One thing we must bear in mind. Suitability for union does not, in the least degree, consist in what we are by natural birth. Cultivated or uncultivated, the natural man has no place whatever in this union. The bride (Rev. 21:1616And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. (Revelation 21:16)) is figuratively seen as a city "four square." But nothing of nature's growth is four-square. A workman is supposed for that. In this case, however, no human workman either, for the city is as high as it is long. It is God's workmanship, not of old material, but a new creation "in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:1010For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)). It is only that which is of Christ formed in us by the Spirit that can be united.
But it may be asked, What about that which is still within us, born of the flesh? Blessed be God, this has not been overlooked. In Christ's death it has already had its condemnation. It is Christ risen and glorified who is the Head of the body, and those risen with Him are the members. This was manifestly in God's mind from the beginning. Adam's "deep sleep" preceded Eve's union with him. Compare 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).
Now then for the divine declaration of suitability, as John has recorded it for the comfort of "whosoever believeth in him." They have-
A spiritual origin. "Ye are of GOD, little children"-"born... of God" (1 John 4:44Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4); John 1:12,1312But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13)).
Spiritual affinity. Drawn by the Father, and attracted by the Son's uplifting, Christ becomes absolutely indispensable. This is the real mark of every true believer. In the sense of doing without Him, and His precious death, they cannot turn away from Him. "Lord, to whom shall we go?" in the mouth of Peter is the conviction of all (John 6:44,67,68;12:3244No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44)
67Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (John 6:67‑68)
32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32)).
A new relationship. It was after He had risen from the dead and had met condemnation on the cross that Jesus said to Mary, "Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God" (John 20:1717Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17)).
The same Spirit of life. The Victor out of death's domain imparts His risen life. "He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."
Fitness assured. "Ye have an unction from the Holy One;" "The anointing which you have received" (1 John 2:20,2720But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)
27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27)). God's Spirit dwells in us and with us. We have "boldness in the day of judgment." "As he is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4:1717Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)). And "when he shall appear, we shall be like him" (1 John 3:22Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)).
Mutual affections. Loved by the Father, loved by the Son. Loved perfectly, loved "unto the end"-eternally. "We love him, because he first loved us;" "Ye have loved me" (John 13:1; 14:21,23; 16:27; 17:261Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (John 13:1)
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)
27For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. (John 16:27)
26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26); 1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)).
What perfect suitability! and the Head Himself has revealed it by His Spirit.
But suitability in itself is not union. It is left for Paul to bring this out. "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1 Cor. 12:1313For 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. (1 Corinthians 12:13)). " He is the head of the body, the church" (Col. 1:1818And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)). "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)). Note, here, the twofold action of the same Spirit. He seals countless multitudes of individuals in view of the redemption of their bodies; but by the Spirit's baptism of believers "we all" become members of Christ's body, which is one. (Compare Rom. 8:2323And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23); 1 Cor. 12:1313For 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. (1 Corinthians 12:13).) Every so-called `sectarian body,' therefore, is a public denial of God's intent in the Spirit's baptism. "GOD hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." And Christ will present the Church to Himself all-glorious, as "one pearl of great price," "without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing""holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:2727That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:27)). This will be the display of our fitness in glory.
But for presentation in that place we must be absent from this. As with the risen Heir, so with the joint-heirs.
Jesus said, "Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more" (John 14:1919Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19)). From the world's vision He disappeared; and the Church, as GOD has formed it, will have a sudden disappearance also. "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven." The dead in Christ shall be raised; then those alive on the earth shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and all caught up together to meet the Lord in the air! (See 1 Cor. 15:51,5251Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51‑52); 1 Thess. 4:16,1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17).)
Pause, reader, and ask yourself one question, 'Where will that separating hour find ME?' Shall I be sharing the joyful celebrations above, or the appalling desolations below? The door of repentance will then be closed for all who have disobeyed the Gospel; but not closed for heathen Gentile nations who have not heard His fame. They will have an opportunity of hearing the joyful tidings of Israel's coming King (Isa. 66:1919And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. (Isaiah 66:19)).
The Church, As Man Has Corrupted It
Will surely have an end-an awful end! At present, the "spiritual" and the "corrupted" exist in the world together, with nothing in common but the Name.
Take an illustration. We have all seen boys forming a big ball of snow by rolling it along some country lane, and often noticed a certain quantity of dirt picked up with it. Now snow is snow, and mud is mud; but a ball of snow, though it has lost its true character for snowy whiteness, we still call a 'snowball.'And no matter how closely the two things may seem connected, we do not in the last degree change our thoughts of either. Should the sun break out in power, particles of snow would be drawn away in vapor. They might disappear one day and be seen descending as spotless as ever the next. But if all the snow in that large ball should be attracted by the sun and disappear, what would be left? A heap of mud, only fit to be swept away. And this will be the actual end of corrupted Christian profession.
Three things are spoken of in Scripture as preceding the Lord's appearing to reign-a falling away, a catching away, and a sweeping away.
When we think of the Church at the beginning, and its spiritual plight today, it is not hard to trace what Scripture foretold-namely, a great "falling away" (2 Thess. 2:33Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:3); 2 Tim. 4:3,43For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3‑4)). Professors in general are becoming infidel in their doctrines ("They shall turn away their ears from the truth"), political in their hopes ("supposing that gain is godliness"), and pleasure-loving in their practice ("lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God") (1 Tim. 6:55Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (1 Timothy 6:5); 2 Tim. 3:44Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; (2 Timothy 3:4)). Sad indeed, but undeniable!
THE DEVIL'S REVIVAL is spreading everywhere-the revival of his first great lie.
"Ye shall not surely die." (No JUDGMENT FOR SIN, therefore NO ATONEMENT needed. Help to reform your neighbor, and leave the rest.)
"Ye shall be as gods." (A bit of divinity in every man! Reduce the Bible to your own way of thinking; and no loss if you drop it altogether!)
Bad as this is, things will get still worse in the professing Church. "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse" (2 Tim. 3:1313But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)). And this before the truly converted are "caught up" to meet Him. But the worst cannot come until His own have disappeared. The Spirit's presence now restrains. When He departs, evil will quickly ripen for the sickle of judgment. (2 Thess. 2:77For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:7); Rev. 14:15,1915And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (Revelation 14:15)
19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (Revelation 14:19).)
Iniquity Will Take Three Forms:
1. Corrupted Christianity, in its sum total, will bear the name of "BABYLON THE GREAT-THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS," figure of systematized religious wickedness. She is seen sitting upon the beast; that is, she takes the place of giving it direction. She apparently continues her political influence until the heads of government have gained their own ends by her means, then they will stand her religious sham no longer. They will hate her, and strip her, and burn her (Rev. 17:1616And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (Revelation 17:16)). This will be the end of what professing Christianity affianced to the power of the world is fast going on to. Where is there a contest for political ascendency, and the spirit of Babylon is not well to the front? What does the heated struggle mean? Is it not to decide who shall have the next chance of doing now what the "harlot," sitting on the "beast," will do in the end; that is, trying to influence the government for her own ends?
Governing power will be completely under Satanic influence. THE BEAST is described as "full of the names of blasphemy."
The Jewish Antichrist, also spoken of as "another beast," the "wicked king," the "false prophet," will appear in the Holy Land. He will sit in the temple and claim that he is Goo! (Dan. 11:36,3736And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. (Daniel 11:36‑37); 2 Thess. 2:3-123Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:3‑12).) He will be in close alliance with the political "beast," and be his equal in diabolical power. Both will be cut off together when the Lord appears in heavenly glory (Rev. 19:11-2011And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:11‑20)).