The Body of Christ
We begin a study of the most crucial truth of the Faith we hold dear. Our salvation depends upon it! We celebrate this truth at each communion table. The Apostle John “fleshes” out this truth in John 1:14:
“And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelled among us, and we beheld His Glory, the Glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.”
The Apostle Paul proclaims this God Who has a human body, Who was made flesh, in Colossians 1:19, where he says of this Son of the Father’s love (1:13 NKJV), this “firstborn over all creation (1:15 NKJV): “For it pleased the Father that IN HIM (the Firstborn over all creation) all the fullness should dwell.” And in 2:9-10, lest we misunderstand what he means by “fullness”, after warning not to be cheated by philosophers and empty “worldly” religion, (vs 8) Paul makes his meaning plain:
“For IN HIM (THE CHRIST) DWELLS ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY!!!”
And the radical application of this truth is in the next verse, “and you are complete IN HIM”!!!!!
I believe the professed church of Jesus Christ has not heeded Paul’s warning in Colossians 2:8. It’s dedication to temples made with hands (see Acts 17:24-25), a “fleshly felt needs gospel”, and the god of success worshiped almost everywhere, manifests the “cheat”! Empty philosophy’s and worldly principles rule the day in the “church”! So many who name the Name of Christ are “incomplete”. Their fleshly frustration is because there is little to no emphasis on “discerning the Lord’s body”! Our completeness, our sanctification, our fullness is only IN HIM IN WHOM DWELLS ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY!!!
Our Lord uttered those shocking words in John 6:53, “Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say unto you, UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU!!!” His Body is the source of our Eternal Life. Feasting on this truth is the source of our spiritual fullness. Remember how radical this truth was when Jesus spoke it? Most of His disciples departed. I pray that you will not “go away”, but will stay with the only one Who has the Words of Life. (John 6:67-69) I pray we will “hear and learn from the Father” and come increasingly to Feast on His Jesus!!!
In coming studies, we will look at, (1) The Necessity of the Body of Christ, (2) The Perfection of the Body of Christ, (3) The Application of the Body of Christ, (4) The Completion of the Body of Christ.
THE BODY OF CHRIST IS THE GOLDEN THREAD THAT TIES TOGETHER ALL OF THE FATHER’S WILL AND PURPOSE IN CREATION AND IN ALL ETERNITY. (Ephesians 1:3-12)
The Necessity of the Body of Christ
How dead is dead?
I. God’s Ultimate Purpose in creation:
A. Colossians 1:16 “For by Him (the Son of His Love) all things were created.....All things were created through Him AND FOR HIM.” The Son, as the Word, is the Declaration of the Glorious Will and Purpose of the Godhead. It follows then, from this passage, that all creation was made for the purpose of the Word’s declaration, the exhibition of the Glory of God.
B. Ephesians 3:1-12 Notice here that all the Purpose and Will of the Father through the Son is that we creatures, (specifically redeemed creatures in our context) are to exhibit praise to the Glory of His Grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
God’s ultimate purpose in creation is to display His Grace and Glory specifically through His Word made flesh.
C. Genesis 1:26-28 The initial declaration of the Image of God in creation was through God creating man, male and female. That image seems to be exhibited in the one flesh relationship of love of the man and woman (Gen. 21-25), but also in their purpose on the earth to have dominion, being stewards, of all created life. This “image theme” will be increasingly significant as we draw closer to the manifestation of th “body of Christ”. This “imaging purpose” will be seen more fully when we come to Hebrews 2:5-9.
II. The Fall and it’s Curse Genesis 1:15-17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Romans 6:23a “for the wages of sin is death.” Sins wages and consequent judgment was established in this Word of God.
A. Notice the margin for Genesis 2:16, “die”–Literally means, “DYING YOU SHALL DIE”. This full definition of “die” blares out the truth that death has got you long before you are six feet under!!!
1. First and foremost is the death of the Sustaining Relationship of all creation. Genesis 3:8 with its “sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” seems to indicate a fellowship, a communion between the “gardener” and his Creator. I have a hunch that these “discussions” were about more than fertilizer. This fellowship of communion and obedience was to sustain the creation in its God Designed Glory.
