Christ And His Church
"When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give, unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. 16:1319.)
Christ's church is the greatest, grandest, most glorious institution this world has ever known. One reason is because of its head. It has the greatest, grandest, most glorious head any institution ever had.
Its Head
Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is the illustrious head of the church. God raised Christ from the dead "and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1:20-23.) "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." (Col. 1:18.) The head of the church that one reads about in the Bible is seated — not in some man-made ecclesiasticism on earth, nor in the Vatican at Rome — but the head of the church that man reads about in the Bible is seated at God's right hand in heaven. He is far above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named. Neither are these things limited to this world, but include that which is to come. All things are put under his feet, he is the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Indeed, he is the beginning, he is the firstborn from the dead, to him the preeminence does belong. That is the magnificent head of the glorious body, the church.
In view of its exalted head, do you not agree that the church is the greatest, grandest, most glorious institution this world has ever known — and, may I add, shall ever know?
Paul said: Christ "being found in fashion as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:8-11.) That, neighbor, is the head of the church — the church found in the New Testament. It is by him God hath in these last days spoken unto us. He it is whom God hath "appointed heir of all things." fly him it was that God made the world. He is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person. It is by him that "all things are upheld by the word of his power." It was he who by himself purged our sins, and is now seated "on the right hand of the Majesty on high." He is much better than the angels, and "hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." (Heb. 1:1-4.) That, my friends, is the majestic head of the church — the church founded by the Christ on the day of Pentecost, in the city of Jerusalem, 33 A. D. And yet some people suggest the church amounts to but little, and that men can be saved as well without it as they can with it! Some preachers teach that one does not have to be a member of the church in order to be saved! Some preachers teach that there are just as good people outside of the church as there are in it! — that the church does not save, and in reality it is non-essential!
Well, they could be wrong about that. Maybe they have misinformed you. Perhaps the church has more to do with salvation than you have hitherto been led to believe. It is just possible that because of such teaching, you do not have a true conception of Christ and his church.
The establishing of the church of God was the main purpose of Christ Jesus our Lord. Back of the beatitudes, back of the sermon on the mount, back of every miracle he performed, was the church. Christ knew. He knew that the church was according to the eternal purpose of God (Eph. 3:10,11.); therefore, it was according to his own purpose. His will was to do the Father's will, and to finish his work. (John 4:34.)
A Clear View Needed
My friends, we all need a fresh vision of the church. We need to see Christ's relation to the church. We need to see the church as the body of our Lord, and acknowledge Jesus Christ as the only head. We need to view the church as a kingdom, and recognize that Christ Jesus is the sole monarch. We need to see the church as a bride, and realize that Jesus Christ is the only bridegroom. And with this keen realization upon us, we should wear his name, and his alone — his name unto whom we are married. In a word, we need to see the church as God intended it should be.
It is a wonderful handicap not to have a clear vision of the church. Sometimes we become so blinded by the dogmas and opinions of uninspired men, that it is next to impossible for us to see the church as God intended for us to see it. We need, therefore, to cut loose from all manmade creeds, disciplines, prayer books, and confessions of faith, and hark back to the Bible and there view the church and Christ's relation to it, unhampered by the theories of men.
Salvation implies the church. There can be no salvation without the church. No one can enter into a saved relationship with the Lord without entering into the church. It would be as easy to find a king without a kingdom, as it would be to find salvation without the church. There can be no king without a kingdom. There can be no salvation without the church.
God's House
The church is the family of God. Paul wrote: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." (Eph. 3:14,15.) One family. Part of the members thereof in the glory land, others still on time's side of eternity. But whether they be here or over there, Paul said, there is one family and one Father thereof.
