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had lived according to Satan's way. And we are now GOD'S
workmanship--God's people whom HE is working on and changing--UNTO
GOOD WORKS (verse 10).
NOW, therefore, we are fellow citizens with the saints
(verses 19-22) of the HOUSEHOLD OF GOD--that is, of the FAMILY of
God. We are begotten into the DIVINE FAMILY--the GOD Family--
citizens of the coming KINGDOM OF GOD.
And that family is built upon a FOUNDATION--(verse 20) the
Apostles (New Testament) and Prophets (Old Testament)--Jesus Christ
being the chief or main cornerstone--the main Foundation. And in
CHRIST (verse 21) we are a whole BUILDING--a HOLY TEMPLE--the
spiritual TEMPLE to which Christ shall soon come.
When Jesus came 19-1/2 centuries ago, He came as a PHYSICAL
human man, to a MATERIAL Temple built of stone, wood, gold and
materials. But this time Christ is coming as the GREAT SPIRIT BEING
to His SPIRITUAL TEMPLE--His CHURCH--to YOU and me and the Church
from all parts of the earth, NOT an "Australian Church"--NOT an
"American Church." But the CHURCH OF GOD! NOTICE: We--this
BUILDING--this spiritual TEMPLE --must be "FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER."
We must be (chapter 4, verse 16) "fitly joined together and
compacted by that which every joint (every member) supplieth."
We MUST NOT (verses 17-19) go back to living as unconverted
people--as we used to--in vanity of mind, thinking "we are an
AUSTRALIAN work"--we are vain and superior --having our
understanding darkened, so we believe false rumors and slanderous
lies about Christ's Apostle through whom God called us into HIS
FAMILY to inherit HIS KINGDOM!
Study these verses in your own Bible.
Now HOW has God joined us together, like the many boards and
pieces of a building all joined together--COMPACTED? (And that word
compacted means GLUED or WELDED together.)
Notice chapter 4 of Ephesians, verses 11-12: Christ has set
officials in His Church to ORGANIZE it and OPERATE IT--Apostle,
Evangelists, Pastors, teachers (of whom some are preaching elders
and some nonpreaching local elders, as shown in other New Testament
scriptures).
Now this all ties in directly with I Corinthians 1 and 12.
In I Corinthians 1, we are commanded by the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ "that ye all speak the same thing, and that THERE BE
NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU" (verse 10). You Australian brethren must
not be divided APART FROM those in America, in England, in Germany,
in Black Africa, in the Philippines. We are all ONE in Christ!!!
In verse 12, some of you must not be followers of one human
leader apart from another and others followers of other ministers.
We must be JOINED TIGHTLY TOGETHER! We must have ONE doctrine and
belief. And HOW did God put doctrine and belief into His Church? By
Jesus Christ--but Christ taught the Apostles and the CHURCH