But this communion is the first fatality of sin! In Genesis 3:16-24, God banishes man, male and female–the image bearing “rulers” of the garden, consigning them to the continual harassment of the very creation they once oversaw–thorns and thistles. Vs 18 And of course with the death of communion with the creator comes the destruction of all human relationship. First, the thorn in the relationship of Adam and Eve (3:6-13, 17) and then the conflict between Cain and Abel and murder of Abel. (Gen. 4:1-8) And then “death passed upon all men because all have sinned” (Romans 5:12) as evidenced in man’s history of wars and rumors of war.
2. Death of the body–the “deterioration of human DNA” ending in physical death. Romans 8:10 b “the body is dead because of sin”. Consider the deterioration of length of “life” in Adam’s family recorded in Genesis 5-18. Adam lived 930 years, AND HE DIED. This “epitaph” marks each man in this lineage, AND HE DIED. After the flood and after the fateful Tower of Babel, we find that Abraham’s father, Terah, lived only 205 years (Gen. 11:32, and Abraham and Sarah were “old” at 100! (Gen 17:17, 18:11-15)
But this death begins at conception. Babies have esophageal disconnects! We call these “birth defects”. Actually, normal births are the anomaly, given sin’s impact on all creation! The often heard, “God made me this way” to explain sexual aberrations is in error. No, sin “made me this way.” Sin introduced death into the genetic code!
3. God’s Design and Order are perfect–it is man’s fall that has emitted the continual “groaning over all creation”!! Romans 8:22 Man’s fall subjected all of creation to the “road kill” of sin. And notice creations hope, the redemption and restoration of man’s body, the restoration of the Image of God in man, that he might once again become the “Steward of the earth”.
4. The extent of this death–Paul’s autopsy. Romans 1:18-25, 3:9-18
“There is NONE righteous (God pleasing), NO NOT ONE; there Is NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, there is none WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD,.....THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE.” (3:10-12) Death is universal!!! Had a conversation with any 500 year old humans lately? Man is dying and dead physically, emotionally, spiritually and any other way you can think of. “For the wages of sin is death.”
Notice once again Romans 3:11, “There is none who understands.” Man continually worships at the tree of knowledge. Knowledge has increased tremendously in the earth. But man has no true understanding. His knowledge always becomes self destructive at some point. Understanding is the Gift of God as I John 5:20 clearly states and to be with out this God given understanding, knowledge only leads to eternal death!!!
Better news next time as we look at the Perfection of the Body of Christ!
We begin a study of the most crucial truth of the Faith we hold dear. Our salvation depends upon it! We celebrate this truth at each communion table. The Apostle John “fleshes” out this truth in John 1:14:
“And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelled among us, and we beheld His Glory, the Glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.”
The Apostle Paul proclaims this God Who has a human body, Who was made flesh, in Colossians 1:19, where he says of this Son of the Father’s love (1:13 NKJV), this “firstborn over all creation (1:15 NKJV): “For it pleased the Father that IN HIM (the Firstborn over all creation) all the fullness should dwell.” And in 2:9-10, lest we misunderstand what he means by “fullness”, after warning not to be cheated by philosophers and empty “worldly” religion, (vs 8) Paul makes his meaning plain:
“For IN HIM (THE CHRIST) DWELLS ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY!!!”
And the radical application of this truth is in the next verse, “and you are complete IN HIM”!!!!!
I believe the professed church of Jesus Christ has not heeded Paul’s warning in Colossians 2:8. It’s dedication to temples made with hands (see Acts 17:24-25), a “fleshly felt needs gospel”, and the god of success worshiped almost everywhere, manifests the “cheat”! Empty philosophy’s and worldly principles rule the day in the “church”! So many who name the Name of Christ are “incomplete”. Their fleshly frustration is because there is little to no emphasis on “discerning the Lord’s body”! Our completeness, our sanctification, our fullness is only IN HIM IN WHOM DWELLS ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY!!!
Our Lord uttered those shocking words in John 6:53, “Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say unto you, UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU HAVE NO LIFE IN YOU!!!” His Body is the source of our Eternal Life. Feasting on this truth is the source of our spiritual fullness. Remember how radical this truth was when Jesus spoke it? Most of His disciples departed. I pray that you will not “go away”, but will stay with the only one Who has the Words of Life. (John 6:67-69) I pray we will “hear and learn from the Father” and come increasingly to Feast on His Jesus!!!
In coming studies, we will look at, (1) The Necessity of the Body of Christ, (2) The Perfection of the Body of Christ, (3) The Application of the Body of Christ, (4) The Completion of the Body of Christ.
