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MYST
AGES
Mystery .
of the Cht1rch
We continue, with this eleventh installment, the serial publication
of Herbert W. Armstrong's last book,
Mystery of the Ages.
I
t is the function of the
CHURCH- as the spiritual
MOTHER of Christians in
it- to develop holy, righteous
and perfect godly CHARAC–
TER in those God has
called- those God has added
to the Church.
Remember, none CAN COME
to Christ, except called and
drawn by God the Father (John
6:44).
Newly converted mem–
bers are not brought to spiritual
convers ion by "salesmanship" of
human evangelists- are not
"talked into" being "con–
verted"-are not emotionally
high pressured by high-powered
evangelistic oratory or fervor–
or by emotion-packed "altar
calls" in evangelistic crusades to
the moanful strains of a choir
singing, "Just as
1
am,
1
come,
1
come."
You cannot find that sort of
MODERN
"Oid-Fashioned
Gospel" crusading either taught or
used to set us an example in the
New Testament! Yet people today
suppose falsely that is the way
Christ intended-the way Jesus
initiated.
Jesus
DID NOT
come on a
"soul-saving crusade!" to try to
save at that time all those in SA-
8
TAN'S world. He carne to call out of
Satan's world a people predesti–
nated and specially called and
drawn by God. Jesus said it was
impossible for others of SATAN'S
WORLO to come to him for salva–
tion unless specially called by God
to become kings and teacbers when
God's WORLO TOMORROW has re–
placed SATAN'S WORLO. NEVER did
Jesus beg or plead with anyone to
"give one's heart to him." At Ja–
cob's well in Samaria Jesus spoke
to a woman about the Holy Spirit
in terms of "living water."
The woman said to Jesus, "Sir,
give me this water, that I thirst
not." Here was a direct request
from an unconverted woman for
salvation and the gift of the Holy
Spirit. BuT JESUS ONLY TOLO HER
OF HER SIN5-0F WHAT SHE HAO TO
REPENT OF! He did NOT say,
"Come to me, just as you are, in
your sins. "
None CAN COMEto Jesus except
God the Father draws him! All
have sinned. Sin is against Goo the
Father. Sin must first be repented
of- turned from! It is much more
than remorse for guilt. It is a mat–
ter of being sufficiently SORRY to
TURN FROM the sin, overcome the
sin. This reconciles one to God on
faith in Christ.
It
is Goo the Fa–
ther who adds to the Church such
as he calls to be saved (Acts 2:47).
It
is Goo who sets members in the
Church
(1
Cor. 12:18)- not the
emotional oratory of the evangelist
in the emotional altar call!
God sets individual members in
his Church in order that bis holy,
righteous perfect CHARACTER may
be developed in them. And WHY?
To prepare them to become Goo
BEINGS in the KINGOOM (family)
OF Goo, to GOVERN and RULE the
whole earth with the government
of God!
But HOW does the CHURCH as
the spiritual MOTHER of its mem–
bers OEVELOP THAT SPIRITUAL
CHARACTER? This brings us to the
real PURPOSE of the Church. This
brings
US
toan UNOERSTANOING of
WHY one cannot be BORN AGAJN
outside the CHURCH.
Real Purpose of the Church
Now MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL–
what is the REAL PURPOSE for the
Church? WHY did God have
Christ raise it up?
The CHURCH is the spiritual
MOTHER of human converts. They
are the spiritual embryos and fe–
tuses as yet UNBORN, although be–
gotten by God's Holy Spirit-al–
ready children of Goo.
The CHURCH is God's spiritual
ORGANISM, well organized, for
feeding on spiritual food, training
and developing in spiritual righ–
teous CHARACTER the future Goo
BEINGS-sons of God the Father!
Th•
PLAIN TRUTH