It would be just as sensible to claim to be a child of God and not be a member of his family as it is to claim to be a Christian and not be a member of the church, for the church is the family of God. It is God's house. Paul wrote Timothy: "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Tim. 3:14, 15.) The church is God's house, it is his family. One cannot be his child outside of his family. One cannot be a Christian outside his church. And be it remembered there are only two families upon this earth, spiritually speaking. The family of God, and the family of Satan. The kingdom of God, and the kingdom of Satan. You are a citizen of one or the other. Either you are a child of God and a member of his family, or you are a child of the devil and a citizen of his kingdom. There is no middle ground. Just two families, two kingdoms, two authorities to which one may bow in obedience and yield himself. If you are saved, if you are a Christian, if you are a child of God, then it is evident that you are a member of God's family and a citizen of his kingdom. On the other hand, if you stand with sins unforgiven, it is likewise evident that you are a member of the devil's family and a citizen of his kingdom.
Enter By A Birth
In order to become a child of God one must be born again, born of water and of the Spirit; for Christ announced: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5.) To enter the kingdom of God is to become a member of Christ's church. They are one and the same. In Acts the second chapter there are some who did enter God's kingdom or become members of Christ's church. So, it appears to me, if we can find out what they did in becoming members of the church, if indeed they did do anything, we will know what Christ meant when he said. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Peter's Sermon
To the second chapter of Acts, therefore let us go. The apostle Peter is up preaching, speaking as the Holy Spirit gives him utterance. He is preaching the death, burial, resurrection, exaltation, and coronation of Jesus. He addresses those assembled as follows: "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracle and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." (Verses 22-24.) Then he calls David to witness concerning the last proposition laid down — viz., that God had raised up Christ whom they by wicked hands had crucified and slain. Among other things, David said: "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." (Verse 27.) Then, after having quoted what David said, Peter by inspiration made the application: "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and hurried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his (David's) throne: He (David) seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul (Christ's soul) was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." (Verse 29-31.) In verses 32 and 33 Peter affirms that God did raise up Christ, and that he is now at the right hand of God exalted. In verse 36 he declares the coronation of Christ, and in verses 34 and 35 he teaches that Jesus is now seated on the right hand of God and shall continue there to sit until his enemies are made his footstool.
The Jews Acceptance
The Jews to whom Peter preached believed what he preached. They accepted what he preached — viz, that Christ is now on David's throne — and inquired: "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" What shall we do for what? The best way to find out that about which they were asking is by the answer given by Peter. "Then Peter said unto them. Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Verse 38.) That was Peter's reply to their question. Therefore they must have been asking, what shall we do for the remission of sins. At least that is what Peter told him. He told them to do something — not get, or feel — but to do something for the remission of sins. What was it he told them to do? Two things: repent and be baptized.
Their Obedience
Notice verse 40: "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." Save yourselves how? Surely not in procuring salvation, nor the means of it, but by laying hold of that salvation proffered by Christ, by doing what he had just told them to do; viz, by repenting and being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Did they do it? Verse 41 says: "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Were they saved? Verse 47 suggests they were. This then is how a man saves himself, by doing what God has commanded men to do: "Repent and be baptized . . . in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."
Became Citizens
Did they become citizens of God's kingdom? They did. The last verse of Acts 2 says: "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Jesus declared: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Here are some who did enter; therefore, they must have been "born of water and of the Spirit." In being "born of water and of the Spirit" they repented of their sins and were baptized in water, as the Spirit through Peter directed them. Therefore, this constitutes the new birth. This is what Jesus meant when he said "born of water and of the Spirit." It is a burial in and a coming forth from water according to the teaching or direction of the Holy Spirit.
Whenever a man believes with all his heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, repents of all sins and resolves therefrom to turn away, is buried with his Lord in baptism, into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, upon a confession of his faith in Christ, and arises to walk in newness of life, the new birth has been consummated — he has been "born of water and of the Spirit." Man by the act of baptism, preceded by faith, repentance, and confession, enters the kingdom of God, is added to the church of the Lord, is saved from past sins, and becomes a child of the Father.
Will you do as those on Pentecost did? Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and the Lord will add you to his church.