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Weekly message for 9-6-2020

Meditation of the week: Psalm 91:1-16

Text: Ephesians 1:19-23

Title: The Mystery of Christ and the Church

        Apostle Paul testified saying, he  wants to let us to know that there is the hope and abundant glorious inheritance  given to the children of God in the church of God, and the power in the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead to sit at the right hand of God in heaven.

      He also testified that God put all things under the feet of Christ Jesus and gave him to the church by making him head over all things, and  the church is the body of Christ and the fullness of the One who fills all things in all.

       If the church is the body of Christ, it is a mystical fact that those who believe in Christ Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit to become members of the church, that is, one organism, not an organization, is one body with Christ.

      This mystical truth is that after God made the first man Adam in his image and his likeness and  breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,  and man became a living soul. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said. This is now the bone of my bones, the flesh of my flesh, and she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Men. (Genesis 2:7,21-23)

        What Adam said to the woman was that his bones and flesh, that is his body were walking toward him. God who heard this and said:

 ” Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24).

          Apostle Paul testified of the mysterious relationship with Christ as a Man and the church as a Woman, reminding us of this word of God:

” For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” (Ephesians 5:29-31).

        The Holy Spirit convinced Apostle Paul of a great mystery. In other words, God sent his only begotten Son, Jesus, in the form of a Man, to take away the sin of the world, and to make those who believe in him become the Woman Jesus. For this reason, whoever believes in Jesus, who became Christ, gave the Holy Spirit, that is, the Spirit of Christ, to become one body with Him. Therefore, those who believe in Christ and become members of the church, the body of Christ, become one body by becoming the bones and flesh of Christ spiritually, like Adam and Eve.

          Therefore, the marriage system between  man and  woman in this world is the figure to fulfill God’s mysterious plan to unite heaven and earth in Christ by making God’s only begotten Son, Jesus who leaves the Father in heaven, and marry with Woman that his church. However, in order to reconcile the sinful world because of the devil with him, the LORD God made Jesus die for a while as Adam for the sins of the world shedding the blood of sacrifice, and rise again from the dead. And God gave the Holy Spirit for them that believe in Jesus  to make them to get married to Jesus to make them one body with him.

          This mysterious truth can be understood when God opens the eyes of understanding by giving the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God.

All the words of God cannot to be understood for the natural man. Only those who believe in Christ and receive the Spirit of God can understand. Apostle Paul testified of this:

” But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (Coin 2:14-16).

         That’s right! The spiritual mystery of  Christ and the church can only be reaalized by those who believe in Christ and receive the Holy Spirit and have the mind of Christ.

           Apostle Paul testified to the Corinthian believers saying, only those who believe in the gospel of Christ and become the children of God are to be married to Christ spiritually:

” Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:1-2).

        Apostle Paul said that the Jews,  his own people do not realize this great blessing because they do not believe in Christ. And he  feels godly jealousy because the Gentiles rather belie in Christ Jesus.

           Apostle Paul testified that the church of God, the body of Christ  engaged with Christ, is the only one virgin  in the world, not ten virgins at all. God sees those who have become children of God by believing in Christ among over seven billion people, regardless of  nations and people, as one body including all saints who died in Christ sleeping in the graves. God sees all of them as a pure virgin in his eyes.

         While on earth, Christians who believe in Christ and become the children of God and become members of the church, the body of Christ, are living pure lives by overcoming the world in the hope of meeting Christ Jesus, the bridegroom. Concerning this hope, Apostle Paul testified to Titus:

” For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works..” (Titus 2:11-14)

           Now, sooner or later, before the Great Tribulation comes, Christ will come down from heaven to give resurrection unto hid bride that is  the body of the pure virgin  to marry. He will appear with the spirits and souls of Christians who have already died. Apostle Paul previewed this magnificent sight and testified to the suffering members of Thessalonica church:

” But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words..” (1 Thessalonians 4:13:18)

         Apostle John previewed and testified in the Holy Spirit the wedding ceremony of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, where the saints who are brought up to heaven to marry with Christ:

” Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Rev. 19:7-9)

        The church, which had been engahed to Christ while living on this earth, shall now become one body forever with Christ through the wedding ceremony, and Christ, her husband, will come down to the earth together with them to judge the world of sin and to help him reign in his kingdom. Apostle John, who  previewed this spectacle in the Holy Spirit, testified:

” And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:14-15)

          The Church of God will live forever in the New Jerusalem, the heavenly mansion provided by Christ the Bridegroom. After Christ’s Thousand Year Reign is over, Christ will create and fill all things not only on this earth but also in heaven. The Church of God shall be with Christ in filling all things forever and ever. At this time, God  will complete the mysterious work that God had planned before the creation of the world:

” Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:. “(Ephesians 1:9-10) Amen ! Hallelujah!