God has put believers in relation one to another. " God setteth the solitary in families " (Psa. 68:6). This has ever been His principle.
AN OLD TESTAMENT ILLUSTRATION.
This was typified by the children of Israel in the wilderness. They were nationally the people of God, and their gathering center in the wilderness was the Tabernacle, God's dwelling place. The blessing of each individual Israelite lay in his keeping in touch with the Tabernacle, and in taking his appointed place among the tribe he belonged to, east, west, north, south of the tabernacle as was appointed. He was not left to follow his own choice or inclination,
The pillar of cloud gave guidance. When the cloud moved the whole camp had to move in unison. There was no blessing for the individual save with the company, for the company gathered round the Tabernacle with its cloudy pillar-in other words the presence of the Lord was their protection and the pillar of cloud was Jehovah's guidance for His people.
Let us be clear, it was not the company which was the Israelite's protection and guide, but the LORD in the midst of the company.
We should ever be suspicious of any, who exalt the company at the expense of the Lord. It is only as the company is in touch with the Lord that there can be blessing in such associations. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning" (Rom 15:4).
This brings us from the type to the anti-type; from the Tabernacle in the wilderness in the Old Testament to the church of God, the Lord among His people, in the New Testament.
THE CHURCH'S INCEPTION.
The church of God was formed by the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, indwelling believers, linking them with their Lord in heaven as Head of the church, His body, and with each other (as members of that one body on earth.
THE CHURCH DOES NOT INCLUDE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS.
The church of God clearly does not include Old Testament saints. In Matt. 16:18, the Lord said, " Upon this rock [the confession of His Person: " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God "] I WILL build My church; and the gates of hell [hades1 shall not prevail against it." When the Lord spoke He had not begun to build. " I will build," is in the future tense. Not till the redemption work was completed, not till His resurrection and ascension, and the gift of the Holy Spirit had taken place, could that building begin.
The Head must be in heaven before there could be a body upon earth. Eph. 1:19-20 gives us to see how Christ was raised from the dead by the mighty power of God, set at God's right hand in heavenly places, far above principality and power and might and dominion, and being exalted is given to be "Head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who filleth all in all," whilst 1 Cor. 12:13 says, " 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."
Eph. 2:20 tells us that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The Old Testament saints were prior to the apostles and prophets and could not therefore be on the foundation.
All this clearly shows that the Old Testament saints were not in the church of God, though blessed according to their dispensation. The inception of the church of God clearly took place on the Day of Pentecost, and not before.
THE CHURCH COMPLETED AT THE LORD'S SECOND COMING.
Nor will the believers after the Lord's second coming be included in the church. "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that 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" (Eph. 5:25-27). This presentation takes place at the second coming of Christ. There will be multitudes saved after the coming of the Lord for His church, but they will form part of the earthly company, over whom Christ shall set up His millennial Kingdom and reign for a thousand years.
Unless the dispensation of the Church-between the Day of Pentecost and the second coming of the Lord for His saints-is clearly seen, there is bound to be confusion in the understanding of Scripture.
THE CHURCH OF GOD COMPOSED OF TRUE BELIEVERS received the gospel of their salvation are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. (See Eph. 1:13), It is never contemplated in Scripture, and is not possible, that mere professors should have a place in Christ's body. Christ's body is vital and real.
It is true that Scripture foretells that declension would set in, and things be lowered to such a terrible extent that mere professors would abound. But whilst such, alas 1 have usurped a place in the professing church of God on earth, they cannot be members of Christ's body, nor of the true church.
The first effort of the enemy as seen in the parable of Matt. 13:24-30 is to sow the tares among the wheat, in other words to introduce mere professors among true believers. We are told whom the tares represent-" the children of the wicked one "; and who he is, " the enemy that sowed them is the devil."
Scripture never teaches that believers should willingly and of knowledge act in church fellowship with unbelievers.
UNBELIEVERS HAVE NO TITLE TO TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER.
It is perfectly foreign to Scripture that an unbeliever should partake of the Lord's Supper. It is not sufficient for a man to be a decent living parishioner, and have passed through a course of confirmation. There must be conversion, there must be real faith in the Lord Jesus before a man is privileged rightly to partake of the Lord's supper.
It is said to true Christians, " He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation [judgment] to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep " (1 Cor. 11:29, 30).
If eating and drinking unworthily is so serious to a Christian walking carnally, what must it be for an unbeliever?
No enlightened Christian true to Scripture would ever consent to walk with a religious body that willingly, and of knowledge, allowed mere professors to partake of the Lord's supper.
THE CHURCH OF GOD HAS NEITHER GEOGRAPHICAL, NATIONAL NOR SECTARIAN BOUNDS.
The church of God is composed of all true believers, wherever found, of whatever nationality, of whatever social position. So we read, " There is neither Greek nor Jew '[no national distinctions], circumcision nor uncircumcision [no religious distinctions], Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free [no social distinctions], but Christ is all, and in all " (Col. 3:11).
At Colosse there were in the church Philemon and his slave, Onesimus, " a faithful and beloved brother." Thus happily does grace triumph over distinctions that obtain in this world, and are recognized of God, but which yield to something infinitely higher, and on a different plane in the church of God.
It follows too that the church of God, being one, cannot be bounded by nationality. To attach any geographical name, or the name of any man, or of any particular doctrine, or a name descriptive of a special kind of church government is all foreign to Scripture, and the enlightened Christian, obedient to the truth of God, could not associate himself with any of these.
What liberty of soul it is to be connected only with the church of God, to have no name called upon one but the name of the Lord, to have no man-made creed or ecclesiastical constitutions, to be guided, alone by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit-in short to own the fellowship ALL Christians are called to.
THE CHURCH OF GOD IS NOT OF THIS WORLD.
That is clear in Scripture. Twice over the Lord said. of His disciples, " They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world " (John 17:14 and 16). Why repeated twice? Surely it puts great emphasis on the statement. The apostle Peter speaks of the believers as " strangers and pilgrims " (1 Peter 2:11); whilst
Paul writes, " Our conversation [literally citizenship] is in heaven " (Phil. 3:20); whilst John writes, " The world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not " (1 John 3:1).
Thus union of state and church, the attempt to get political power and standing, are ideas clean contrary to the genius of Christianity and the teaching of Scripture. It is to show ignorance of the true nature of the church of God and of her relationship to Christ and of her heavenly calling. We need to be jealous with a godly jealousy in these matters.