“God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our
hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of
the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 We may
be
earthen vessels - but the Church, as the Body of Christ, is the vessel chosen
of God, appointed and revealed by God, to embody the glory and greatness of
Christ, and is the means by which Christ is expressed and made known. Christ
loved the Church and gave Himself for it. Ephesians 5:25 God has ordained the
Church to be bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. It is the place where He
can be found, where He can be met, where He can be touched, where He is made
manifest as He reveals Himself. "Where two or three are gathered together
in My name, there am I in the midst of them" Matthew 18:20. The
Church is called to be the Body through which Jesus Christ manifests Himself
and makes Himself known. That is God’s thought about His Church.
God in His wisdom and design has prepared us for intimate relationship. We are
in
Christ and members in particular of His Body. We have been formed in a manner
that renders us capable of giving God... expression. All discussion of God’s
Plan, Purpose, Intent, and Will pertains to relationship. Our calling, our
election, glorification, transformation, manifestation is established in
relationship. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit is a relationship. The Church –
His body – the fullness of Him that fills all in all is established in
relationship. Ultimately we relate to ourselves, to God, to believers - and to
the world. Christ within us has prepared us to do so gloriously.
Because we have been joined to Jesus Christ we have access to the heart and
mind of God as it relates to His creation and as it pertains to our existence.
Through Jesus Christ we have entrance to all that God has brought forth as
recorded in His Word. It is a finished work. Since we have access to the Will
and Purpose of
God - the beginning to the end – the first and the last we can resist and
refuse
to be overcome by our old nature. The entirety of that which God has done - all
that has been revealed in His Word can become for us present truth. As present
truth it operates within us as faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes
the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”
1 John 5:4 The Body of Christ is a point of focus for us because it
speaks of the intimate relationship that God has promised for His people on
earth. It is essential that we keep the vision before us. The vision we have
pertains to speaking with God face to face and it concerns seeing the unseen.
It is about being transformed by the image of the Lord. It involves an absolute
identity with Jesus Christ but it is also about indwelling – so it is pertains
to relationship. God has determined that the revelation of His nature, His
character and existence will be imparted to us through relationship. The nature
of the relationship that God has established, that reveals the fullness of His
intention is Sonship, which is manifest in His Body. Everything related to
creation – everything related to salvation – everything related to
transformation – everything pertaining to bringing forth – everything related
to gathering in is effected through this relationship.
Transformation is framed as a relationship. “That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you, that you also may be in a divine relationship with us:
and truly we declare that we have an intimate relationship with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3 We are called and chosen to be
conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ through His self-manifestation.
This is the overriding thought of God regarding His people, which we are.
If you love God and are called according to His purpose, God is working in the
midst of your present condition and circumstances to shape and mold you in
Christ. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According
as he has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will.” Ephesians 1:3-5 The Church is, in the mind and
intention
of God, Christ Himself present and continuing His work.
In Jesus Christ we are brought into the very character of His eternity,
according to the promises that we should partake of His divine nature. The
creation awaits the manifestation of the sons of God. That Sonship is not as
evident as we desire, but it is going to be manifested. “For nothing is secret,
that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known
and come into the light.” Luke 8:17 What God has been doing will come
out into the light in our conformity to the image of His Son; and the Body will
be seen as the fullness of Him that fills all in all.
We are engaged in assimilating the wisdom and understanding that has been
revealed by the Spirit. We believe that we are a new generation. We believe
that the times in which we live are unique and that we have been anointed to
seek and establish in our lives, the breakthrough knowledge that God is
stirring within us to form a personal and living knowledge of the Lord Himself.
We are acknowledging the difference between knowing the thoughts of God in our
minds, and the Holy Spirit using that knowledge to bring about God's purpose,
plan and process. We have often quoted: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor
have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those
who love Him." This is also His means by which we are being conformed to the
image of His Son. The Spirit of God will continue the work that He has come to
do in us. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
For more information on this topic simply E-mail Michael Brod at:
michaelbrod@hotmail.com
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