Address—D. Bilisoly
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121 Glory unto Jesus be.
From the curse to set us free. All our guilt on him was laid. He the ransom fully paid. All that blessed work is done. God's well pleased with his son, He has raised him from the dead. Set him over all his death. This we know and cease to mourn patient weight his sure return, or his Saints with him shall reign. Come.
Lord Jesus, come and then.
Chapter 18.
Matthew Chapter 18.
Verse 20 I suppose most in the room to quote this.
Or where to?
Or three are gathered together in my name.
There am I in the midst of them.
I'll just tell you from the outset that I want to talk a little bit on the ground of gathering this afternoon.
You say, But we've heard these things, brother. And I know we have heard these things, but I believe we are very responsible to keep.
Repeating the truth for the sake of those that are coming up, and maybe for the sake of those that are a little hasty on these things.
And it's good if we have an understanding, even an outline of these things in order to give an answer.
What kind of an answer would we give if we were confronted with this question? Why do you need issue? Why do you come to this place here? What is the name of your church? What kind of an answer would we give to such questions as these? The Brethren? We don't want to just reach for an easy handle. We want to be able to give an answer that would be in tune with the word of God.
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If we really want to help on souls. Now I know, I know, it is not easy to do so if we do so faithfully, because so many people won't understand and there may be occasions where it might be just a thing of curiosity. The Lord, of course, would give wisdom how to answer something that was a hasty.
Inquiry of mere curiosity. But it is good, though, that we be ready to give a good, sound scriptural answer if the occasion comes up, because we don't know how deep the work there may be in the soul. And certainly we want them to be let on, do we not? We want them to know these things, and it's good for us to be assured in our own souls where we stand on these things.
You know, the kings of Israel, they were required to not only read the word of God, but to write out the word of God for themselves. And I don't know that we have any record that any of them did this. And of course in the 409 years they ended on the rocks, whereas they could have continued on indefinitely. Well, anyway, here is a verse that we can decidedly definitely.
Apply in an assembly way, because it is in connection with the assembly. You know the Lord Jesus introduced this important truth as to the assembly in the 16th of Matthew. New remember says upon the confession of Peter, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, and so forth. The Lord Jesus says upon this rock that marvelous testimony.
I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And so I hear this subject comes up again, just in a passing way. But in verse 17 it is the church. It is the assembly in question, this new thing that the Lord Jesus was introducing. Not only that, in verse 18 he makes it clear that the assembly has binding and losing authority.
As the apostles did.
A marvelous thing, but the responsibility and the power is there. And and then he talks about mutual agreement. In verse 19 he talks about two of you being free. Always a spiritual agreement. It's truly the Lords mind.
In this agreement. But it seems to me as the Lord is considering this minimal testimony, just even 2 of you agreeing really having the mind of the Spirit of God, the mind of the Lord in a matter, it leads him into this verse 20 where two or three now he comes down to the very minimal testimony and it seems to me as we travel around.
That the testimony today is largely made-up of very small numbers. And often as the Lord raises up a testimony in a certain place, there may not be too many more added, at least for a long time. Maybe not again, but it's wonderful. It's lovely to see the exercise of heart that would continue on even if there's only two or three. Just like we can down there and.
In.
Louisiana.
Here are these two, maybe three that meet, and they're deeply exercised about the truth up there in New World Island in Newfoundland. Here are three that meet and it doesn't seem as though the Lord is adding anymore right now. I believe that could be a time of testing, but it's a great encouragement to my heart to see even to continue on and to.
Go on faithfully according to this truth. But.
At the beginning it wasn't that way. Of course we know it is about two, or 3000 or 5000. Finally, the last record we have of numbers in that way. But the Lord brings it right down to the minimal testimony of two or three. Two is sufficient, 3 is abundant. So here the Lord says where two or three are gathered. Now let me just say this to you and you think it over.
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Those that understand the Greek structure.
This is in the passive sense, which means it is outside mere human agreement.
It is really, truly the work of the Spirit of God. The art gathered is an important thought. It is the work of the Spirit of God to do so, where two or three are gathered together unto my name. So let's put it this way. It must be a work of the Spirit of God. But the Spirit of God of course delights together unto the name of the Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus himself said he that gathered not with the scattered.
You say that, oh, there seems to be so few that are truly gathered in the Lord's name. That's true because.
A man's will, as it were.
I'm thankful. I'm thankful that there is there are souls being saved. Of course the spirit of God must be active where souls are getting saved, and we can thank God for that. And we can thank God for those going on with energy seeking to reach the lost and the perishing. God is faithful in spite of math.
But there are so few truly gathered to the Lords name and that in itself ought to be an exercise because this is what God wants and this is what He will have in the coming day. We could get discouraged over the fewness of nothing, even though the Lord Jesus considered the time of weakness that I have enjoyed comparing Matthew 1820 with Second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse one. I may have brought this before you before, but take a look at that. Here's the counterpart of Matthew 1820.
First Thessalonians, chapter 2, verse one. Now we will seek you, brother, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together. Unto him. I love that that is indeed the universal gathering together.
Unto him did you ever stop and consider the force of that thought, the universal gathering together unto the Lord Jesus? You know what the rapture what takes place? Well, it speaks about the dead and Christ rising first. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
And 1St Corinthians 15 says they which are Christ.
