The Church, the Body of Christ

O how this Church, that God ordained to be a wonder and glory in the earth, and in the heavens -- how weak she has become, by trusting in her strength, in her wisdom, in her riches, in her magnificence! And all of it is supposedly in an attempt to cause the nations to bow at the feet of Christ! But there is a Church in the midst of the Church, whose hearts long after God, and it is with these that He has reserved a day of Appointment. It will be a very individual Appointment with those who are "members of His body," as well as a corporate Appointment for the whole body.

God forbid that any one would think that his or her position in the Church, will somehow elevate them in the favour of God. For the body of Christ is composed of many members, and each member of that body is carefully designed by His creative power to function in union with all other members, and to partake equally with them in the Life that God has breathed into that body. For no man or devil or evil principality in the heavens will be able to hinder the mighty work that God continues to perform in the members of His body. His purpose is "that He might sanctify and cleanse it (the Church) with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:26,27).

Let us not hope for Heaven to bring this about. The Last Adam, "the Lord from Heaven" came to earth to do this cleansing, healing work in His people, by the blood of His Cross, and "with the washing of water by the Word." It is not by a sudden stroke of perfection when we enter the courts of Heaven. Jesus Himself, chosen to be the Captain of His people as they war against evil, came to earth as a man that God might make the Captain of their Salvation "perfect through sufferings" (Heb 2:10). It is by testing and trial and affliction while we walk in the midst of a cruel world, that we learn obedience and come to the stature of Christ.

David said that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. But he was speaking prophetically as he described the very intricate workings of God in the body of Christ. For this Church is to be an eternal wonder and glory unto God throughout all ages. David went on to say, "My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth" (Ps 139:14,15). Paul identifies this with our Lord Jesus. "When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things)" (Eph 4:8-10). I believe David was speaking prophetically about this body of Christ that was "made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth." I understand very little about that, but we have much teaching concerning His ascension Glory, where He reigns with all power in Heaven and in Earth. And has sent forth His Spirit into our lives, imparting gifts to His people, and enduing them with power and anointing to bring forth this glorious Body of Christ. Then he declares that God's intention in setting these ministries in the body is that we "grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ" (Eph 4: 15). What marvellous grace, and what a living hope: "that we grow up into Christ!"

One Body . . and Members in Particular

Often there is a tendency to so exalt the truth of God's people being "one body" that we fail to recognize the very individual life that we are to live as a member of the family of God, or as a sheep in the flock of God. Coming into a body relationship must not interfere with that very personal relationship with Christ that He has ordained. A true body relationship among God's people, should enhance and strengthen one's personal walk with God, rather than making it to be subordinate to a corporate body relationship. Just a few scriptures to illustrate this truth:

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular" (1 Cor 12:27).

A member in particular, just as my eye, my ear, my hand, my heart, is very distinct, and has a very special function, that benefits the whole body.

"Of one body." For this body is only healthy and complete when each individual member receives the care it needs from the rest of the body.

The sheep hear His voice: And He calleth His own sheep by name (see Jn 10:3-5). This is very individual and personal. The Shepherd knows each sheep by name, and each sheep knows his Shepherd, by name. Very often the sheep do not act as if they know the True Shepherd by name. How many of them have been taught and nurtured by true pastoral ministry, and really know the Shepherd, and walk with Him, and hear His voice when He calls their name? In too many cases this is not even considered necessary. The sheep hear the voice of their pastor, and they thank him for his counsel. But very often they know not the voice of the True Shepherd in their own walk with the Lord. Their pastor, their elder, their prophet, has become their mediator, instead of that One Mediator who reigns at the right hand of the Father. The sheep must individually know their Shepherd by Name, and follow Him!

The New Covenant, a Covenant of Glory

We have mentioned some of those glorious Appointments that men of old had with their God in Old Testament times; and often New Testament (Covenant) believers are inclined to feel that those visitations of God are not for us in the New Covenant. Is not the New Covenant better than the Old? And if God's people in the Old Covenant knew this very individual relationship with God, how much more should we in the New Covenant? The apostles continually remind us of the "better things" that we have in the New Covenant. And Paul goes so far as to say that the ultimate ministration of the Old Covenant was condemnation and death. "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?" (2 Cor 3:7,8). Then to cap it off, he makes this very conclusive statement concerning the glory that was manifested in the Old Testament: "For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth" (vs 10).

Surely God has greater things, far greater things, for His New Covenant people, than He did for the Old.

I am confident that God will in these last days perform such wondrous things through His people (who seek Him and walk with Him), that they will be known as walking signs of the Mighty God they serve. Paul quotes from the prophet Isaiah: "Behold I and the children which God hath given me" (Heb 2:13). The full quotation from Isaiah is this:

"Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in Mount Zion" (Isa 8:18). The people whom the Father gives to the Son, are "for signs and wonders." Their very lives, and the works they perform, will make them to become a sign and a wonder in the earth. Let us never entertain the thought: O well, I know God said He was going to have a glorious Church, without spot or blemish -- but it can't happen till we get to Heaven. Jesus came from Heaven to earth to bring this about. And the Father has given Him sons and daughters from the earth, born of the same Spirit by which Jesus was born. And they are predestinated "to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Rom 8:29). "Many brethren" in the Family of God, but each son and daughter a very distinct member of that Family – each son and daughter knowing the Voice of their Elder Brother, and following in His footsteps.

God's Appointments are in His Time

We must not fail to emphasize God's Timings. And we must know that God's timings are always related to eternal purposes. In union with the Father, Jesus not only did the Father's will, but He always moved in the Father's time. It wasn't a case of -- I'm the Prophet, so I'm going to prophesy. Or I'm the Teacher, so I'm going to travel far and wide and teach God's people. Jesus only did these things as He moved in the Spirit of the Father, and it was all according to God's eternal purpose and timing. He was always in God's place, doing God's will, in God's time. Therefore He could say to the people gathered in the Synagogue at Nazareth, that on that very day He was fulfilling scripture.

"And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down."

Then as they waited, perhaps for some word of exposition, "He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Lk 4:17-21). This is God's way of "doing the will of God," doing what God tells us to do, indeed. But also moving in the Spirit of Truth. And if we move in the Spirit, it will always be in God's time. Jesus would not be pressured by others. He would say to His brethren who urged Him to go down to the Feast: "My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready" (Jn 7:6).

It was especially grievous to Mary and Martha, whom He loved -- that He refused to go and heal their brother Lazarus when his life was ebbing away. When He got the news, "He abode two days still in the same place where He was" (Jn 11:6). He could have gone and healed Lazarus, or spoken the Word from a long distance, and healed him by a spoken Word. But He moved in the mind and in the will of the Father; and He must remain where He was till Lazarus was dead. All because God had a purpose in mind, and the Son always walked in the way of God's Appointment for Him.

Does it not seem strange how men have been able to turn this all around, and ordain pastors and teachers and apostles and prophets to be in a place of lordship, rather than in a role of servitude? Paul and many others were apostles, but Paul said, writing to the Romans: "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ," and the word servant here means bondslave. Many of these great ministries today do not appear to be in the category of bondslaves, but rather as lords over the flock. And God's people do them a great injustice, by exalting them to a place of reverence and esteem in the House of God, rather than as servants ministering truth to the flock of God.