Jesus the Light 31 Christ’s Church 2
The holy temple of Christ’s church is built upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone as its foundation. It is not made with cement and wood. Devoted believers in the Lord Jesus are what make up God’s dwelling, His house, His building.
This church is further described in the Scriptures as a family, slaves, soldiers, sheep, branches, priests, a body, and a bride. Let us consider what each illustration teaches us.
The church is made up of BROTHERS AND SISTERS. 2 Cor.6:18: “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,’ says the Lord Almighty.” The life of the Father is the common portion of all His children. He is exalted over all to whom all owe everything within the family. Mt.23:8,9: “You are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.”
None have any place of superiority over others. Love and consideration characterize them all and obedience to a Father’s will is their crowning glory. Glad fellowship and mutual caring knit their hearts together in love within God’s family.
The church are SLAVES of God. Rom.6:17,18: “Though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Slaves are purchased possessions. They have no rights, and their independent opinions and desires are not the concern of the Master. Their single focus is to know and obey the command of their Master [1 Cor.6:19,20].
No man can serve two masters. There exists no place for men to lord it over fellow slaves in the church of Christ. 1 Cor.7:23: “You have been bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” Jesus alone is Lord in the church He is building.
Jesus’ church contains SOLDIERS. 2 Tim.2:3,4: “Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
Soldiers do not entangle themselves in the affairs of everyday life. Conflict for the sake of the kingdom is their concern. Commands from their Captain are all that they listen to.
Hardship, self-denial, and discipline are what their lives consist of. Pleasing the Commander and gaining victory over the foe fills their waking moments.
The church fights the good fight of faith, not with carnal weapons and fleshly might, but with the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Error, evil, and hate are fought with truth, righteousness, and love. Only then is victory sure.
SHEEP describes the church of Christ. There exists but “one flock with one Shepherd” – Jn.10:16. Men are no substitutes for Christ. His voice alone is heard and followed by His flock. The voices of strangers will not be listened to or followed. Rather, the sheep will flee from any not speaking the Word of the Shepherd.
This identifies what true shepherd care is: speaking with the voice of Christ, leading in His paths of righteousness to feed upon His Word. The Lord says in Jer.3:15:
“I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.” Any who would draw men after themselves, speaking man’s wisdom and tradition, are thieves and robbers [Ezek.34:1-16; Acts 20:30].
BRANCHES connected to Christ, the Vine, bear much fruit in His church. Jesus said in Jn.15:5: “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” That is, nothing to glorify the Father, nothing to truly benefit man. The life of the True Vine courses through every branch to produce the fruit of that Life; fruit of “goodness, righteousness, and truth” -Eph.5:9.
Fruit cannot be imitated as spiritual gifts and miracles may be. The fruitful fragrance of Christ is what is evidenced in all who are in living union with Him. Life produces fruit that no ceremony, regulations, denomination, or traditions could ever do.
In Jesus’ church, every believer is a PRIEST. A throne of grace is open to all who draw near to God through Jesus, the only High Priest who always lives to intercede for His own [Heb.7:24,25]. Each believer has equal privilege and access to the God of heaven, for all are spiritual priests.
Heb.4:14-16: “Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.”
From every believer without distinction, offerings are brought: our bodies are presented as living sacrifices [Rom.12:1,2], praise rises from grateful and fruitful lips [Heb.13:15], and good deeds of sharing abound [Heb.13:16].
No such thing as clergy and laity exist in the NT church patterned after Christ. No separate class of men officiate and rule over the spiritual life and ministry of the believers. All are priests.
In the church Jesus is building, there is only one BODY joined to its one head, Christ. Col.1:18: “He is the head of the body, the church.” One Head governs the one body of Christ. There are not multiple heads in His church. No one’s body could live and function with two heads. There are not multiple bodies in His church. No one could live and function with more than one body.
The members of the body receive their life, guidance, and spiritual assignments directly from the Head, not from fellow members [Mk.13:34]. The hand does not dictate to the foot. If one suffers, that member sends a message of distress to the Head. The Head then orders the response of the other members to relieve the suffering member.
All is orderly and coordinated because the Head governs all. No imposed structure from without directs the church. Christ is truly the living Head of His church, not merely a figurehead or managing director of a corporation.
The church as a BRIDE makes herself ready for her day of gladness. 2 Cor.11:2: “I promised you to one husband that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” Affectionate devotion and determined purity are what characterize the bride. She has an eye for none other. Her love is reserved for One alone.
She despises that friendship with the world which would defile her into harlotry [Jas.4:4]. She prepares herself for the glorious day in which she shall appear spotless and radiant, with no stain or blemish.
Righteous deeds weave the whitened fabric of her beauteous dress while she gladly submits to His good pleasure. And so it is that the true church of Christ can say, “I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is for me” – S. of S. 7:10.
Dear Listener, these are the ways the true church of the Lord Jesus is described in the Word of God. What we discover in the Scriptures about the church that Jesus is building is far different than what we meet on ground.
Carnal denominations have scattered the one body of Christ. Love of money has turned the bride into a prostitute. Proud pastors and overbearing rulers have replaced Christ as the Good Shepherd. Man-made priests have pushed aside Christ and His true priests. Loving fellowship among equal brethren has been cancelled by religious moderators.
Fake miracles and deliverance by wolves in sheep’s clothing have corrupted the fruit of Christ’s branches in the True Vine. Search anywhere in the NT, nothing even close to the noise, acrobatics, and programs of our religious meetings can ever be found. It’s just not there. Jer.5:31: “And My people love it so; but what will you do at the end of it?”
Copyright Steve Phillips 2020