” . . . who were also in the ship mending [katartismos] their nets.” (Mark 1:19)
As the nets were, so are Christians in need of mending and shaping. Paul urges the Corinthians to “be perfect” (katartismos), i.e., mend your ways. The pastor’s function is that of “mending,” “shaping,” and “adjusting” the saints through the Word of God. As the Word is taught and applied by the Spirit, the believer is effectively prepared for the ministry.
Spiritually “adjusted” Christians are commissioned to do “the work of the ministry,” with a view to the “edifying of the Body of Christ.” Every believer is a minister! A careful examination of Scripture will reveal that the layman is included in the commissioning of the Church. “The work of the ministry” can be summed up in obeying, living, denom-strating, serving, preaching, and teaching the Word of God’s grace.
It is important for the Christian to remember while we are doing “the work of the ministry,” that it is God’s power which accomplishes the results through us!
“For this I also labor, striving according to his WORKING, which worketh IN ME mightily. ” (Colossians 1:29)
When Christians perform the work of the ministry, their labor climaxes in “the building up of the Body of Christ.”
“From whom [Christ] the whole body joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds itself in love. ” When Christians discover that they are not mere “passengers” on the way to Heaven, they will become useful to the Lord here on earth. (Ephesians 4:16 (RSV)
Prepared Through Spiritual Gifts
Though evangelists and teaching pastors are particularly set apart for the study of the Word and the proclaiming of the same, other members of the Church are not excused from being directly concerned and involved in those same tasks.
Each member within the Church has also received a “measure of grace” or “spiritual gift” (Ephesians 4:7). An extended list of spiritual gifts is found in Romans 12:3-8 and I Corinthians 12. It is extremely important to understand the temporary nature of the “sign” gifts which are included among the “ministry” gifts in these transitional passages of Scripture. The manifestation of the sign gifts disappeared from the pages of Scripture the moment God set aside the “sign seeking” nation of Israel at the close of the book of Acts. Only the non-miraculous endowments for service remain. (For further study on this subject please refer to Tongues and the Sign Gifts, a booklet by Vernon A. Schutz, Grace Publications, Inc.)
THE OCCUPATION OF THE CHURCH
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ. . . .”(II Corinthians 5:20)
Our occupation is that of being “ambassadors to an alien land”! Why?
“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ” (Philippians3:20)
Heaven is our homeland, the seat of our spiritual government.
We are emissaries of God, who in Christ is reconciling the world unto Himself, and He has now assigned us to invite men, women, and children to be reconciled to Him.
Today, God is making His appeal to a lost race through the Church. He has chosen us to be vessels of the “word of reconciliation” which He has deposited in us. We have been “put in TRUST with the gospel” (I Thessalonians 2:4). When we deposit our money in a savings account or a “TRUST” fund, we expect that it will bear dividends. This is God’s expectation having deposited in our TRUST the Gospel, “the word of reconciliation.” Could there be a higher OCCUPATION? May God the Holy Spirit impress this truth on our minds and hearts.
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH “Preach the Word”
Paul tells us that the ministry he received of the Lord Jesus, was . . .
” . . . to testify the gospel of the grace of God. ” (Acts 20:24)
His advice to Timothy was . . .
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.” (II Timothy 4:2)
Preach the Word “Rightly Divided”
Paul warned of the possibility of “wresting” or “distorting” Scripture to one’s own destruction. God, the Giver of the Word, has “breathed out” to us instructions for studying His Word.
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need-eth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”(II Timothy 2:15)
Miles Coverdale, who first translated the entire Bible into English over 400 years ago, saw the necessity of applying this principle when studying the Bible. He wrote:
“It shall greatly help you to understand Scripture if you mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what went before and what follows after. ”
Augustine said:
“Distinguish the ages and the Scriptures harmonize. ”
For further study in this area, examine the booklets in this series of studies on the Church: The Church—Its Creation, and The Church-How Is It Different?
Preach the Word to ALL MEN
God desires . . .”… all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:4)
Paul knew the weight of the lost world upon him and testified “from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I fully preached the gospel, not where Christ was named. . . .” (Romans 15:19,20)
His passion was . . .
” . . . to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages hath been hidden in God . . . .” (Ephesians 3:9)
He did not rest until he could say,
” . . . I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.” (Acts 20:26)
Let us now consider the second great aspect of our commission!
II. COMMISSIONED TO BE THE HABITATION OF GOD
The Apostle Paul used three figures of speech to teach us this truth. None of these terms are applied to God’s called out assemblies of other ages.
A HABITATION - A BODY “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.(Colossians 2:9) “… 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. “(Ephesians 1:22,23)
“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. ” (Colossians 1:19)
There is a great temptation today to make Israel and the Body of Christ one and the same. So that we might hurdle that temptation, God has given us a relationship to’ Christ which is obviously different from that of Israel. They are the Bride of Christ, we are His Body. Their hope is earthly, ours is heavenly. They are a part of God’s prophetic program, we were His secret. In spite of these differences both will be entirely satisfied in the position they have been given. The fact that Christ is the HEAD and we are HIS BODY demonstrates our special relationship to and needful dependence on Him.
Not only do we need Christ, but we need each other as we serve Him collectively. Because …
“… the body is not one member, but many. ”
“But now hath God set the members every one of them inthe body, as it hath pleased him. ”
“And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to thefeet,I have no need of you. ” (I Corinthians 12:14,18,21)
This interdependence can be illustrated. When your home is built correctly and the shingles are carefully laid on the roof, you will have a dry home. The shingles “work together” to prevent the roof from leaking. As these shingles are “dependent” on each other for a common cause, so are the members of the Body of Christ.
A HABITATION - A BUILDING
The seco-nd figure that the apostle 18 uses in revealing the Church is that of a “building.”
” … ye are . . . fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God,”"In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”(Ephesians 2:19,22)
“… ye are God’s building,” we are told in I Corinthians 3:9.
Paul, “the wise masterbuilder” was raised up by God to reveal the wonderful message of Grace, from which we learn that.. .
“In whom [Christ] ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ” (Ephesians 2:22)
What is happening today in the Dispensation of Grace, is that Jew and Gentile are being joined together in “one new man.” “The middle wall of partition” has been broken down so that both could be built together for God’s dwelling place.
A HABITATION - A TEMPLE
The third figure that Paul uses is “temple.”
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God. and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the. Holy Spirit who is in you. whom ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Corinthians 6:19)
It has been said that, “We belong to God the Father for He BUILT US; we belong to God the Son for He BOUGHT US: and we belong to God the Holy Spirit for He LIVES IN US!
And now for the final aspect of our commission.
III. COMMISSIONED TO BE THE DISPLAY OF GOD’S WISDOM AND GLORY
The outline of our commission to be instruments of God’s working, sketched what the Church is to “do”! The study of our commission to be the habitation of God has shown what the Church “is” in Christ. The understanding of our commission would be incomplete without a glimpse of what the Church is to “be” in Christ through the ages of the ages!
The ultimate reason for all of God’s works is His own glorification in Christ. His work in and through the Church is the crowning glory of glories!
“Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. ” (Ephesians 3:21)
God’s desire is..”that we should be to the praise of his glory . “(Ephesians 1:12)
God’s wisdom concerning the Church, the Body of Christ, was once kept secret in God Himself.
“However, we speak wisdom a-mong them that are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the princes of this age, that come to nothing; But we speak the^wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages unto our glory; which none of the princes of this age knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory [the glory].”(I Corinthians 2:6-8)
That wisdom is NOW revealed to God’s people by the Spirit (I Corinthians 2:10).
Satan, the god of this age, brought about the crucifixion of Christ. But the act through which he It was by (means) of the cross that the Church, the Body of Christ was also formed (Ephesians 2:16)!! attempted to destroy Christ, now results in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and the adversary’s own destruction. It is “this Gospel of the glory” which he now works so viciously to conceal, and withhold from those that are lost (II Corinthians 4:3-6).
