This post is just for you and does not concern any other person on this earth.
In a rapidly changing world of information overload there is also much mis/disinformation. The Absolute Certainty that you are entitled to possess is constantly being threatened by forces that seem to be out of your control. You can, despite the pressures being applied from every direction, know exactly what is truth.
To belong to Christ is a very personal and intimate reality. He has compared it to marriage and to the complete Oneness and Unity of the Three Heavenly Beings of the Godhead.
When Adam, and later in the day Eve, were being formed by the hands of Christ out of the earth, He had you on His mind as He was writing your DNA into these first parents. With His Infinite mind He saw everything that would be you and all that would happen to you. On this earth four thousand years later, He was moment by moment living all of your life, to gain the victories that you would need. As He hung on the cross to save you from your sins, He was thinking of you. This is very personal. Christianity is very personal; Christ abiding, dwelling in your heart!
Christ and you.
This personal Christian life and it’s success, is not dependant on religion. It is not dependant on attendance at meetings. There are times when all religious services are an abomination to the Lord. Singing, prayer and words are disgusting to Him, He has to turn away from the noise. He cannot be deceived with honeyed phrases that mean nothing. Flattery does not tickle His ear. The double-minded man, who wants the evil, even while asking for the good, receives nothing from the Lord. Hypocrisy is detestable to God. He only desires sincerity, and that willingly. Isaiah 1-3.
We currently see in our world so vast a contrast that — on one hand we have rapidly dwindling congregations and on the other mega-churches with tens of thousands attending, and virtual churches with allegedly hundreds of thousands viewing on livestream. However, the gospel is an individual work in each individual heart; this does not consist of dealing with multitudes, but the individual. Even when speaking to thousands Christ addressed each one individually. He did not consider it a waste to devote His time to one single person. The most important and glorious truths Christ has had recorded were to a one soul audience. The Good Shepherd looks after and cares for the single lamb. The church that Christ will present to Himself when He comes will not only be perfect, but will reflect His character and method perfectly. 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 cannot 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? We 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 cannot be anything more, than to love Him and give myself for Him. Membership in that church then, comes not by 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 true Christianity - the Mystery of God 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. Membership in this church depends altogether upon our membership of Him. 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 person; 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. This church fills heaven and earth. He is Head. He filleth all in all. All who are reconciled to God by the blood of the cross are members from this earth. All in the universe are embraced by one heart of love, a reconciled universe which is the fullness of Him. That unified universe is the church, and nothing else is. “The whole family of heaven and earth.”
The church is the fullness of Him, and He is the Infinite and filleth all in all, and it is nothing less than infinity. The church is the assembly of the universe, and that is infinite; the reconciling and gathering together in one of all things; the revelation of the manifold wisdom of God. It is the manifestation, the working out, of the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. That only is the church. Only the universe is the church of the infinite God, and He gave Christ to be the Head over all things, that is, the church.
The church is made up of God's elect. All converted, sanctified, with repentance towards God and faith in the word of our Lord Jesus Christ. With holiness of life and conversation, they hate sin and love Christ. They all worship with one heart, led by one Spirit, all builded upon the one Foundation, all draw religion from one Book, all joined at one great Centre, all say with one heart “Hallelujah”, all respond with one heart and voice, 'Amen and amen.”
The church is not dependent on ministers on earth, it does not depend on church membership, baptism, the Lord's supper (although valued) e.g. the thief on the cross. There is One great Head, Shepherd and chief Bishop – Jesus Christ my LORD and my God. He alone admits members. Let a man repent and believe the gospel and he is at that moment a member. No minister can prevent him or disfellowship him. If members are only left with the presence of Christ and His Spirit that is enough and the church cannot die. Only the church with true unity and all spiritual analogies are of one mind. All in it are holy, only because they have the Holy One living in them. The church is certain to endure to the end, nothing can overthrow or destroy it.
The church that we are to belong to today is described in the book of Acts as “The Way”. It was unstoppable and took the gospel to the entire world in one generation. The apostle Paul describes it this way - But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Hebrews 12:22-24.
His final church now is spoken of in this way - Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12
As a member of this Universal church - “You can be Absolutely Certain that there is no one in the universe more precious to Him than you”.
Yes, the Christian life is very personal indeed, and you can join with the faithful in all ages who have found the secret. You too can have this beautiful, intimate, very personal life, as He lives His Life of victory over self and sin out, in and through you, to the glory of God.
Christ and you.
