Category: The Church the Body of Christ

The Children of God #4

Sunday, June 10, 2012

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28 KJV).

Today’s Scripture describes the unity of Christians, “the children of God.”

After briefly summarizing the identity of the members of the Body of Christ, Paul concludes with, “For ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Just as Jesus Christ desired unity amongst His Jewish kingdom believers—“That they all may be one” (John 17:16)—God wants unity in the Church the Body of Christ. (Understand, we should not and do not sacrifice doctrine for the sake of unity!)

If you have trusted in Christ Jesus alone as your personal Saviour, then these seven doctrines/issues unite you with every other member of the Body of Christ. The “[seven-fold] unity of the Spirit” is “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, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

All members of the Body of Christ are positioned in that one body forever, they are all indwelt by the same Holy Spirit of God, they are all destined to reign in heaven with Christ forever, they have all trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, they all rely on Christ’s faith (Calvary’s finished crosswork), they have all been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ, and they all have God as their heavenly Father. This is our God-given position in Christ! “Ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Our Lord looks beyond denominations, ethnicities, social-economic statuses, education, gender, weaknesses, and strengths. He looks at the hearts of all people, to only see two groups: those who are children of the devil (John 8:44), and those who are “the children of God” (today’s Scripture).

*The past four devotionals have been combined and expanded to form a larger Bible study with the same name, which can be read here or watched here.

The Children of God #3

Saturday, June 9, 2012

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28 KJV).

Today’s Scripture describes the equality of Christians, “the children of God.”

  • “There is neither Jew nor Greek” — Prior to our dispensation, God distinguished between Jew (“Circumcision”) and Gentile (“Uncircumcision”) (Ephesians 2:11,12): this distinction has been temporarily suspended (verses 13-18). In our dispensation, God looks beyond nationality; He only sees Christians (members of the Body of Christ) and lost people. “…For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;… Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them [Jew and Gentile] that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:9,22,23).
  • “There is neither bond nor free” — This refers to social-economic statuses: today’s employer-employee relationship. In Bible times, masters (“free”) employed slaves (“bond”). God gives no special status to Christian masters (employers), nor does He grant Christian slaves (employees) any special standing (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:20-24). Again, when God looks at mankind, He only sees those that are “in Christ” and those that are not. “Neither is there respect of persons with [God]” (Ephesians 6:9c; Colossians 3:25b).
  • “There is neither male nor female” — All members of the Body of Christ are equally “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). In God’s eyes, Christian women are of no lesser value than Christian men, and vice versa.

While the Body of Christ consists of men and women, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, all Christians are equally saved in God’s sight (just as all lost people are equally dead in their trespasses and sins). All Christians “are complete in [Christ]” (Colossians 2:10), but few ever study the Bible dispensationally (as we do here) to discover their identity in Christ.

The Children of God #2

Friday, June 8, 2012

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28 KJV).

Today’s Scripture briefly describes “the children of God.”

According to the Bible, everyone is not God’s child. Only those who have “faith in Christ Jesus” are God’s children. Unless a person has “believed on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31)—relying on His sacrifice at Calvary’s cross as the fully satisfying payment for his or her sins—he or she is not a child of God.

Those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we “have been baptized into Christ.” This is not water baptism, for the Bible reads that we “have been baptized into Christ,” not “baptized into water.” When we trusted Christ alone as Saviour, the Holy Spirit baptized us into the Church the Body of Christ. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Holy Ghost, not a preacher or priest, administers the only valid baptism for this Dispensation of Grace (Ephesians 4:5).

When the Holy Spirit baptized us into the Body of Christ, He identified us with Christ’s death: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ [not water!] were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death…” (Romans 6:3,4a). Just as Christ died, we died to sin. Now, sin does not have dominion over us. When Christ was raised, we were raised to “walk in newness of life” (verse 4b).

Literally, we have “put on Christ” (today’s Scripture). We have been made “the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God the Father sees us in Christ: He sees Christ’s righteousness, not our unrighteousness. Saints, God will always accept us in Christ (Ephesians 1:6). We will always be “the Body of Christ,” “the children of God.”

Four Small, Yet Exceeding Wise, Creatures

Sunday, May 20, 2012

“There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:” (Proverbs 30:24 KJV).

What are these four creatures? The context names them: ants, conies, locusts, and spiders. Let us learn from these “exceeding wise” creatures.

  • ANTS (verse 25): “The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;” Ant societies are extremely complex. In the colony millions of ants cooperate with one another to forage for and store food. Although ants are mere specks to us, these “weakly creatures” teach us to adequately prepare for the future (in their case, lack of food in winter). Prepare for eternity by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ today for salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).
  • CONIES (verse 26): “The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;” Conies? They are a type of rock-hare or rabbit (rock-hyrax?). Other than biting, their defense is retreating to their houses… in the rocks (Psalm 104:18). Never be ashamed to admit you need God’s protection: you are weak without Christ (2 Corinthians 3:5; 2 Corinthians 4:7-10; Philippians 4:13).
  • LOCUSTS (verse 27): “The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;” If locusts (swarming grasshoppers) can organize themselves into bands without a king (leader), then how much more unity can we have with a leader? We need to follow the Apostle Paul as he follows the Head of the Body, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1; Colossians 1:18).
  • SPIDERS (verse 28): “The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.” While a spider may live in a king’s palace, a luxurious mansion, she does not loaf or mooch. The diligent spider catches her own prey, binding it in her webbing. Your Christian life should not consist of sitting around and doing nothing. We have been ordained to good works, so let Christ do His good work in and through you (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:8).