By means of the cross, Christ . . . “… spoiled principalities and 22
powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)
Note the thrust of Ephesians 3:9,10!
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship [stewardship] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that NOW unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places [the heavenlies] might be made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God”!
Since the word “men” is not in the original text, we can conclude that the scope of our stewardship of the Mystery includes the rebellious principalities and powers in the heavenlies as well as all mankind. One day every knee shall bow to the name and glory of Christ. In the meantime God’s wisdom is being made known “by the church” whether we are aware of it or not.
Our being the display of God’s wisdom and glory will not cease with the rapture of the Church. Ephesians 2:7 reveals to us the glorious privilege we will have of being on display to the angels.
“That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ”
We will be trophies of His grace forever!
A close scrutiny of Ephesians 6:11-17 will disclose to us that “the whole armour of God” is not only helpful now in our pursuit against the “wiles of the devil,” but will be helpful “in the evil day.” In I Corinthians 6:3 we are told that we are going to “judge angels.” After the Church has been caught home, the Tribulation Period will begin. According to Revelation 12:7-12 there will be a war in heaven after which Satan will be cast down to the earth for the rest of the Tribulation Period.
From the time of the rapture of the Church until the time when Satan is cast down to the earth, the Body of Christ will have a warfare with him. It is during that time that we will be perfectly arrayed with “the whole armour of God.” Our “old man” will have been separated from us and our “new man” will have complete control. Satan doesn’t have a chance. He is a loser because Christ has “spoiled principalities and powers” on the cross (Colossians 2:15). It is in this capacity that the Church will be a DISPLAY OF GOD’S WISDOM AND GLORY.
We echo the humble wonderment of the Apostle Paul,”Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out. ” (Romans 11:33)
Our commission! How vastly more than a golden rule or a social program! Considering that we as members of the Church, the Body of Christ, are commissioned to be the instrument of God’s working, the very habitation of God, and the triumphant display of His wisdom and glory through endless ages, what kind of people should we be?
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk [lead a life] worthy of the vocation [calling] to which ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1)
THE CHURCH - ITS CREATION - Vernon A. Schutz
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
Did you know that the word “church” in the Bible never describes a building; it is never used to mean something that is composed of bricks and mortar, wood and stone? If we had taken a first century Christian into a building with stained glass windows and arches, and said to him, “What a beautiful church!” he would not have understood what we were saying. In the Bible the “church” is always people, men and women who have responded to the message God gave them to believe for their salvation.
The Greek Word Ekklesia
The word translated church in our English Bibles is derived from the Greek word, ekklesia, and simply means a called out group of people. In its Greek background the word ekklesia was not a sacred word; it was a word of politics and of local government. Greek government was characteristically democratic. In Greek cities, ideally, all its citizens were to govern their own community. Some were for various reasons disfranchised and later a property qualification entered into the matter, but theoretically all Greek citizens were members of a political ekklesia. They were summoned by a trumpeter to a regular meeting place to decide governmental matters. Those who responded were called the ekklesia. Thus in Greek terms, an ekklesia in actual fact consisted of those who responded to the invitation to be present at a meeting for the purpose of deciding political matters. They were a called out political group of people.
The Hebrew Word Kahal
The word also has a Jewish background. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the word ekklesia is used to translate a Hebrew word, kahal- which in English is translated as the “congregation” or the “assembly” of Israel. Israel as a congregation or assembly is often called an ekklesia in the Greek version of the Old Testament Scriptures (Deuteronomy 4:10; 9:10; 18:16; cf. I Chronicles 28:8; 29:1; II Chronicles 1:3; 6:3; 7:8;
20:5; 29:28;Nehemiahl3:l). Since our Lord and His disciples read and quoted from the Septuagint, they were used to Israel being called the ekklesia. The first historical reference to an ekklesia in the Bible is when Stephen calls Israel, after they came out of Egypt, a “church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38).
What Does “Church” Mean?
The English word has taken on a variety of meanings. It may refer to a building dedicated to religious purposes;it may refer to a particular denomination; or it may mean a group of people belonging to a religious assembly. The English word “church” is derived from the Greek word kuriakos, which is the possessive form of the word Lord, thus meaning belonging to the Lord. Putting the meaning of the Greek word ekklesia together with kuriakos, the word church really means a called out group of people belonging to the Lord. (For a more detailed study of the term “church,” see the booklet in this series titled The Church-What Is It?)
Different Churches in the Bible
There has always been a Church of God, because, thank God, there has always been a group of people that belonged to Him. Noah and his family were in this sense a “church,” for they belonged to the Lord. Israel was a called-out nation which belonged to the Lord, and therefore, as we have seen, was called a “church” of God. It is important to see that as history progresses God has had different ekklesias which have had various religious and spiritual programs, purposes, and ministries. We must keep these churches distinct and separate, otherwise there will be confusion.
The Kingdom Church
There was an Old Covenant Church of Israel under Moses with its program of rituals and God-ordained ceremonies. This church had apostasized and Christ proceeded to call out of this church His own Church. This Church could be called the Kingdom Church, for it will be related to the Messianic Kingdom here on earth.This Kingdom Church was anticipated in the Old Testament. Let us look carefully at Psalms 22. Verses 1 thru 21 picture graphically the suffering of our Lord upon the cross. Suddenly in verse 22, there is a change of tone. We go from the suffering of Christ to our Lord’s cry of triumph in resurrection:”In the midst of the congregation (kahal) will I praise Thee “This verse is quoted in Hebrews 2:12 in this manner:”In the midst of the church [ekklesia] will I praise Thee.”The “congregation” (kahal) is called by the Holy Spirit an ekklesia, which indicates that ekklesia and kahal are equivalents. The Church spoken of in Psalms 22:22,25 cannot be the Body Church the Apostle Paul speaks of because that Church was hid from the the Old Testament writers (Ephesians 3:
1-5; Colossians 1:25,26; Romans 16:25). The Church spoken of in Psalms 22:22,25 can be called a New Testament Church because it is to exist historically after the New Testament blood is shed. Verses 22 to 31 make it clear that this Church is related to His reign on earth as King. “My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation [church] . . . the meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek Him: your heart shall live for ever.
“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindred of the nations shall worship before Thee.”For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is governor among the nations. “The New Testament Kingdom Church anticipated in Psalms 22:22-31 was being formed by Christ during the period of the four Gospels. Those Israelitish disciples composed the Kingdom Church of Matthew 18:17 and 16:18. He called them His “little Hock,” and to them it was the Father’s good pleasure to give the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). Christ taught these disciples to expect and pray for. the Kingdom (Matthew 6:10). They practised the Kingdom program in that they healed the sick, handled serpents, cast out demons (Matthew 10:6-10; Mark 16:16-20; Luke 10:17-20). In the Kingdom there will be no sickness (Isaiah 35:5,6; 33:24), nor will the creature of venomous sting hurt anyone (Isaiah 11:8), nor will evil spirits be free to bother mankind (Isaiah 24:21,22; Revelation 20:1-3).
The Kingdom Church at Pentecost
On the Day of Pentecost we find God adding members daily to an already existing ekklesia (Acts 2:47). He was adding to the Kingdom ekklesia which was called out during the period of the Gospels, Matthew 18:17. The first half of the Acts is simply a continuation of the dispensational program of the Gospels. The only difference is that the great fact of the Lord’s resurrection was added to the burden of their preaching of the coming Kingdom (Acts 1:6;2:22-36^3:19-26).
The Kingdom Church of Pentecost NOT The Mystery Church of Paul
Not until Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13), began his ministry, did God begin to create the “one new man” or Church which is His Body. “The ‘new man’ of Ephesians 2:15 is not the individual believer but the church, considered, as the body of Christ in the sense of Ephesians 1:22,23; I Corinthians 12:12,13; Colossians 3:10″ (Scofield Reference Bible, p. 1251, note 2). This new Body Church was a mystery or a secret kept hid from the ages and generations until it was first revealed to Paul for this present dispensation (Ephesians 3:1-8; Colossians 1:25,26 and II Peter 3:15-17).