THE BODY OF CHRIST IS THE GOLDEN THREAD THAT TIES TOGETHER ALL OF THE FATHER’S WILL AND PURPOSE IN CREATION AND IN ALL ETERNITY. (Ephesians 1:3-12)
The Necessity of the Body of Christ
How dead is dead?
I. God’s Ultimate Purpose in creation:
A. Colossians 1:16 “For by Him (the Son of His Love) all things were created.....All things were created through Him AND FOR HIM.” The Son, as the Word, is the Declaration of the Glorious Will and Purpose of the Godhead. It follows then, from this passage, that all creation was made for the purpose of the Word’s declaration, the exhibition of the Glory of God.
B. Ephesians 3:1-12 Notice here that all the Purpose and Will of the Father through the Son is that we creatures, (specifically redeemed creatures in our context) are to exhibit praise to the Glory of His Grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
God’s ultimate purpose in creation is to display His Grace and Glory specifically through His Word made flesh.
C. Genesis 1:26-28 The initial declaration of the Image of God in creation was through God creating man, male and female. That image seems to be exhibited in the one flesh relationship of love of the man and woman (Gen. 21-25), but also in their purpose on the earth to have dominion, being stewards, of all created life. This “image theme” will be increasingly significant as we draw closer to the manifestation of th “body of Christ”. This “imaging purpose” will be seen more fully when we come to Hebrews 2:5-9.
II. The Fall and it’s Curse Genesis 1:15-17 “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Romans 6:23a “for the wages of sin is death.” Sins wages and consequent judgment was established in this Word of God.
A. Notice the margin for Genesis 2:16, “die”–Literally means, “DYING YOU SHALL DIE”. This full definition of “die” blares out the truth that death has got you long before you are six feet under!!!
1. First and foremost is the death of the Sustaining Relationship of all creation. Genesis 3:8 with its “sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day” seems to indicate a fellowship, a communion between the “gardener” and his Creator. I have a hunch that these “discussions” were about more than fertilizer. This fellowship of communion and obedience was to sustain the creation in its God Designed Glory.
But this communion is the first fatality of sin! In Genesis 3:16-24, God banishes man, male and female–the image bearing “rulers” of the garden, consigning them to the continual harassment of the very creation they once oversaw–thorns and thistles. Vs 18 And of course with the death of communion with the creator comes the destruction of all human relationship. First, the thorn in the relationship of Adam and Eve (3:6-13, 17) and then the conflict between Cain and Abel and murder of Abel. (Gen. 4:1-8) And then “death passed upon all men because all have sinned” (Romans 5:12) as evidenced in man’s history of wars and rumors of war.
2. Death of the body–the “deterioration of human DNA” ending in physical death. Romans 8:10 b “the body is dead because of sin”. Consider the deterioration of length of “life” in Adam’s family recorded in Genesis 5-18. Adam lived 930 years, AND HE DIED. This “epitaph” marks each man in this lineage, AND HE DIED. After the flood and after the fateful Tower of Babel, we find that Abraham’s father, Terah, lived only 205 years (Gen. 11:32, and Abraham and Sarah were “old” at 100! (Gen 17:17, 18:11-15)
But this death begins at conception. Babies have esophageal disconnects! We call these “birth defects”. Actually, normal births are the anomaly, given sin’s impact on all creation! The often heard, “God made me this way” to explain sexual aberrations is in error. No, sin “made me this way.” Sin introduced death into the genetic code!
3. God’s Design and Order are perfect–it is man’s fall that has emitted the continual “groaning over all creation”!! Romans 8:22 Man’s fall subjected all of creation to the “road kill” of sin. And notice creations hope, the redemption and restoration of man’s body, the restoration of the Image of God in man, that he might once again become the “Steward of the earth”.
4. The extent of this death–Paul’s autopsy. Romans 1:18-25, 3:9-18
“There is NONE righteous (God pleasing), NO NOT ONE; there Is NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, there is none WHO SEEKS AFTER GOD,.....THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE.” (3:10-12) Death is universal!!! Had a conversation with any 500 year old humans lately? Man is dying and dead physically, emotionally, spiritually and any other way you can think of. “For the wages of sin is death.”
Notice once again Romans 3:11, “There is none who understands.” Man continually worships at the tree of knowledge. Knowledge has increased tremendously in the earth. But man has no true understanding. His knowledge always becomes self destructive at some point. Understanding is the Gift of God as I John 5:20 clearly states and to be with out this God given understanding, knowledge only leads to eternal death!!!
Better news next time as we look at the Perfection of the Body of Christ!