With Him
Vision for the Bride, the Body of Christ
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The Church is the Body of Christ on earth. Corporately, we represent the risen Christ and we are the only way that the world at large knows who He is. In the dark days ahead, it is essential that we understand our role on the earth. The Church, not only as individuals but primarily as a corporate entity, is called to reveal Christ's glory and wisdom and heart to the world around us. Many will still reject us and Jesus, but many will see and glorify God and yield to Jesus.
Christians do not always accept this assignment, but scripture is clear. Daniel says it first in Daniel 12:3 “But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.” Jesus was able to say, '”The person who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9) and (John 15:24) “If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father.”
Peter confirmed this is for the Church: (1 Peter 2:12) “so they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.” We are His Body, so we are to carry His nature and make it visible in the world. As Paul wrote in the letter to the Ephesians: “through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.” (3:10);
Christians do not always accept this assignment, but scripture is clear. Daniel says it first in Daniel 12:3 “But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.” Jesus was able to say, '”The person who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9) and (John 15:24) “If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father.”
Peter confirmed this is for the Church: (1 Peter 2:12) “so they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears.” We are His Body, so we are to carry His nature and make it visible in the world. As Paul wrote in the letter to the Ephesians: “through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.” (3:10);
We shine in the darkness
because of the Spirit causes
Grace, and Love and Forgiveness
to be visible in our midst!
because of the Spirit causes
Grace, and Love and Forgiveness
to be visible in our midst!
So we have a job to do! It is good for Christians to display Christ's nature as individuals, but it is in the corporate Body that Christ is truly revealed. The gifts of the Spirit are divided across the Church for a reason. They tie us together so that no individual can claim to fully represent Jesus. The fruits of the Spirit make that corporate nature possible in ways that the world cannot duplicate. When Jesus talks about the new commandment, it is not 'love the sinners as I have loved you' but it is 'love one another' as I have loved you' (John 17:21). This is absolutely clear.
It is the Unity of believers that is the Miracle which most clearly reveals Christ's divine nature.
This miracle is then reinforced as the Church does miracles, healing and wisdom demonstrated by Christ, but without Unity and koinonia fellowship, we are no different from many other impostors out there.
We look at this requirement of Unity in the Body and we want desperately to reject it. We know our weaknesses and cannot bear the responsibility. We want to be able to claim the Kingdom can advance if we just proclaim it with words. We want to shift responsibility to the scriptures.
Unfortunately, there is very little support in the scriptures to say that spoken or writen witness alone reveals Christ's divine nature. We are the letter that matters most! If we are honest, we know this and that drives us to what Paul came to in the epistle to the Romans: “Who can possibly save us?!” (7:24). This is why With Him Ministries carries Mathew 19:26 as our scripture: “With God all things are possible.” That word came from the disciples' dismay at the standard for salvation.
Without the Holy Spirit inside us, we cannot possibly accomplish our task. With Him all things are indeed possible. The Church can and must display the wisdom of God in the coming time of trouble. Because of our love and unity, God will pour into the Christian community such blessings that it will be a marvel to the world. The Christian community will be the primary display case for God's plan and ability.
For those Christians placed into positions of influence and authority in the world outside the Church, God will reveal solutions to problems that will bless the world. Economic principles that will bring prosperity to the nations, scientific discoveries that will astound. Social restoration impossible with mere humans. All this can be released through those who will boldly and without shame proclaim the source of revelation-- as did Daniel and Joseph and Mordecai-- and as long as society will permit people with such testimony to remain in power.
Many may ask 'Where is the gospel in this?' Of course we continue to proclaim the cross and salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection. All of the above is the proof of the gospel with a human face! As Paul said, we carry this glory in jars of clay. Nothing will prove grace more powerfully than a Church that sets all of the above as the uncompromising goal, fails as we sometimes will, but honestly confronts our failures, and lovingly restores those who have fallen-- without lowering the goal.
It is the Unity of believers that is the Miracle which most clearly reveals Christ's divine nature.
This miracle is then reinforced as the Church does miracles, healing and wisdom demonstrated by Christ, but without Unity and koinonia fellowship, we are no different from many other impostors out there.
We look at this requirement of Unity in the Body and we want desperately to reject it. We know our weaknesses and cannot bear the responsibility. We want to be able to claim the Kingdom can advance if we just proclaim it with words. We want to shift responsibility to the scriptures.
Unfortunately, there is very little support in the scriptures to say that spoken or writen witness alone reveals Christ's divine nature. We are the letter that matters most! If we are honest, we know this and that drives us to what Paul came to in the epistle to the Romans: “Who can possibly save us?!” (7:24). This is why With Him Ministries carries Mathew 19:26 as our scripture: “With God all things are possible.” That word came from the disciples' dismay at the standard for salvation.
Without the Holy Spirit inside us, we cannot possibly accomplish our task. With Him all things are indeed possible. The Church can and must display the wisdom of God in the coming time of trouble. Because of our love and unity, God will pour into the Christian community such blessings that it will be a marvel to the world. The Christian community will be the primary display case for God's plan and ability.
For those Christians placed into positions of influence and authority in the world outside the Church, God will reveal solutions to problems that will bless the world. Economic principles that will bring prosperity to the nations, scientific discoveries that will astound. Social restoration impossible with mere humans. All this can be released through those who will boldly and without shame proclaim the source of revelation-- as did Daniel and Joseph and Mordecai-- and as long as society will permit people with such testimony to remain in power.
Many may ask 'Where is the gospel in this?' Of course we continue to proclaim the cross and salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection. All of the above is the proof of the gospel with a human face! As Paul said, we carry this glory in jars of clay. Nothing will prove grace more powerfully than a Church that sets all of the above as the uncompromising goal, fails as we sometimes will, but honestly confronts our failures, and lovingly restores those who have fallen-- without lowering the goal.