A New Revelation Begins a New Dispensation
Each new distinguishable economy, administration, or dispensation begins with a revelation from God. The Dispesation of Innocence began with a revelation to Adam about not eating of a certain tree, Genesis 3:16,17. The Dispensation of Conscience or Freedom began with a revelation to Abel as to how his sins could be atoned for, Hebrews 11:4 with Romans 10:17 and Genesis 3:23 thru 4:1-4. The Dispensation of Human Government began with a revelation of this principle to Noah, Genesis 9:6; Promise, when the promise was revealed to Abram, Genesis 12:1-3. The Law was given to and revealed through Moses for Israel, Exodus 19:8. Could you begin any one of these dispensations before a revelation of it was given? Of course not!
The new revelation of the prophesied Kingdom, as finally being “at hand,” was given to John the Baptist, Matthew 3:2; 11:13, and this proclamation was continued by our Lord and His disciples, Matthew 4:17; 10:6-8; Acts 1 thru 7, and will be established with the glorious revelation of Christ at His second coming, Matthew 24:30; Revelation 19:11-20 and 20:1-9.
In the meantime the Dispensation of Grace with the creation of its new Body Church was given to and revealed through Paul for us Gentiles, members of the Body of Christ, Ephesians 3:1-8, II Peter 3:15,16;Galatians 1:11,12 and 2:1-9.
No Body Church at Pentecost
There is not the slightest intimation that a new ekklesia began at Pentecost. Instead, it is evident that believers were added to an already existing Church, the Kingdom Church (Matthew 18:17; 16:18), and not to that ekklesia called the the Body of Christ. The Church of Pentecost was the ekklesia of prophecy which will find its fulfillment in the Millennial Kingdom. Everything that happened in the days of Pentecost was in fulfillment of prophecy. Peter quotes Joel in Acts 2, and in Acts 3:24 he says:”Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.”The prophets foretold only events pertaining to the Kingdom and the Kingdom Church; therefore, the things that happened in Acts 2 and 3 must have to do with the Kingdom Church and not the Body Church which had been hid from the ages and generations until revealed through Paul, who at this time was not even saved.
The Church at Pentecost could not have been the Body Church for you cannot begin to reconcile Jew and Gentile in the one Body until Israel is first alienated, that is, removed from their covenant or priority position among the nations. This fact is made clear in Romans 11:15,32 and Ephesians 2:14-17. Reconciliation presupposes a state of alienation. Before the crucifixion Israel was still the favored nation and in Covenant relationship with God, “Let the children [Israel] FIRST be filled” (Mark 7:27). In the first chapters of Acts Israel still is not yet cast away or alienated, because the Son prayed for their forgiveness (Luke 23:34), and Peter declares them to be the children of the prophets and of the Covenant (Acts 3:25), and then adds, “Unto you [Israel] FIRST, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you [first], in turning every one of you from his iniquities.” As of Acts 3:25, no change had taken place.
At Pentecost there is no mention of Gentiles. Since the Body Church is a joint-body of Jews and Gentiles, the Body could not have begun there.
Here is another important distinction to note. After the resurrection, Christ made it clear that He would baptize them on the day of Pentecost, “not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). In the baptism at Pentecost, Christ was the Baptizer, baptizing with the Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16). In I Corinthians 12:13, however, the Holy Spirit is the Baptizer, baptizing into Christ. In each case the Spirit is associated with a “baptism,” yet they are two separate and distinct baptisms. In the former Christ is the Baptizer, and in the latter the Spirit is the Agent doing the baptizing. Christ was the Baptizer on the Day of Pentecost and this baptism resulted in receiving Power from on high (Luke 24:49). This baptism was eperiential, resulting in signs, wonders, and miracles. The baptism which forms the Body Church is not experiential. There is no feeling or sensation when the Spirit baptizes you into the Body of Christ. Since this baptism was not taking place on the Day of Pentecost, we have another reason why that date could not have marked the beginning of the Body of Christ Church.
When Did the Body Church Begin?
When did God begin this wonderful Dispensation of the Grace of God? When did He begin the Mystery or Secret Body of Christ Church in which Jew and Gentile are joined together to form the “One New Man”?
The Body Began: — Theoretically
The Body Church began theoretically or theologically in the mind of God before the age times began, before the foundation of the world. “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but accord-to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world [ages] began” (II Timothy 1:9).
How comforting to know that even as the cross was a mood in the heart of God before it became part of the history of the world, even so before the foundation of the world, or even before one speck of dust came forth from the womb of nothing, we were in the mind of God.
The Body Began: — Instrumentally
The Body Church began instrument-ally by or through the cross, but not at the cross.
“For to make in Himself of twain [Jew and Gentile] one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross” (Ephesians2:15,16).
We have already seen that at Pentecost Israel was not yet alienated, nor was the Spirit baptizing into the Body Church, nor could there be a joint-body of Jew and Gentile for there is no mention of Gentiles.
The Body Began: — Judicially
The Body Church could not begin until God’s act of judgment fell on Israel. We are reconciled “doctrinally,” for individual salvation, by the cross: “God was in Christ [at the cross], reconciling the world unto Himself.” But we are reconciled “dispensationally,” by the “casting away” of Israel: “For if the casting away of them [Israel] be the reconciling of the world.” Israel nationally was not yet alienated from God in the first half of Acts (Acts 3:24-26). Israel began to commit the “unpardonable sin” (Matthew 12:31,32) when they rejected the message of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles (Acts 2:4; 4:8,31;5:3,32; 7:51,55). This rejection reached a great crisis in Acts 7 at the stoning of Stephen. Sir Robert Anderson says:
“The death of Stephen was the secret crisis of their destiny. Never again was a public miracle witnessed in Jerusalem. The special Pentecostal proclamation was withdrawn …. The apostles of the Gentiles forthwith received his commission, and the current of events set steadily, and with continually increasing force, toward the open rejection of the long-favoured people . . .” (Silence of God. p. 83). M. R. DeHaan wrote in a letter to a friend, dated February 19, 1953: “After Israel rejected the offer of the kingdom in Acts 7, the gospel goes to the Gentiles …”James M. Gray says:”The martyrdom of Stephen brought to a close the second offer of the kingdom of Israel . . . and we now enter the transition period in which the Church passes out of its Jewish into its Gentile stage” (Great Epochs of Sacred History Course, p. 50).God’s prophesied plan to bless the nations through Israel was temporarily interrupted (Romans 11:26). God alienated Israel nationally from Himself, and judicially cast them away, a necessary step before He could begin the dispensational reconciling of Jew and Gentile in the One Body Church.
The Body Began: — Symbolically
The next step in preparation for the creation of the Body Church was the salvation of Saul of Tarsus or Paul the Apostle (Acts 9). He was to be the vehicle through which the revelation of the new dispensation would come.
Paul was a Hebrew:”Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5).Paul was also a Roman citizen:”Paul said . . . They have beaten us openly . . . Roman citizens. . . and they [the magistrates] feared, when they heard that they were Romans” (Acts 16:37,38). Paul is a natural symbol of God’s purpose concerning the Joint-Body of Christ, because he was both Jew and Gentile in one person, which illustrates the Jew and Gentile in the One Body.
The Body Began: — Historically
Paul’s first recorded missionary journey to Gentiles is given to us in Acts, chapters 13 and 14. However, in Acts 9:26-30 Luke tells us that Paul was sent forth from Jerusalem to Tarsus. During these years in Tarsus, Paul must have used Tarsus as a base of operation to preach, as he says, in Syria and Cilicia, Galatians 1:21.
In Acts 15:23 we read of the communication sent by the Church of Jerusalem to “the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.” In Acts 15:41 Paul “went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches.” This is evidence enough to believe that these were Gentile churches which he had founded, probably before he came to Antioch (Acts 11:26) during this Tarsus period. His first apostolic journey as outlined for us in Acts 13 and 14 did not take him into Syria and Cilicia. This Gentile ministry during this Tarsus period then (he was there for perhaps five years), could be called his “secret” missionary journey to Gentiles.
