Tag Archives: body

THE CHURCH, GOD’S “BULLSEYE” – 10b

April 10, 2024Bible Studybody, BuildingLuella Campbell

The Bible gives us a three-dimensional picture of the function of the church.

‭Ephesians 1:23 NLT‬
[23] And the church is his BODY; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

‭1 Corinthians 3:9 NLT‬
[9] “For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s BUILDING.”

‭Revelation 19:7-8 NLT‬
[7] “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his BRIDE has prepared herself. [8] She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”

These three symbolic pictures of the church give us a clearer understanding of the functions of the church during her life in earth. Of course, when we speak of the church, we are referring to a “composite woman” made up of millions of individuals united to make up one person.

We must understand that Jesus works with every individual to perfect His church. Like a mosaic which is a composite picture made up of many individual pieces, the church is a mosaic of people who make up a picture of Jesus.

So, in chapters 4 to 6, Paul explains the “how” of life in Christ that prepares us for our reign in Him. The focus of Paul’s teaching is about our reign over our old nature in preparation for our reign with Him in eternity. If we do not master the flesh now, we cannot fulfill our role under His supreme authority then.

You see, when we give way to the desires of our sinful nature, we are rebelling against God! God will not tolerate rebellion…. ever! He will only allow those to rule in His kingdom who have proved on earth that they are submitted to His authority.

‭Romans 5:17, 21 NLT‬
[17] “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ…
[21] So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

This is the sobering truth of Scripture.

‭Romans 6:20-23 NLT‬
[20]” When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. [21] And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. [22] But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to HOLINESS and result in ETERNAL LIFE . [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our role in this life, then, is to work out what God has worked in us, without which we cannot reign with Christ in glory.

‭Philippians 2:12-13 NLT‬
[12]”Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. [13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

To be continued…

THE CHURCH, GOD’S “BULLSEYE” – 10a

April 9, 2024Bible Studyauthority, body, headLuella Campbell

Ephesians 1:22-23 NLT‬
[22] “God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of THE CHURCH . [23] And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

God has His eye on something and it’s definitely not the world! Eugene Peterson, in his paraphrase, The Message (MSG), put it this way…

Ephesians 1:20-23
[20-23] “All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”

A clear and wonderful description of God’s plan!

Since it has always been God’s purpose for the church to share in Christ’s inheritance, God gave Jesus authority over the church to prepare her for co-rulership with Him over the nations.

The Bible often speaks of an inheritance we are to share with Jesus.

‭Romans 8:17 NLT‬
[17] “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”

Our inheritance in Christ has many facets to it…eternal life (Luke 18:18)… all the blessings of God’s salvation (Eph 1:11)…the Holy Spirit (Eph1:14)…God’s promises (Heb 6:12)…a priceless inheritance, kept safe in heaven for us (1Peter1:4)…
and…and…!

In Psalm 2, God promises the nations to His King as His inheritance over which He will rule with justice and peace forever.

‭Psalms 2:7-8 NLT‬
[7] “The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. [8] Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.”

‭Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!”

Jesus, in turn, will share His inheritance with His church. Daniel saw this event in a vision centuries before it happens.

‭Daniel 7:13-14, 17-18 NLT‬
[13]” As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. [14] He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed….
[17] “These four huge beasts represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth. [18] But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”

Paul, in turn, confirms this promise.

‭1 Corinthians 6:2 NLT‬
[2]” Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves?”

It stands to reason, then, that the focus of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit would be on the church. God has planned to hone His people to rule with Jesus in eternity by putting us through a strenuous apprenticeship on this earth. He cannot entrust as great an eternal assignment to untrained and unequipped people.

God has left us in an evil and hostile environment to teach us…
To love Him…
To trust Him…
To obey Him…
To submit to Him…

And to train us to be holy…
And to overcome temptation by putting the flesh to death through the power of the Holy Spirit, by learning self-control, which is the fruit of the Spirit….

Despite the hostility of the unseen world and the opposition from the ungodly world around us.