These puny creatures have more sense than us humans! Indeed, they are four small, yet exceeding wise, creatures. 🙂

Paul’s Prayer for the Philippians

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11 KJV).

In today’s Scripture, our Apostle Paul shows us how to pray!

Notice the three specific things for which Paul prayed for these members of the Body of Christ (this is how we should pray for fellow Christians!):

  • “That your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment:” Paul (and the Holy Spirit) wants Christians to have greater desire and love for spiritual knowledge and discernment. Essentially, he wanted these believers in Philippi to long for sound Bible doctrine, so that they could then be able to make wise, godly decisions.
  • “That ye may approve things that are excellent:” Christians should have high standards—values, beliefs, et cetera. We do not conform to social “norms:” we esteem that which God values (what the world disrespects).
  • “That ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ:” “Sincere” means “genuine,” as opposed to hypocritical; Paul desired these Christians to be genuine (not simply “put-on,” “phonies,” et cetera). That they would be “without offence till the day of Christ [this is the Judgment Seat of Christ]”—that they would lead godly lives that honored the Lord.

These three qualities are fulfilled when we are “filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ.” When we study and believe the Bible dispensationally, the Holy Spirit will use that doctrine to work in us (1 Thessalonians 2:13), to generate His “fruit:” “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22,23). When we allow the indwelling Holy Spirit to work in us and produce that fruit, the Bible calls this “[Holy] Spirit-filled” (Ephesians 5:18). As today’s Scripture says, this will result in “the glory and praise of God!”

Interested in learning more about “Pauline prayer?” Click here.

If Sinners Entice Thee, Consent Thou Not

Monday, May 14, 2012

“My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not” (Proverbs 1:10 KJV).

This world is filled with temptations. Sinful individuals surround us, and they encourage us to sin with them. Today’s Scripture says, “Consent thou not!” Ignore the negative peer pressure!

Saints, even though we are members of the Church the Body of Christ, we still sin. On a daily basis, our new nature in Christ wars against our old nature we inherited from Adam: “the flesh lusteth against the [indwelling Holy] Spirit, and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17a). But, we have victory over sin when we walk, by faith, in our identity in Christ!

In today’s Scripture (and the verses following it), King Solomon shares God’s wisdom with us: “If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood [murder], let us lurk privily [secretly] for the innocent without cause: let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: we shall find all precious substance [loot], we shall fill our houses with spoil: cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse” (Proverbs 1:11-14).

What is God’s response? Verses 15-19: “My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.”

When someone encourages you to be partaker of their “killing and stealing,” or any action that does not agree with God’s Holy Word rightly divided, “walk not thou in the way of them.” In Christ, God has saved us from that lifestyle and its resulting death: we have no need to return to them. “Walk in the Spirit [by faith in our new identity in Christ], and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh [sin]” (Galatians 5:16).

I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel of Christ #2

Friday, May 11, 2012

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 KJV).

Why is the Gospel of Christ given “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek?”

From Genesis chapter 12 (Abraham’s salvation) to Acts chapter 9 (Paul’s salvation), God dealt almost exclusively with Israel. During those 2,000 years, God dealt with mankind on the basis of physical circumcision (Jew) and physical uncircumcision (Gentile) (Ephesians 2:11,12).

During these centuries, the Old Testament prophets reminded Israel of her coming King (Deuteronomy 18:15; Isaiah 9:6,7; Jeremiah 23:5,6; Zechariah 9:9; et al.). When Jesus Christ presented Himself to Israel in the Four Gospel Records, He came to establish His kingdom on earth, for Israel to then evangelize the pagan Gentiles (Exodus 19:5,6; Isaiah 60:1-3; et al.). Nonetheless, Israel rejected Jesus in unbelief, demanding His crucifixion on Calvary (John 19:15).

After Jesus Christ resurrected, Israel still rejected Him by persecuting and ignoring the Holy Spirit-filled twelve apostles who were calling Israel to repentance and faith (Acts 2:14-40; Acts 3:12-26; Acts 4:8-31; Acts 5:29-42; et al.). With uncooperative Israel finally murdering her prophet Stephen in Acts chapter 7, God turns to the Gentiles without Israel (Romans 11:11,12). The ascended Lord Jesus Christ saves Saul of Tarsus (Paul) in Acts chapter 9, commissioning him as his apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13).