The Body Church is a joint-body of Jews and Gentiles, but at Pentecost no Gentiles are mentioned. Even those scattered by “the persecution that arose about Stephen” spake to “none but Jews only” (Acts 11:19). The conversion of Gentiles during Paul’s “secret” journey into Syria and Cilicia makes the joint-body possible, for the two ingredients necessary to make up the Body Church are now present.
Allow this illustration. The chemical composition of water is H20, i.e., hydrogen and oxygen. We cannot have water if we have only one of those. Even if we have both, they must be locked together molecularly before these two gases take on a new mode of existence as water. Similarly, we must have both Jewish hydrogen and Gentile oxygen together before we can have the creation of the Body Church. At Pentecost we have only Jews (hydrogen) who are saved; but the Body cannot exist until both ingredients, that is, Jew (hydrogen) and Gentile (oxygen) are joined together. (Note that the Greek prefix “sun” is used three times in Ephesians 3:6-”joint-heir,” “joint-body,” and “joint-partakers.””)
“To make in Himself of twain [Jew and Gentile] one new man . . . that He might reconcile both [Jew and Gentile] . . . in one Body.” (Ephesians 2:15-16) In the first half of Acts we have no Gentiles; therefore, it was impossible to have the Body Church formed. Between Acts 9 and 13, through Paul’s ministry in Syria and Cilicia, Gentiles are gathered. We believe that now the two necessary ingredients were locked together and the joint-body began historically or secretly. If this be true, it is interesting to note that the Body began secretly, and it will end secretly in the Rapture of the Body Church from earth to heaven (I Thessalonians4:16-18). (The Rapture will be secret in the sense that the world will not see the Lord nor hear His shout.)
The Body Began: — Scripturally
The Body began scripturally or manifestly in Acts 13. Several significant things mark this occasion. The Holy Spirit separates Barnabas and Paul for a specific work, verse 2. Paul performs his first miracle, a sign of his entering into his Apostleship (II Corinthians 12:12), and he was the Apostle to the Gentiles for this dispensation (Romans 11:13;
The Body began scripturally or manifestly in Acts 13. Several significant things mark this occasion. The Holy Spirit separates Barnabas and Paul for a specific work, verse 2. Paul performs his first miracle, a sign of his entering into his Apostleship (II Corinthians 12:12), and he was the Apostle to the Gentiles for this dispensation (Romans 11:13;Ephesians 3:1-5).
The episode recorded in Acts 13:5-15 could be called a dispensational miracle. Note the particulars. “Bar-jesus,” the Jew, tried to turn Sergius Paulus, the Gentile, away from the faith. Because of this, “Bar-jesus,” which means “the child of Jehovah Saviour” is called, “the child of the Devil,” “full of guile.” Paul strikes this Jewish sorcerer with a season of blindness, and as a result the Gentile believes.
Let us keep in mind that according to Romans 11:25 and 26, that a blindness in part, and fora season, has happened to Israel. Israel, the child of Jehovah, has become in this dispensation blinded, but Israel will only be blind for a season until the Sun of Righteousness comes (Malachi 4:2).
Bar-jesus, full of guile, and blind, speaks of Israel during this present dispensation (Romans 11:25). As a result of Israel’s guile in attempting to keep the Apostles from preaching to Gentiles (I Thessalonians 2:15,16), and Israel’s being blinded (cf. Acts 13:11 and Rom-and 11:25), the Gentile, Sergius Paulus, believes and obtains the mercy of God by faith (cf. Acts 13:12 and Romans 11:25,30).
In summary we point out, Israel is judged and alienated in Acts 7; Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles is saved in Acts 9 and Gentiles are gathered and saved between Acts 9 and 13 in Paul’s secret missionary journey. Paul is separated by a distinct act of the Holy Spirit; he works his Apostolic and dispensational miracle, and he assumes his Gentile name, as he opens “the door of faith unto the Gentiles” in Acts 13 and 14. We conclude that the creation of the Body Church took place with the ministry of the Apostle Paul before he wrote his first epistle.
Any Christian who desires to be an unashamed workman will soon learn that he must “rightly divide the Word of Truth” (II Timothy 2:15); otherwise, he will confuse the spiritual programs and purposes of God. It is necessary to see the progression of revelation as God gives it in His Word so we can discern what God is doing and when He begins doing it.
The clearest example of this is given in Acts 18:24-28. Apollos, although “he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,” was preaching and teaching an obsolete message and program. Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and brought him up to date. They “explained the way of God more perfectly,” that is, they pointed out the changes that had taken place. They instructed him in the historical and revelatory progress in God’s plan and program as they had received it from Paul (Acts 18:1-11). Apollos progressed with God. May each of us do the same.
It is sad and displeasing to the Lord, I’m sure, when some preach an obsolete message and practise the Kingdom program and do not progress in understanding the later revelation given by the risen Christ to Paul for this present administration of grace. Following the continuity of Scripture from the prophesied Kingdom program into the present purpose and program of God in this dispensation can affect your salvation, your life, your service and effectiveness for Him. May you desire:
“The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of -His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:17-19).
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THE CHURCH - WHAT IS IT? Timothy Conklin
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
The word “church” strikes strangely different meanings in today’s thinking. The word might bring to mind the thought of a cold, impersonal organization or the image of a fiery religious movement.
The church can be a congregation. A church can be a particular denomination or religious organization. The word “church” can refer to a building used for religious purposes, or to something that is distinct from a chapel. “The church” can be something held in contrast to “the world.” In the Bible “the Church” as the Body of Christ (the term applied to God’s people today) has special meaning reflected in none of the other foregoing usages.
We discover the frightening possibility that the object many people have in mind could be quite different from that which God intended. Tradition has imposed distracting, stereotyped meanings and misunderstanding has dulled the Biblical impact of the word “church.”
Do you understand the “church” as God has revealed it to be understood? Do you understand your relationship to it? What could be more important than to personally trace this grand subject in the Word of God?
The English word church originates from the Greek word KURIAKOS, which means “of, or belonging to, the Lord.” The English term comes to us directly through the Anglo Saxon CIRCE and the Scottish KIRK.
The New Testament Greek word for “church,” however, is EKKLESIA, and is always translated “church” except in Acts 19:32,39,41, where it is rendered “assembly.” Taken literally, EKKLESSIA means “assembly,” or a gathering of “called-out ones.”
Perhaps you will be somewhat surprised to discover that there is more than one church in the Bible! The following is a survey of the New Testament use of the Greek word EKKLESIA:
(1) A body of citizens gathered to discuss the affairs of State - Acts 19:39 (”a lawful assembly”)
(2) A multitude in a riot — Acts 19:32,41 (”the assembly”)
(3) Israel as a nation — Acts 7:38 (”the church in the wilderness”)
(4) Redeemed Israel in the future — Matthew 16:18 (”I will build my church”).
(5) Believing Jews and Gentiles bonded together apart from nationality - Ephesians 1:22,23; I Corinthians 12:13 (”the church which is His body”).
You will find the term EKKLESIA 115 times in the New Testament. By understanding the Biblical use of the word, you will be in a position to know precisely which church is being spoken of in any given passage.
There are numerous places where specific “called-out ones” are said to be gathered together. Such gatherings may be connected either with the nation Israel and the Millennial Church or the Body of Christ, God’s people of this age. For the former notice Matthew 18:17 and Acts 2:47; for the latter see I Corinthians 1:2 and I Thessalonians 1:1.
The distinctive character of “the church which is His [Christ’s] body,” is important to see. This Church is the real and genuine “church” of the time in which we are living. This assembly was not formed until the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Read carefully Romans 16:25,26; Ephesians 3:1-11; Colossians 1:24-27 ;Ephesians 1:1-14.
A Divine Organism
An organization is quite different from an organism. The first is a lifeless, mechanical structure while the second is a vital, growing creation.
The Church, the Body of Christ, is an organism.