All these qualities (of true sons) will be confirmed forever when we are glorified in heaven, when sin is eradicated from our lives.

The church is Jesus’ body of which He is the Head. Body and head can only live when they are joined and functioning in harmony. Is it any wonder, then, that Jesus should focus all His attention on every individual in His body. There is so much at stake as He personally supervises the preparation of each person for his/her place in eternity.

The goings-on in the world are not random and uncontrolled. If God uses the world’s rebellion and evil to train us, then surely He always has His finger on the pulse. He would never allow things to get out of control (as much as we think they are at times).

The hardships we experience, God calls discipline, training, learning to live under His authority. Unlike those who rebelled, from Adam on, we are to trust and obey God in EVERYTHING, good or bad. Why? Because He loves us! He is preparing us to reign by learning to reign over ourselves first through His grace in Christ.

‭Romans 5:17 NLT‬
[17] “For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”

‭Hebrews 12:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. [11] No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

It doesn’t matter that we don’t understand what is happening in the world. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know what tomorrow holds. What matters that we live every day with our eyes on Jesus. He is watching over us to perfect us for the great day when we take our place in His eternal kingdom to reign with Him.

‭Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT‬
[1] “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

To be continued…

A GLORIOUS CHURCH

November 23, 2021Christian Lifebody, Church, completeLuella Campbell

A GLORIOUS CHURCH

“And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”

Ephesians 1:23 NLT

What is our view of the church? It all depends on our perspective.

Sadly, our understanding of “the church” is coloured by our personal experience. Many, like me, have enjoyed a fragment of the true family of God, where love, harmony, and peace have been taught and fostered by a shepherd who leads by example and does not usurp Jesus’ position as head of the church.

Others have become disillusioned with the church and walked away because of the business-like, sterile, programme-orientated institution of their local church rather than the living organism of Jesus’ body, patterned for us in the New Testament, that it is intended to be.

The church is a mystery. It is the vitally alive, growing and maturing body of Jesus Christ. It is made up of people from every nation who have been born again into the Kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The church is one world-wide body, united through faith in Jesus as Lord, across the globe and across the generations. It is not subject to doctrinal or denominational differences. It has a simple mandate from Jesus, to believe in Him and to love one another. These are the distinguishing characteristics of the true Church, and the witness to the world that the Father sent Jesus to be the Saviour of the world.

The Apostle Paul paints three word-pictures of the church that give us a clearer understanding of what Jesus intends His church to be as it lives in the world as His witness before He returns to claim His people for eternal life with Him.

THE CHURCH IS A BODY – its function

Jesus gave His disciples the first clue to the nature of the church.

“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Matthew 8:19-20 NIV

Many Bible scholars have misunderstood this passage because they do not understand the way of Hebrew thought. This is not about the cost of following Jesus. He was not poor. He was a rabbi who was well supported by the people, especially a group of faithful and wealthy women. Judas kept the group’s money bag from which he stole, according to John, so, there must have been money available to take care of their needs.

In Hebrew thought, Jesus referred the places where creatures multiply. Foxes and birds reproduce in dens and nests. They don’t live in them. Jesus, as the head, did not yet have a body from which He would reproduce Himself. After Pentecost, when the church was born, Jesus, as the head, would multiply Himself through His body to build His church until it is complete before His return.

The purpose of Jesus’ body is to be one with the Godhead and with one another. This unity is to reveal to the world the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so that the world would believe in Jesus.

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

John 17:20-21 NLT

A body has a multiplicity of unique individual parts that function together in perfect harmony to produce a living organism. So it is with the body of Jesus. However, without a brain, the systems that make up the body cannot function efficiently and the body will die. Without Jesus as the living head of His church, His body is nothing but a sterile, non-reproducing organisation.

The picture of the church as a body speaks of a living, functioning, reproducing organism of head and body in perfect unity and harmony powered by the Holy Spirit. The members of the body lovingly serve one another, build one another up, and reproduce Jesus in the lives of others.

THE CHURCH IS A BUILDING – its purpose

The second picture of the church is a building made of living stones, an individual and corporate temple in which God dwells by His Spirit.

