“Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it 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.” Ephesians 5:25-27.
That, as says the Word, is the church that Christ will present to Himself when He comes. He loved the church and gave Himself for it, and whosoever will be of that church when it shall be the glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, must love the church, and give himself for it.
That is the church by whom God will give His last message to the world “in this generation.” But He can not have that church by whom He can give that message, until He shall find a people who will love the church and give themselves for it.
This is the philosophy of things, as well, for is it not written, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:5. And when that mind in Him led Him to love the church, and to give Himself for it, what will that mind do in any other person? I need dwell no longer upon that.
The church is the body of Christ in the world, it is Christ manifested in the world, it is Christ Himself incarnate in the world, and that church being His body, being Himself manifested, to love that church and give Himself for it, is nothing less, and can not be anything more, that to love Him and give myself for Him.
Membership in that church, then, comes not to belonging to the church in order to belong to Christ, but by belonging to Christ in order to belong to the church. And the difference between these two things is the difference between Christianity and the mystery of iniquity.
The mystery of iniquity exalts the form, the name, the idea, the church, and then calls, and sweeps, and forces, all the world into that church, in order that it may be what the mystery of iniquity designs ... not for salvation, for salvation is not in it, not, for righteousness, for righteousness is not in it. The people are the same as before, though they bear a different name. They conform to different forms of things than they did before, but in character, in life, in all that they ever were, they are the same as though they were not members of the church at all.
But the church, the church of Christ, is Himself manifested. Therefore to belong to this church we must belong first to Him. And membership in this church depends altogether upon our membership of Him. And being in the church depends altogether upon our being in Him, and to be in the church by being in Him, that makes a new people. That changes the individual into another man. That makes him a Christian, such as is Christ, Christ manifest.
Then we need to consider ourselves daily, each one for himself, and ask, “am I a member of the church?” Not because I am enrolled on the books of the church. Not, am I a member of the church because I have joined the church and that is my dependence? But, am I a member of the church because my name is enrolled in the book of life? Am I a member of the church because I have given myself to Christ, and belong to Him, and live and move and have my being in Him? Such as these are the only members of the church that are on the earth.
It matters not how much we have our names on the church book, nor how long it be done, we will never be members of the church that way. And though it should be that opportunity or circumstances prevent your name from being in any book on earth, or in any collection of individuals on the earth, yet if you are joined to Him, and live in Him, you are a member of the church, though you be the only soul on earth. That is the only true membership of the church of Christ, and that is the only way to membership in the church of Christ. MPM