Undoubtedly there are many people today who think of church as a kind of big business. Executives and various staff personnel order and execute an enormous variety of activity in the name of the church. In fact, some so-called churches own industry and real estate and operate them on a profit making basis.
Within the structure of popular denominations, church work operates like a well oiled machine. The congregation is divided into small committees. A region appoints numerous task forces to accomplish specific tasks. The home office, or headquarters, offers guidance, direction and command through appointed channels. And these channels in turn filter the information down through the or ganizational chain until the final link is made with the local congregation.
Certainly such practices lend ample support to the idea that the church of today is indeed an organization.
However, the human arrangement of spiritual affairs may or may not be in harmony with the revealed will of God in the Bible. Too often we are ensnared by this subtle trick of equating tradition with eternal truth. The supreme source of authority is the everlasting Word of God. We must always compare human insight with Divine revelation.
Scripture teaches that the Body of Christ is an organism; a living thing pulsating with potential growth and maturity. Remember, it is a Body (corporate individuals gathered together in Christ) with a Head (the source of rule and function); namely, the Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18; I Corinthians 12:13-27). Furthermore, consider the words of Ephesians 4:16:
“It is from Christ that the whole body, adjusted and fitted together by every ligament with which it is supplied, by the harmonious functioning of each and every part, acquires the power to grow up as a perfect organism, built up in love” (paraphrase by F. F. Bruce).
The Apostle Paul speaks of believers as “living epistles” (II Corinthians 3:1-3). In another place he refers to them as being accomplished through a process of progressive stages of spiritual growth (II Corinthians 3:18).
Finally, consider the clear teaching of Ephesians 2:20-22:
“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy Temple in the Lord: In Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ”
The Church, the Body of Christ, is not an organization but a true organism in spite of external appearances. You see, this Church is spiritual in nature; invisible rather than materially obvious.
Spiritual In Nature
Contrary to much teaching today it is absolutely impossible for a person to become united with the Body of Christ by joining any organization. (See the tract in this series entitled, “The Church: How to Join It.”)
The Body of Christ is an invisible company of believers united with Christ by the grace of God through the work of the Holy Spirit.
“For’ by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13).
In other words, all genuine believers are members of the Body of Christ by virtue of their belief in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in God’s Word for our time.
Salvation introduces the redeemed one into his everlasting relationship with Christ and his fellow spiritual brethren. Because no man can positively discern the spiritual welfare of other men in every instance, the Body of Christ consists of an uncertain number of believers. And because God is no respecter of persons, representatives of nations all around the world are involved in the make-up of Christ’s Body.
Therefore, due to its spiritual nature and universal breadth, this Church is really invisible to the eyes of mankind.
Individual members of the Body of Christ might well be of different racial backgrounds and belong to differing denominational persuasions. The point is, God has not sanctioned just one externally organized group today as His single avenue of approach to men. (This was not always true, however. See the tract in this series entitled, “The Church:
How Is It Different?”)
Whoever and whenever a person believes the message of God concerning his sin and the provision of Christ for that sin, his faith, by the grace of God, brings the individual into redemption and the Body of Christ.
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).
Unity In Spirit
Someone has most graphically described the difference between Union and unity. Imagine two tomcats tied tail to tail and hung over a clothesline! That is union but hardly unity.
All kinds of religious mergers are taking place these days. Groups which were once splintered from a parent organization are agreeing to a sufficient compromise which allows them to band together once again. Others with more severe differences and no historic ties are engaging in high level counsel, seeking to effect an eventual union.
The most infamous of all such man made unions is the “one church” ecumenical movement. It is the fancy of some influential religious leaders that all men ought to be a part of one colossal, super church. The advocates of this dangerous design suggest that “Christians” abandon all conviction or persuasion which might threaten other “Christians” who harbor more liberal ideas.
These promotions and programs, varied in method but similar in goal, pump their water from the wrong well. That is to say, religionists are constantly depending on human resources and human ingenuity to establish human intentions. The inevitable result of this activity is a product fashioned after its designer; a human organizational union.
The Bible makes it plain that the Church, the Body of Christ, is a Divine organism patterned after a Divinely revealed spiritual unity.
“/ therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:1-6).
Perhaps it is easier to grasp the thrust of this passage by looking at it in the following manner:
ONE BODY ONE SPIRIT ONE HOPE
ONE LORD ONE FAITH ONE BAPTISM ONE GOD
This demonstrates the wonderful correspondence of these precious truths. There is one Body corresponding to one God; one Spirit explaining the nature of the one baptism; one hope relating to one faith; one Lord because, “Of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).
To know that God has already established His outline of unity is of immense importance. Men are not expected to arrange -or formulate a basis of unity; they are enjoined to conform to the revealed pattern. All human statements of spiritual conformity must be measured against God’s clear standard expressed in the above Scripture. Any differences on the human side must be abandoned or changed to the will of God.
The Bible also explains the true union of fellow believers. All genuine believers are already joined together, “for we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:25). Compare I Corinthians 12:27.
Our first loyalty is to God and His Word. Whatever contradicts or compromises this pre-eminent loyalty is not worthy of allegiance. We need to examine the real, eternal foundations of spiritual union and unity. We must, at all cost, embrace the righteous teaching of God and ignore the false, foolish, fluctuating doctrine of mere men and their tradition.
Out of What Has It Been Called
In the simplest expression, a “church” is an assembly of called out ones. Obviously, such a group must have been called out of something and called into something else. For example, the riotous mob at Ephesus (Acts 19:32,41), was composed of more or less ordinary Ephesian citizens who were called out of their usual life style and called into a balking, shouting crowd until it grew into a full scale riot.
The Church, the Body of Christ, has indeed experienced a call from one form of existence to another dramatically different from the first. In that great passage of Romans 5:12-21, God reveals through Paul that believers have been taken out of Adam and placed into Christ. In the Colossians letter, chapter 2:13, Paul expresses the same truth this way: ^
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. “In still another verse we have these words: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
Adam is the father of humanity. In a mysterious, and yet horribly real way, Adam passed on his act of rebellion and rejection of God’s will to every human creature fathered by his seed. That ignoble inheritance which everyone shares in common is called the Adamic nature. Because of this, all men are naturally opposed to God. We prefer darkness, we want to be self-sufficient apart from God, we sincerely desire to keep away from enlightenment about our sin and the provision of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In fact, if it were not for the sovereign grace of God, not one soul would ever come to Christ for salvation (Romans 3:10-12; John 6:44). Nevertheless, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, many are saved through personal trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Through salvation and consequently becoming a member of the Body of Christ, every believer is delivered from the awful,, inevitable wrath which God will one day pour out on the world of the ungodly.
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thessalonians 5:9).
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:22).
All in Adam, every unbeliever, people refusing to accept the message of God concerning their need of deliverance from the power of sin, will assuredly be damned to an eternity of incomprehensible agony in their willful separation from God. There is no hope of anything less for sinners today outside the Church which is His Body (I Thessalonians 4:13).
The descriptions the Bible offers of the eternal state of the unbeliever are wretched and shocking. Hell is real. Damnation is certain. Everlasting torment is inescapable for Christ rejectors. Never ending separation from the sweet, joyous presence of a righteous God surrounded by holy angels and redeemed saints is the guaranteed goal for all stubborn sinners who refuse to be saved.
God has called the Church, the Body of Christ, out of this horrifying, hopeless judgment. He has taken us out of Adam and despair and placed us into Christ and deliverance. Praise God for His matchless grace!
Unto What Has It Been Called
Realizing that the Body of Christ has been removed from the sphere of destruction and hell, consider the positive side of its translation. Profound as it may be, members of His Body have been called to participate in the glory of God (Ephesians 1:12).
There is a rare word used only twice in the entire New Testament (II Thessalonians 1:10,12) and translated “glorified in” which sheds some light on the believer’s future in eternity. At the coming of Christ for the Church which is His Body, the Lord will be “glorified in His saints.” That phrase, “glorified in” is actually one word in the original language of the New Testament. Literally, it means to be “in-glorified.”