A temple is a place of worship, place of sacrifice, a place of service, and a place of submission of heart, will and life to God who reigns from the inside. It hosts God who makes His dwelling in the inner shrine of our hearts.

The sacrifices of the New Covenant are neither animal, nor blood. Jesus has shed His own blood to take away the sin of the world and reconcile us to the Father. The sacrifices we offer in the New Covenant are acts of worship that express the attitudes of our hearts.

Everything we do in our everyday lives, no matter how simple or mundane, expresses our love and gratitude to God for His grace and goodness to us.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

As God’s temple, we offer the sacrifices of

Praise

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name….”

Good works

“… And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.”

Hebrews 13:15-16 NLT

Generosity

“At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.”

Philippians 4:18 NLT

A repentant heart

“You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”

Psalms 51:16-17 NLT

THE CHURCH IS A BRIDE – its goal

A “bride” speaks of togetherness, companionship, and intimacy in a permanent, unbreakable union for an entire lifetime. Jesus came to earth to seek His bride. All who believe in Him are His beloved and betrothed bride awaiting the the day when He returns to claim her as His own forever.

The betrothal period is an important part of the bride’s preparation for her wedding day. She has two tasks to do to prepare for that day.

Her first task is to separate herself from all other men. No longer must she be alert to the invitation of other “hopefuls”. Her role as Jesus’ betrothed is to focus all her attention on her “heavenly lover”.

Her second function is to prepare her wedding gown. Her bridegroom has given her His spotless robe of righteousness bought with His own blood.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

The bride’s task is to adorn her gown with the good works that are the fruit of His righteousness.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)”

Revelation 19:7-8 NIV

What are the” good works” we are to do to adorn our wedding gown? In obedience to the Holy Spirit, we are to use our spiritual gifts to serve and built up the body of Christ until we reach unity and maturity in Christ and conformity to His image.

“So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV

So, we see that Jesus’ church is not an organisation running programmes to keep God’s people busy. It is a living organism made up of believers, who do life together, worship together, and live in intimate communion with Jesus, eagerly awaiting His coming to consummate an eternal union with Himself and to live in God’s forever family.

Two Kind Men

September 15, 2015Bible Studybody, Joseph of Arimathea, linen cloth, Sabbath, tombLuella Campbell

TWO KIND MEN

It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.

So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid. (Mark 15: 42-47)

Again we have Mark’s terse and unembellished account of Jesus’ burial. He included none of the paranoid instructions of the chief priests to try to secure the tomb. No Roman guard, no official seal on the stone. It was not his focus. His was the simple story of Jesus’ death and burial. Not that Matthew’s version of the events was exaggerated or even untrue. It was just a detail Mark did not include for his own reasons.

Who was the man who had the courage to ask for Jesus’ body which was destined for the city rubbish dump where His body would have been cremated in the valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem if it were not for his bold intervention. He was a member of the ruling council, Joseph of Arimathea. He would have been present at Jesus’ trial, a lone voice protesting Jesus’ innocence, but not even heard against the howling mob.

According to the Apostle John (John 19:38-39), he was not alone in this final deed of love. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the Pharisee who visited Jesus one night. Although these two men were members of the upper class, unlike their peers they were honest enough to evaluate Jesus without prejudice. When the crunch came, they boldly and openly took their stand with Him. One wonders what the rest of their associates thought of them, but they didn’t care.

It was evident that Pilate was still sympathetic towards Jesus otherwise, would he have released His body to Joseph? He was amazed that Jesus had succumbed to the torture so quickly. It was often a long drawn-out affair. Some of the victims of crucifixion lingered on the cross for days, hence the request of the Sanhedrin to hasten His death by breaking His legs (John 19: 31). Since Jesus was already dead, His bones were not broken but His side was pierced with a spear (John 19: 34). Amazing how accurately the Old Testament prophets predicted the exact details of His death!