From Acts chapter 9 to Acts chapter 28, Israel is “diminishing”—losing her special status before God (Romans 11:12). Thus, in the cities Paul visits in the book of Acts, God has him go to the local synagogue to preach the Gospel of Christ to Jews first: “Brethren [Jews], you have killed your Messiah Jesus, and your kingdom program is falling away, so you can only be saved now by becoming a member of the Church the Body of Christ!” Once these lost Jews refused to listen, Paul preached salvation in Christ to local pagan Greeks (Gentiles) (Acts 9:20-22; Acts 13:5, 14-52; Acts 14:1-27; Acts 17:1-34; Acts 18:1-11,18-21; Acts 19:8-10; Acts 28:20-31).

Let Another Man Praise Thee

Monday, May 7, 2012

“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Proverbs 27:2 KJV).

As humans, we all have a tendency to brag about ourselves. Religion only makes the matter worse, for it teaches us to perform rites and rituals for others to see. They then “glory in [our] flesh,” boasting in our ability to fulfill those commandments (see Galatians 6:12,13). We need not praise ourselves, dear friends, for in due time, another Man shall praise us.

While we all enjoy someone telling us “Good job” or “Congratulations,” oftentimes these words go unspoken. Some individuals, no matter what we do, will never accept us. Even if it was godly Christian service, they still criticize us. Nothing we do will ever be good enough for them. No matter how kind we are to them, they will never treat us with respect. Do we love man’s praise, or God’s praise (John 12:43)? If we want man’s praise, then we should not be Christ’s servants (Galatians 1:10)!

In 1 Corinthians 4:5, the Apostle Paul talks about Christians having “praise of God” at the Judgment Seat of Christ: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

The day is coming, the Judgment Seat of Christ, when Jesus Christ Himself will evaluate us Christians (the Church the Body of Christ) (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10). He will look into our inner man (soul), searching our hearts and examining the doctrine we studied and believed from His Word rightly divided, the doctrine we stored in our inner man by faith. He will evaluate the doctrine we believed according to Paul’s epistles (1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Finally, we will receive a reward: an office in the government of heaven (Ephesians 1:3,20-23; Ephesians 2:6,7; Colossians 1:16-20; 2 Timothy 2:12)!

While fellow man may never say “Thank you” or “Well done” in response to thy acts of kindness or accomplishments, let another man praise thee… let the God-Man praise thee.

The Temporal State and the Eternal State

Monday, April 30, 2012

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19 KJV).

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the State of Louisiana officially joining the Union (becoming the 18th state of the United States). While I am proud of my Cajun (French-Canadian) heritage, being a part of God’s family is more important. Louisiana is only my temporal state. I anticipate my eternal state… the third heaven.

May I never grow attached to the things of this life, for they will pass away. “[I am] risen with Christ, [and I] seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [I] set [my] affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1,2). While I am conscious of my life here on earth, I live it in accordance with the eternal Word of God, remembering that this state is temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18).

One day, I will cease to be a Louisianian. I will bid this state farewell, never to set foot on it again. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, I shall be caught up in rapture to arrive in glory on high (1 Corinthians 15:51). Heaven, my new home shall be, and there shall I reign with Christ, throughout all eternity (2 Timothy 2:12).

I shall leave this state, where I have lived for all my life, and enter a new state, one free from sin, death, pain, and strife. I shall enter a state of unfathomable creatures and landscapes, expansive realms of unspeakable beauty to roam. And, there I shall see my Saviour, the great God and my Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory, finally shaking His hand as He exclaims, “Welcome home!”

Once, I was a hell-bound Gentile, but since I have trusted Christ Jesus alone as my personal Saviour, I am part of God’s household, “a fellow-citizen with the saints” (today’s Scripture). I will not always be a Louisianian, but I will always be a saint of the most High God. Louisiana is my state… only for now….

The Body of Christ at the Second Coming?

Friday, April 27, 2012

“And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:14 KJV).

Today’s Scripture and its context (verses 11-21) describe the literal, physical, and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ to planet earth. According to today’s Scripture, at Jesus Christ’s Second Coming, He is accompanied by “the armies which were in heaven,” individuals “clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” Who are these creatures?

While today’s Scripture is often assumed to be referring to us (the Church the Body of Christ), Jesus Christ provides the correct interpretation regarding His Second Coming: “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” (Matthew 25:31). The creatures described in today’s Scripture are angels, not us: angels wear white clothes (Mark 16:5; Acts 1:10).

At the rapture (which could happen at any moment), God will secretly and instantly will remove from earth all people who have trusted exclusively in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, those who have relied completely on Christ’s dying for their sins, His burial, and His resurrection for their justification (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Paul describes the rapture in two main passages: 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

If God will one day remove us (the Body of Christ) from the earth, would it make any sense for us to return to earth at His Second Coming? No, it does not, for we the Church the Body of Christ belong in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3; Ephesians 2:6,7; Colossians 3:1; 2 Timothy 4:18). God will give us bodies “eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1-5): our glorified bodies will not be meant to function on earth.

At His Second Coming, Jesus Christ will be coming for Israel: we have no relation to that event. Beginning at the rapture and down through the ages of eternity future, we, the Body of Christ, will function in heaven. We will have no need to ever return to earth: earth will be Israel’s territory.