Whatever else is taught in these verses, we are to understand that the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ will not be confined to Himself or merely among His saints, but that glory will be distributed in and through those who believe in Him!
Through the inscrutable era of eternity His Body will share in the blaze of splendor peculiar to God alone. Of course such things are utterly impossible to describe or comprehend. Whaseems to be words of eloquence and grandeur are nothing but poor tokens of what will really be.
It is enough for us to know that presently believers have already been delivered from the pleasure, penalty and power of sin. At the Rapture we shall be delivered from the presence of sin. Only righteousness awaits the Body of Christ. That which is evil in any way will be absent from the future of Christ’s Church.
Precisely what fellowship in the glory of God entails is beyond our perception before the resurrection. In a feeble at tempt to say something regarding this, Paul wrote:
“For all things are yours;
whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (I Corinthian3:21-23).
Summary
A “church” is many things. This article has been concerned about the Church mentioned in the Bible called “the body of Christ.” While there are other Biblical churches, this Church is the only called-out assembly in God’s present spiritual program.
In contrast to the mechanical organizations of today, the Church which is Christ’s Body is an organism. Its structure is invisible and spiritual, being comprised of all true believers throughout the Dispensation of Grace.
God has revealed the basis of unity for the fellow members of the Church. Man made traditions and creeds must be brought into harmony with what God has plainly declared in His Word.
The Body of Christ has been called out of an existence doomed to everlasting degradation. As a result of this call, the Church looks forward to an eternity of intimate sharing of the glory of God Himself.
Are you a part of this great company of believers, dear reader? Are you a member of the Body of Christ, the only true church of God today?
Rejoice and praise God if you are. If you are not, throw yourself in humble faith on the hope which stems from the grace provided in the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Posted By - Cecil Spivey
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Israel’s Kingdom Hope! -John D. LaVier
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
In previous lessons we have been considering the various messengers God has used and the differing messages they bore. We have noted the importance of discerning to whom these messages were addressed, lest we be acting on orders not given to us but to others. The two main programs in Scripture which must be distinguished have to do with (I) Israel with the law and the kingdom hope, and (2) the Church with its grace program and its heavenly hope. Many talk about the kingdom and pray for the kingdom to come but have rather vague ideas as to what it is they are referring. When we speak of the kingdom we are referring to the prophesied, millennial, messianic kingdom which is to be established upon earth. This is the hope of Israel and the nations; it is not the hope of the Church, for the hope of members of the Body of Christ goes far beyond this earthly scene and has to do with that realm far above all, the heavenly places. The word “heavenly” occurs several times in Scripture and has reference to that which is heavenly in origin or character, but this is not the case in Ephesians where five times, and only here, we have the phrase “in heavenly places.” This expression, en tois epouraniois, refers to a place, the place where we arc to set our affections and “where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Colossians 3: I), and the place to which we are bound and where our blessings arc to be enjoyed. Yet even though our hope is not terrestrial but celestial we do rejoice in the certainty of the coming kingdom; when earth will have its rest, and best of all when our blessed Lord Jesus will have His rightful place upon the throne as King and Almighty Sovereign and when every knee will bow before Him.
For the first four or five hundred years after their exodus from Egypt the nation Israel had no king. It was God’s will there should be a theocracy, the nation governed by Him and directed by those who were divinely instructed and empowered. However, in the days of Samuel the people clamored for a king, desiring to be like the nations around them and forgetting that their glory consisted in being different from the others. Their faith was so small they could not trust in an unseen God but had to have a leader they could see like many Christians today who are so spiritually feeble they have to have a lot of religious trappings to look upon. Israel was warned of the treatment they would receive from a king, but they persisted and God allowed them to have their way. Their choice was Saul and we have the record of his failure. It was then that God raised up David and placed him on the throne. David is one of the truly great characters of the Old Testament, and one of the most lovable, a man after God’s own heart.
In the seventh chapter of 2nd Samual we learn of David’s desire to build a house for God, but he was told to leave that for his son to do, and instead God was going to build a house for David. In 7:16 God said, “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.” Here we have the promise of the everlasting kingdom, and David’s house and David’s throne to be established for ever. Christ, as Son of David, will reign in the theocratic kingdom on earth, but there are many Scriptures that state that David himself will share in that reign. We quote a few of those Scriptures “But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king whom I will raise up unto them” (Jeremiah 30:9) “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it” (Ezekiel 34:23-24). “And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd; they shall also walk in my statutes, and do them” (37:24-25). Many apply these words to Christ, but while Christ is called son of David, seed of David, root of David, he is never called David. Newell has written: “We must not confuse in our minds this situation. We must believe the plain words of God. David is not the son of David. Christ, as son of David, will be King; and David, His father after the flesh, will be prince, during the Millennium.” Pentecost writes: “It would be concluded that in the government of the millennium David will be appointed a regent over Palestine and will rule over that land as prince, ministering under the authority of Jesus Christ, the King.”
Not only by the prophetic word but in other ways as well the fact is brought before us in the Scriptures that a kingdom is to be established on earth. In the apostolic preaching it was referred to as the kingdom of heaven, the rule of heaven imposed upon earth. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream he saw a great image and then a stone cut out without hands that smote the image with all its component parts and reduced it to dust which the wind carried away. Then that stone became a great mountain which filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:31-35). At His first coming Christ came as a stumbling stone and Israel stumbled over that stumbling stone and fell. At His second coming He comes as the smiting stone bringing an end to the times of the Gentiles and setting up His rule over the nations. We read: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:44-45). This kingdom of heaven will be as literal and material as any ever presided over by human monarchs, but it will have a spiritual side also for it will be characterized by righteousness, justice and peace. Further in Daniel is written: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and languages, should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (7:13-14) Here is Christ standing before the Almighty God and being invested with that kingdom which shall never pass away. All through the Old Testament, in story, type and prophecy, someone is coming, and that Someone is the King Himself, coming to establish His kingdom of peace and righteousness.
[n reading the gospel accounts one cannot escape the conclusion that the Lord Jesus Christ had come to earth not only to be a Saviour but also a King. The angel Gabriel, sent to the virgin Mary, told her she was to be with child by the Holy Ghost, that His name was to be called Jesus, that the Lord God was to give Him the throne of His father David, and that He was to reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of His kingdom there would be no end (Luke 1:26-33). When Nathanael met the Lord he said, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (John I :49). The Lord did not correct him, and the day is Israel’s Kingdom Hope coming when the entire nation will give a like confession and acknowledge that He is their God and King. Sadly, at His first coming, the nation was not like Nathanael and would not receive Him. When Pilate brought Jesus to them and said, “Behold your King,” what was the response? “But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar” (John 19: 15). His death followed, but God raised Him from the dead, having loosed the pains of death. Christ’s suffering was now accomplished and according to the prophetic Word He was ready to be enthroned and to enter into His glory. The kingdom which was preached prior to the cross could now be definitely proffered. The disciples asked the risen Christ, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). The Lord did not really answer their question as the restoration would depend on Israel’s response to the renewed offer of the kingdom. That there was a renewed offer there can be no doubt. In his very first message, on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Peter stated that Christ had been raised from the dead to sit on David’s throne and he called on the nation to repent. Some did repent, about three thousand, but the great majority of the nation with their leaders did not. In Acts the third chapter Peter stated that on condition of their repentance their sins would be blotted out and Christ would return to bring in the times of refreshing, the prophesied kingdom with its attendant blessings. This is the story of the book of Acts, with continued rejection on the part of Israel until they were finally rejected and set aside for a season.