Since Joseph was a wealthy man, he owned a yet-unused tomb which had been prepared for him and his family. He gladly gave it over to the body of the one he had come to recognise as his Master. He had to act in haste in order to be faithful to the requirements of the Sabbath, and he and Nicodemus moved quickly to have the body in the tomb before sunset. There was no time to give the body its proper treatment with ointments and spices but just to wrap it in cloth and place it in the tomb.

Again it was the Apostle John who noted that the next day was a special Sabbath. Traditionally, Jesus died on the day before the normal Sabbath, Friday but, according to John, this Sabbath was not on the seventh day of the week but the day before the Sabbath. Hence in that year, there were two Sabbaths, Friday and Saturday. Jesus would have been crucified on the Thursday and His body would have been in the tomb from Thursday before sunset to early Sunday morning, three days according to Jewish reckoning.

How accurately God arranged all the details to fulfil the imagery of Passover. Like the Passover lamb which had to be selected on the tenth day of the month and slaughtered on the fourteenth day after careful inspection for defects, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the first day of the week preceding Passover, put on public display and crucified on the Thursday, the fourth day of that week. He died at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, at the exact time when the high priest slaughtered the first Passover lamb.

When Joseph and Nicodemus walked away from the tomb at sunset that afternoon, did they ever dream that the empty cave would become the symbol of a mighty victory for the one whose body they had so tenderly placed there? Did they ever visit the empty tomb to see for themselves that the bloodied corpse they had left there had vanished? Was their faith forever confirmed by this silent witness to His resurrection?

This simple act of kindness would change the lives of these two men forever. They have the assurance in their hearts of the words of the writer to the letter to the Hebrews:

God is not unjust; He will not forget your labour of love. (Heb. 6: 10)

Their names will always be remembered for their kindness to Jesus.

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Watch this space. My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), companion volume to Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master, will soon be on the bookshelves.

Check out my Blog site – www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

A Done Deal

March 24, 2015Bible Studybody, not pleased, prepared, sacrifice and offeringLuella Campbell

A DONE DEAL

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said, ‘Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here am I – it is written about me in the scroll – I have come to do your will, my God.’

First He said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them” – though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then He said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all (Heb. 10: 5-10).

It’s a done deal.

King David, the man after God’s heart recognised, centuries before Jesus came, that animal sacrifices could not take away sin. After his own dismal moral failure with Bathsheba, he was terribly aware of his guilt before God. No amount of animal blood could wash away the guilt and pollution of his sin. He could only cast himself on the mercy of God and pray that God would forgive Him and wash him clean.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow (Psa. 51: 1-2; 7).

He could not rely on a sacrifice to secure God’s forgiveness.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings (Psa. 51: 16).

God was not interested in sacrifices as a substitute for ungodly living. Sacrifices were not intended to be a cover-up for sin. They were only a visual aid to remind His people how serious sin is – it can only be atoned for by death – the shedding of blood.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, God, you will not despise (Psa. 51: 17).

In Jesus’s day, the religious leaders arrogantly believed that sacrifice was all that God required. How they lived inwardly was irrelevant. As long as the smoke of their sacrifices kept rising up to God, they thought He was satisfied. How they missed it!

David also wrote the Psalm quoted in this passage. He spoke prophetically of Jesus, God’s sacrifice, who came in person, clothed in a human body, to offer Himself up after a life of perfect obedience to the Father. The prophecy states clearly that the purpose of His coming was to do the will of God.

Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that it possible the hour might pass from Him. ‘Abba, Father,’ He said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will but what you will.’ (Mark 14: 36).

What was God’s will?

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand (Isa. 53: 10).

It was the will of the Father that He suffer, but not for suffering’s sake but for the outcome of His suffering – many children like Himself, who would be God’s family forever. His blood did not just cover sin, it removed sin, once for all by one sacrifice. Why would the Jewish people want to rebuild the temple and begin to offer sacrifices again when Jesus suffered for them, once for all? Sadly, they refuse to believe that Jesus is God’s Messiah and their Redeemer.

Hallelujah! Your sin, my sin has been removed from the record book forever. Where once we owed God a huge debt, there is now written over every page, “Paid in full”.