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REAL HISTORY
(Continued from page 4)
mankind had gone astray . The
prophet Isaiah was inspired to
write: "All we Jike sheep have gone
astray; we have turned every one to
his own way ..." (Isa.
53:6)~on
trary to the way of God's CHARAC–
TER.
How, then, get humanity back?
HOW
carry out the divine PUR–
POSE?
The Purpose of the Church
How could God have offered salva–
tion to the children of Adam and
Eve? Satan had broadcast and inoc–
ulated their minds during infancy
with the attitude of SELF-centered–
ness. Before they were old enough
for conversion (as Christ ians k:now
it), they had already s inned, and
incurred the DEATH penalty.
None could be reconciled to God
and receive his Holy Spirit until
their death penalty had been paid
for them! Therefore it was pre–
arranged for the Word, who also
was God, to be born of a human
woman, to become Emmanue l
(God with us) , God in human
nesh- both man and God. He,
tempted in all points Jike t he rest of
us, never sinned. Though he did not
incur the death penalty, he paid
it- for YOU and for me-for al l
humani ty!
So, in God's Master Plan for
working out his PURPOSE, "as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive"
(1
Cor .
15:22) by a resurrection . Judgment
was not yet passed on the deceived
in Satan's world. But . it was
appointed for men onc_e to die, and
after this the judgment ( H eb.
9:27). All who ever died shall be
made al ive by resurrection (1 Cor.
15:22-24; Heb. 9:27).
But HOW was Jesus Christ to
become SAVJOR- to save al l lost
humanity? Just dying for us was not
enough. God's CHARACTER had to be
built into us. God performed an act
of creat ion in Adam. That was a
PHYSJCAL creation! lt began with the
first Adam. But t he SPIRITUAL cre–
at ion began with Jesus Christ. The
true C hristian will " pul on the new
man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness"
Aprll 1982
(Eph. 4:24) . We become a NEW CRE–
ATION. So God's spiritual creation is
still in progress!
Now WHY the Church? What is
its PURPOSE?
lt
is God's means of
working out hi s PURPOSE here
below-his overall PURPOSE! That
NEW CREATION- that SPIRITUAL
CREATION- St a rted with the
Church of God!
How the Church Was Started
Notice now how Jesus started the
Church. First, after being baptized
himself-after being tempted in the
What is the Church?
Why does it
exist? What is its
purpose? People in the
Western world
take the church as an
institution for
granted - they know
not why!
supreme temptation by Satan, and
overcoming Satan- Jesus started
by CHOOSING 12 disciples. A disci–
ple is a learner- a student being
taught. Jesus was the teacher.
Even these d isciples were sti ll
carnal. Yet he said that when they
received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit
would bring to remembrance all
that he had taught them- a nd
then, with the Holy Spirit, they
would UNOERSTANO!
These disciples were not t he
Church. They and the prophets
preceded and became the founda–
tion of the Church.
Jesus used these 12, taught in
advance, to form the foundation
and to teach and rule the Church.
The disciples were not volun–
teers. They were chosen. Those in
the Church are ALSO CHOSEN! Jesus
said emphatically, "No man can
come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him ..."
(John 6:44).
In the same way, God has chosen
t he CHURCH to become disciples–
students-learners-starting not
only a new Spirit-led life and way
of living in themselves, but also to
"grow in grace, and in the KNOWL–
EDGE of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus C hrist" (11 Pet. 3:18). The
repentant, believing Spirit-led
C hristian must
BE
TAUGHT SPIRI–
TUAL KNOWLEDGE. He is being
converted- that is,
changed!
From
car nal to spiritualmi ndedness.
From this world's way of living to
Goo's WAY OF LIFE!
As the disciples were a founda–
tion for the Church, so the Church
is a foundation for the K.JNGDOM
OF Goo, to be reestablished on
earth at C hrist's return in POWER
and GLORY. He will reestablish the
GOVERNMENT of God through the
FAMILY OF Goo, then to become
the KJNGDOM OF Goo.
The Church was assigned a dual
commission: 1) to carry Christ's
Gospel of the KlNGDOM OF Goo to
the
worldfor a witness
(NOT to con–
vert tbe world at this time) ; and 2)
to "feed the ftock"-instruct the
Church
as
the members GROW in
spiritual knowledge and character.
At Christ's glorified return to
earth, the dead in Christ wi ll be
resurrected, a nd the living in
Christ instantaneous ly changed
from mortal to immortal, and all
shall rise to meet the returning
Christ in the ai r and to reign and
rule with him in the K.JNGDOM OF
Goo!
Satan shall then be removed for
a thousand years. The Church will
then
BE
the KINGDOM or FAMILY
OF Goo. We shall be kings ANO
PRIESTS, reigning ON THE EARTH
(Rev.
5:10).
But, looking into our time today,
what about the Church TODAY? By
whom and THROUGH whom did
Christ bui ld up the present era?
That modern history wi ll be cov–
ered in a succeeding number. o
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