The present dispensation was hid from the sons of men in other ages. It was hid in the mind and heart of God until He revealed it through the Apostle Paul. During this dispensation, Israel is off the scene, the kingdom is in abeyance, and God is calling out a company of believers, sinners saved by grace, who constitute the Church, the Body of Christ. Paul was the first member of this Church, followed by a great host even to this day. Those saved prior to Paul under the kingdom gospel did not become members of the Church of this dispensation. Those saved at Pentecost and subsequently, and also the circumcision apostles themselves, were all kingdom saints embracing a kingdom hope, and that hope will be realized in the kingdom when those twelve apostles will be sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Further, the writings of these kingdom saints (James, Peter, John, Jude) are not addressed directly to members off the Church of the mystery, the Body of Christ. It is in Paul’s epistles that we find the marching orders for the Church. There may be some parallel lines of truth in the general epistles but that does not make them identical. Just as the Pauline epistles have their place of prominence and are applicable to God’s people today, so the general epistles will have their place of prominence and be applicable to God’s people in the future when God will again be dealing with Israel and with their kingdom program.
With the setting aside of the nation Israel the kingdom program was suspended and a new program was ushered in, the dispensation of the grace of God. Through a new apostle, Paul, it was revealed that the kingdom was postponed and that God would be reaching out in grace to all everywhere, saving sinners by His grace through faith in the redemptive work of His Son who died at Calvary, the Just One for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. The hope of these saved sinners, made members of the Church, Christ’s Body, is not the earthly messianic kingdom which will some day be set up on earth. They have been brought into a spiritual kingdom. Paul wrote: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:12-13). This spiritual kingdom is characterized by righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). And our hope, as members of the Church, is not in the kingdom coming but in our going, caught away to be forever with the Lord.
The dispensation of grace ends with the removal of the Church from earth by way of the rapture, with every member caught away to be for ever with the Lord. Then follows the final chapter in man’s day with the casting down of Satan, the appearance of his tool, the personal antichrist of the end-time, and the great tribulation. The kingdom will again be in view and in spite of satanic opposition there will be a great worldwide proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus predicted this in Matthew 24: 14. He said: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” The end comes with the personal return of King Jesus as the Rider on the white horse, followed by the heavenly army, and trampling His enemies beneath His feet. Then will be heard “great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11: 15) Heavenly beings fall on their faces in worship, saying, “We give thee thanks, 0 Lord God Almighty, which art, and was, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned” (11:17)
Yea, Amen, let all adore Thee, High on Thy exalted throne, Saviour, take Thy power and glory, Claim all kingdoms for Thine own.
Posted By - Cecil Spivey
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WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE? by Charles W. Wages
Friday, August 13th, 2010WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE?
by Charles W. Wages
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These 6 simple tracts deal with vital spiritual issues that are often misunderstood because of the teaching and traditions of men. What we really need to ask is: What Saith the Scriptures? |
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Click on the one that you wand to read: |
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Tract Subjects |
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Posted By – Cecil and Connie Spivey
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God Speaks During the Tribulation and Millennium! John D. LaVier
Thursday, August 12th, 2010Admittedly, we are living in “this present evil age” with wickedness and ungodliness on every hand, but over against the abounding sin of man is the much more over abounding grace of God. During this age God is withholding the judgment that man so richly deserves. He is reaching out in grace to all everywhere, offering pardon from sin and everlasting life to all who will believe on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Already this dispensation of grace has lasted longer than any previous one. Even after many centuries the door of salvation still stands widely open and whosoever will may enter in. One of these days that door wiII be closed and then God will no longer be speaking in His grace, but “then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalm 2:5). In that coming day many will be praying to the mountains and rocks, and saying, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6 16-17) Instead of grace it will be wrath. It behooves each one to flee to Christ, the eternal Rock of Ages, and find in Him a refuge from the coming storms of judgment.
This present age of grace will end with the removal from this earthly scene of the Church, by means of the Rapture, when every member of that Church will be caught away to be forever with the Lord. This takes place prior to the Great Tribulation. The Church was a secret and has no place in a prophesied period of time such as the Great Tribulation, which is “the time of Jacob’s trouble” and has to do with Israel’s prophesied program. Members of the Church have been “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (I Thessalonians 1:9-10). The Lord Jesus has been raised from the dead and has rescued and delivered us from the coming wrath, for “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:9)
In every age had a people those who are his witness. The Great Tribulation will be no exception. Even then God will have those who will bear a testimony for Him. In the seventh chapter of Revelation the judgments are briefly suspended while 144,000 are sealed and sent forth to be Jehovah’s witnesses. There is no need to speculate as to who these are. The Scripture plainly states they are all Jews, twelve thousand from each one of the twelve tribes that make up that nation. Through their preaching of the gospel the world will be evangelized and the result is an innumerable multitude saved out of all the nations. What gospel will they be preaching? Not the gospel of the grace of God which we preach today. The Lord tells us what gospel they would preach. In the Olivet discourse He said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24 14) The kingdom of heaven will again be at hand and these witnesses will be preaching the gospel of the kingdom. They will testify of the coming kingdom and when the testimony has reached all nations the consummation will come with the return of that One of whom the prophet Isaiah wrote: “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (9:7).
The Great Tribulation will be a time when God will be pouring out the vials of wrath upon the impenitent, but it will also be a time when Satan will be venting his wrath against the Lord’s people. Many of the saints will suffer martyrdom because of their refusal to take the mark of the Beast and to worship him In Revelation 6:9-10 the Apostle John writes: “1 saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth’)” The blood of these martyrs will be avenged and they will be rewarded by having a part in the first resurrection to live and reign with Christ. We read: “And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4). This resurrection is called the first simply because it is the first of the two which arc here being considered. This has no reference to the Body of Christ. At the Rapture several years prior to this some members of the Body Church will have already experienced a resurrection out from among those who are dead. The above Scripture indicates that those who take the mark of the Beast have sealed their doom; they have committed a sin which will not be pardoned. To refuse to take the mark will mean physical death, whereas to take it will mean spiritual death. The visible “sin unto death” mentioned in 1 John 5: 1 6 seems to have reference to this.
During the days of the French Revolution, when that country was filled with chaos and terror, there was a mighty spiritual movement under the Wesleys that kept England from going down the same path. It was called “The Great Awakening.” The revolution in France and the revival in England were coexistent. So it will be in the End-time. That will be an era of trouble such as the world has never experienced, chaos indescribable, but at the same time it will be a season of soul saving such as was never seen before. It would appear from Scripture that the ones saved in the Tribulation will be those who had not previously heard the gospel. There are untold millions in many lands who have never had the opportunity to hear the good news of Christ, and those saved in the End-time will possibly come mainly from among these people. Those who have had the truth presented to them in this age of grace, and have turned away from it, will find that it is then too late. In every dispensation God has been “longsuffering … not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,” and even in this future time of judgment He will have his mcssengers and many will be brought to salvation. During the first three and a half years of the end time, while Antichrist is consolidating his power, God has the two witnesses in Jerusalem (Revelation 11 :7-12). The powerful testimony of these two will have a large part in preparing the world for the fruitful ministry of the 144,000. The 144,000 will be active during the last half of the seven years, which period is really the Great Tribulation. Yes, souls will be saved and snatched from the burning even during this time of judgment. We dare not hold out one ray of hope, though, to any who have heard the gospel today and have rejected God’s offer of mercy, and who think they may have another chance at some future time. “Now is the day of salvation .. Today if ye will hear his voice.” The passage in II Thessalonians 2: I0-12 seems to indicate that those who have refused the truth concerning Christ will be given over to believe the lie of Antichrist.
