Christ the Center: Or, Why Christians Should Meet in His Name Alone, Part 6

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Wherever the child of God is as to his body on earth, in spirit he is as really one in the risen Christ as a member of the human body is joined to the person whose it is. Yea, our oneness in Christ is not union, but perfect unity. As we could not say, the union of the members of the human body, for all those members constitute one person, so also is the heavenly risen Christ. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free,” etc. “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Cor. 12:12-2712For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: 25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑27)). Certainly the Spirit uses the strongest possible words and the most striking figures to express this wondrous unity.
Compare the above passage with the following: “For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones” (Eph. 5:3030For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30)). It does not say we were one with Him during His life in the flesh — that were impossible. Had He not died, He must have remained alone. (John 12:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:24)). Earthly oneness of sinful men with a sinless Christ could not be; no, He must die, and has died for the sins of many; and having passed through death for them, as their substitute — having through the shedding of His precious blood paid their ransom — He has been raised from among the dead, and, as their surety, justified. (Isa. 50:88He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. (Isaiah 50:8)). And all this for us: “raised again for our justification (Rom. 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25)). And thus we are reckoned dead with Him, raised with Him, justified with Him and one with Him in that risen, justified, sinless state: So that we are, not were, one with Him.
As a man is one person, though having many members, so is the risen Christ; though having many members on earth, yet all joined to and one with and in Christ the Head in heaven. “We are members of His body.” “There is one body” (Eph. 4:4; 5:304There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)
30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. (Ephesians 5:30)). What a wondrous new creation, new existence, this is! Translated into the kingdom of His dear Son — we are, not we shall be when we die. “Hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:1313Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13)).
It is the forgetting of this present reality, the oneness of the whole church of God in the risen Christ in heavenly glory, that is one sad cause of the worldly systems and earthly divisions which men call churches. I often ask, “When you are in heaven, will you tolerate sects and divisions?” “O dear, no!” is the reply. Christ will then be all. But are we not now raised with Him, and made to sit with Him in heavenly places? (Eph. 2:6). And is not Christ all now? (Col. 3:1111Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:11)) In the new creation there is neither Jew nor Greek, Romanist or Protestant, Independent or Methodist; O no! Christ is all. “Old Things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things of God” (2 Cor. 5:17-1817Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17‑18)). And this is true of every man in Christ. He is, or let him be, a new creature; The risen body of Christ, then, is one, composed of all believers out of every nation; a new creation from among the dead, raised together and joined together by God the Father (Eph. 2). Can never be separated. (Rom. 8:3939Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)). There are no divisions in that heavenly body, neither indeed can be. For the old things are passed away. Blessed Jesus, Thy prayer is answered; “That all may be one” (John 17). Yes, all who believe are one with Christ in the heavenly places.
What then is the will of God as to believers on earth? For, while one with Christ in heaven, we are now for a very short time absent from the Lord while here in the body. I do not wish to state opinions, but what is the mind of the Lord? Solemn question. May, He give grace to do His precious will.
That God condemns division, none would wish to deny who bow to His inspired Word. At the very first appearance or bud of divisions the apostle says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you. Every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor. 1:10-1310Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10‑13)). Surely I cannot mistake the mind of the Lord in this day, when every one saith, I am of Rome, I of the Greek, I of the Anglican, or I of Wesley. God beseeches all believers by the glory and pre-eminence of the name of the Lord Jesus that be no division. Not one name or division can God tolerate. To allow any name but His, is to lower His blessed name to the same level. I of Paul, and I of Christ. If it is thus God’s will that there should be no divisions, how can I belong to any or in any way countenance any sect without positive disobedience to God’s revealed mind? Do, my reader, answer that question in the presence of God with His Word before you.
Lest there should be any mistake, the Spirit of God again speaks on the same subject: “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I of Apollos; are ye not carnal?” (1 Cor. 3:3-43For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (1 Corinthians 3:3‑4)). If it thus grieved the Spirit to say, I am of Paul, or Apollos, does it now please the Spirit to say, I am of Wesley, I of the Independents? Is this carnality? or is it spirituality? Does God approve or disapprove? And again, when the apostle refers to having heard there were sects among them, he says, “I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse” (1 Cor. 11:1717Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. (1 Corinthians 11:17)).
Yea, God could not speak more plainly, not only as to what He condemns, but also what His will is as to what is right: “That there should be no schism (or division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (1 Cor. 12:2525That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. (1 Corinthians 12:25)). Man says there should be sects, and would have me join one or help to increase it. God says there should be none, for the body is one. Shall I obey God or man? Judge ye.
What a blessed unity, one with the Head above, and one with every member here below! Yes, every member, every Christian on earth! How precious the will of God: “And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Cor. 12:26-2726And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1 Corinthians 12:26‑27)).
We are called to heavenly oneness with the risen Christ. It is the will of God that “ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit,” (Eph. 4:1-41I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:1‑4)). Would you, my fellow believer, do the will of God? Here, then, is the blessed path; the unity of the Spirit. This must ever be to the Head — Christ. The blessed Spirit gathers to the person of Christ, and where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them. Man makes a meeting in what name he likes. It is division, or scattering. The Spirit alone gathers to Christ. The two things are as different as the unity of heaven and the scattering of earth.
(Continued and to be continued).