The period of tribulation concludes with the personal return of the rightful Ruler, our Lord Jesus Christ. He comes, unlike His first coming, not in weakness but in power, not to suffer at the hands of His enemies but to destroy them with the breath of His mouth, not to die on a tree of shame but to sit on a throne of glory. He comes to take unto Himself His great power and to reign. Matthew writes: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory” (25:31). Before this throne, the nations, or their representatives, are gathered and it will be determined what place they are to occupy in the millennial kingdom. Israel, restored to favor, their blindness removed, and again blessed of God, will be head among the nations. The Gentile nations will be blessed through them, as God promised to Abraham, saying, “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
In the opening verses of Revelation 20 there is a reference six times to “the thousand years.” This is the Millennium, for the word simply means a thousand annums, or one thousand years. Christ will be reigning during this time as King of kings and I,ord of lords, but His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom “which shall never be destroyed” and cannot be limited to a thousand years. The Millennium is only the initial stage of Christ’s never-ending kingdom and has to do with “the heavens and the earth which are now” (II Peter 3:7). Then the kingdom will be continued in the eternal state having to do with the “new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (3:13). The Millennium is not the golden age, it is the iron age, when Christ will be ruling with a rod of iron. Blessed as the Millennium will be, it will be followed by something better. The Millennium is man’s last test; Satan will be absent, in the bottomless pit, the curse at least partially removed, a righteous government installed, plenty for all, and yet, as in all previous ages, man fails again. Those born during the Millennium will still need to be born again. Many will be and many will not. Some will rebel against the laws of the kingdom and will be swiftly dealt with. Others will give feigned obedience but with no change of heart, and when Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years they will rush to ally themselves with him and to fight against the Lord.
The conditions that will prevail in the Millennium will certainly be a vast improvement over the present order. Satan will not be on hand to deceive the nations for he will be shut up in the bottomless pit. Then the disciples prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” will be answered. The Messianic kingdom will have come and the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Then the peace long dreamed of will be a reality. The Prince of Peace will be enthroned and His kingdom will be peaceful. We read: “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). With the curse lifted the earth will become fertile and fruitful, providing in abundance. Man’s life span will be greatly lengthened and the world population will increase dramatically. There will be no homeless or hungry. All will be workers, and no shirkers, for the Divine Dictator and His agents will make sure that each one does his part. There will be a righteous rule, with no miscarriages of justice, and lawbreakers will be speedily punished, some even by death. But such a sovereignty over the earth with all the attendant blessings does not change the heart of man. This is proven when Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years and when many will again flock to his banner in revolt against the King of kings.
Will the Lord have His messengers during the Millennium and will there be those who need their preaching and teaching? Multitudes will be born during the Millennium. They will be born as members of the lost Adamic race and therefore will need to have the gospel preached to them so they may be born again, for no one experiences the new birth apart from the hearing of the Word. Peter wrote: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abidetll for ever” (I Peter I :23). God will has to do with “the heavens and the earth which are now” (II Peter 3:7). Then the kingdom will be continued in the eternal state having to do with the “new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (3:13). The Millennium is not the golden age, it is the iron age, when Christ will be ruling with a rod of iron. Blessed as the Millennium will be, it will be followed by something better. The Millennium is man’s last test; Satan will be absent, in the bottomless pit, the curse at least partially removed, a righteous government installed, plenty for all, and yet, as in all previous ages, man fails again. Those born during the Millennium will still need to be born again. Many will be and many will not. Some will rebel against the laws of the kingdom and will be swiftly dealt with. Others will give feigned obedience but with no change of heart, and when Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years they will rush to ally themselves with him and to fight against the Lord.
The conditions that will prevail in the Millennium will certainly be a vast improvement over the present order. Satan will not be on hand to deceive the nations for he will be shut up in the bottomless pit. Then the disciples prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” will be answered. The Messianic kingdom will have come and the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Then the peace long dreamed of will be a reality. The Prince of Peace will be enthroned and His kingdom will be peaceful. We read: “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). With the curse lifted the earth will become fertile and fruitful, providing in abundance. Man’s life span will be greatly lengthened and the world population will increase dramatically. There will be no homeless or hungry. All will be workers, and no shirkers, for the Divine Dictator and His agents will make sure that each one does his part. There will be a righteous rule, with no miscarriages of justice, and lawbreakers will be speedily punished, some even by death. But such a sovereignty over the earth with all the attendant blessings does not change the heart of man. This is proven when Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years and when many will again flock to his banner in revolt against the King of kings.
Will the Lord have His messengers during the Millennium and will there be those who need their preaching and teaching? Multitudes will be born during the Millennium. They will be born as members of the lost Adamic race and therefore will need to have the gospel preached to them so they may be born again, for no one experiences the new birth apart from the hearing of the Word. Peter wrote: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (I Peter I :23). God will has to do with “the heavens and the earth which are now” (II Peter 3:7). Then the kingdom will be continued in the eternal state having to do with the “new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (3:13). The Millennium is not the golden age, it is the iron age, when Christ will be ruling with a rod of iron. Blessed as the Millennium will be, it will be followed by something better. The Millennium is man’s last test; Satan will be absent, in the bottomless pit, the curse at least partially removed, a righteous government installed, plenty for all, and yet, as in all previous ages, man fails again. Those born during the Millennium will still need to be born again. Many will be and many will not. Some will rebel against the laws of the kingdom and will be swiftly dealt with. Others will give feigned obedience but with no change of heart, and when Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years they will rush to ally themselves with him and to fight against the Lord.
The conditions that will prevail in the Millennium will certainly be a vast improvement over the present order. Satan will not be on hand to deceive the nations for he will be shut up in the bottomless pit. Then the disciples prayer, “Thy kingdom come,” will be answered. The Messianic kingdom will have come and the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Then the peace long dreamed of will be a reality. The Prince of Peace will be enthroned and His kingdom will be peaceful. We read: “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). With the curse lifted the earth will become fertile and fruitful, providing in abundance. Man’s life span will be greatly lengthened and the world population will increase dramatically. There will be no homeless or hungry. All will be workers, and no shirkers, for the Divine Dictator and His agents will make sure that each one does his part. There will be a righteous rule, with no miscarriages of justice, and lawbreakers will be speedily punished, some even by death. But such a sovereignty over the earth with all the attendant blessings does not change the heart of man. This is proven when Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years and when many will again flock to his banner in revolt against the King of kings.
Will the Lord have His messengers during the Millennium and will there be those who need their preaching and teaching? Multitudes will be born during the Millennium. They will be born as members of the lost Adamic race and therefore will need to have the gospel preached to them so they may be born again, for no one experiences the new birth apart from the hearing of the Word. Peter wrote: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abidetll for ever” (1 Peter 1 :23). God will certainly have many messengers bearing the life-giving Word during this period. In fact, there will be an entire nation, constituting a royal priesthood, who will lead all the nations in their worship of Jehovah, and who will instruct them in all the laws of the kingdom. This is the purpose for which God raised up that nation, the nation Israel, Abraham’s seed. God had said, “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep, my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine; and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exodus 19: 5-6) In the past Israel failed to perform this mission, but in the future they will succeed in bringing all nations to the knowledge of the true and living God. Then, as a result, “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14), and “many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Micah 4:2).
There can be little doubt as to the widespread dissemination of the Word during the thousand year Millennium. It is sad, but true, that there are untold millions in the world today who have never heard the gospel of Christ which is the power of God unto salvation. This will not be true during the Millennium. All will have had God’s message brought to them repeatedly and those who do not respond will be without excuse as well as without hope. In every age God has given His Word to the peoples of the world. Those who hear it and obey it are like the wise man who built his house upon the rock, and when the stonns came the house stood finn. Those who hear the Word and ignore it are like the foolish man who built his house upon the sand, and when the storms came the result was disastrous.
OUNDING SIN ABOUNDING GRACE Pastor J. C. O’Hair
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
If you were given supernatural power for a short while to behold and perceive all of the wicked thoughts, words and deeds of the more than two billion people living now in so‑called Christendom and in all the heathen countries, you would know more of the meaning of ‘abounding sin’. But where sin abounded grace did, and doth, ‘much more’ ‘over‑abound’.
This means that the vilest of the vile, the most wicked person on this earth, and all other members of the human race, ranging from the most moral, benevolent, sincere, conscientious, zealous, religious person to the most wicked, can find God’s saving grace altogether sufficient to transform either the self‑righteous, respectable sinner or the wicked unrighteous criminal into a saint, without any good works or religious doings on the part of any of them. Salvation is the gift of God. “The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Righteousness is the gift of God’s grace.
Posted By- Cecil and Connie Spivey
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