Christ the first group and they Richard Christ at his coming. What does that take in? I believe that takes in all those that have faith back through the Old Testament. What a vast moment. By far the majority are in the waiting state. We're just a very small fragment of the majority of the whole. And so we were here live in the remaining of a small number compared to the vast majority.
That have gone before all the glory the Lord Jesus will have in that day when he gives a shout and he takes up those that have gone before, all those that have faith for a vast month. Now you know when we talked about the ground of gathering, I believe that this truly brings glory to the Lord Jesus and we must consider it in that life, otherwise there might be even thought of pride.
Position that would come in, but when we consider His glory in question, that changes the picture now.
Turning back over to.
First or Second Corinthians chapter 3.
That we considered this morning.
Let's take a look at that passage once again.
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Verse 12 of 2 Corinthians 3.
Seeing them that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech.
And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished, but their minds were blinded for unto this day.
Remain the same veil, and taken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. But even under this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all with open or unveiled face, beholding you can leave off the word in a glass the glory of the Lord. We are changed in the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Or at least it can be rendered even as by the Lord, the Spirit, you say. Why did you change it like that? Well, because I believe this passage ascribes lordship to God's Holy Spirit.
Which indicates that the Spirit of God desires to have that authority over our souls. When we use Expression Lord, that means he's Lord of individuals. That may be one reason why.
We may find it hard at times to give the Lord Jesus his proper title to Old English Lord, and so often we hear those that will not own him as Lord. This is because there is not that willingness to allow him that authority over our lives. Our Lord Jesus, well, the Spirit of God wants that authority over our lives.
That is, to bring before us the glories of the Lord Jesus.
Here we see the case with Israel. They could not even look on the face of Moses, who had been in the presence of of the Lord. And his face did shine because of being in the presence of the Lord. When he came down among the children of Israel, he had to put a veil over his face that couldn't manage it. And it's an allegory. It's a lesson, a picture.
It says.
But even unto this day, verse 15, when Moses has read, the veil, is upon their heart blown enough.
Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, what is it? That's the nation of Israel?
Well, that's not in the scope of our thoughts this afternoon. But that is a glory of the Lord Jesus which we do not want to overlook or neglect or to consider unimportant. It is very important, and it is very good to know that the Lord Jesus will have glory in Israel, He will restore them, they will turn once again to the Lord, and he will take them up as a people.
It's good to understand.
Have some understanding of these prophetic things in scripture, because there are those that that would get us twisted up on these things, and you have those that that hold a teaching called on millennialism that has even prepped in a little among us and it would consider that we are now in the Millennium. It's all a spiritual thing that there will not be any true actual Millennium, which means no peace or restoration of Israel.
That would be taking away.
That belongs to the Lord Jesus. And so they'll see then. But that isn't our problem now, no?
We have the Spirit of God. Thank God for that. We have the Spirit of God dwelling within us as Christians, as believers. And where the Spirit of it, the Lord is, there is liberty, where the Spirit of God has His place, His authority, His Lordship.
There is liberty. So with no bail, we can look into these glories of the Lord Jesus, one glory after another in their innumerable wonderful to consider the glories of the Lord. And if it is so, if we enjoy the glories of the Lord as we should, it has a transitional effect upon our souls. It changes into the same image from glory to glory. That's what God wants. That's what he desires, brethren, for each one of us.
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Do we really enjoy?
Considering the glories of the Lord Jesus, well, it's wonderful. This is our desire and the Spirit of God certainly wants to have that authority upon our hearts. Now I believe, and when we consider this question of the ground of gathering, I would like to consider in a four fold way, which is exceedingly important. The old writer certainly verify this and I believe that considering these four points.
In connection with the ground of gathering the Lord's glory is certainly before us in all four aspects of that consideration.
Turnover fees to solutions.
This is #1.
And let me assure you once again that we.
Seek to give somewhat of an outline of these things in our own minds and hearts. You'll find that exceedingly useful because we will be confronted with these things. And isn't it good if we're able to give an answer for the hope that lies within us? Why do we value it where we are? And can we answer an honest inquiry over that question well here in Colossians chapter One?
We have a clear cut reason.
Why his name is worthy as a Divine Gathering, Center, Philosophy, Chapter One.
Verse 14.
In whom the Lord Jesus we have redemption you can.
Leave off through his blood. Now I realize that's very important and over in Ephesians it is there for thought prevention through His blood. But I don't believe it is here in this passage because it is the person in Colossians that the Spirit of God is bringing before us. Just simply the person. Not so much the work, but the person of Christ in Him.
In whom we have redemption or in whom we have redemption?
Even the forgiveness of sins. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature?
Now this thought of image here I believe is representative. And the Lord Jesus as a man here in this world perfectly represented God, whose Father Philip could say, shows the Father and he satisfies and the Lord says milk about him. So long with you and you have not moved. You have not known. He that has seen me, has seen the fire. It's because the Lord Jesus so perfectly represented the Father. I am my Father.
Are one Now this thought of preeminence is certainly the first born is certainly preempt.
That's all, Father. We have to go with that thought.
For by him verse 16 were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by him.
And for him And he is before all things, and by him all things consist of subsist.
Now cast the children.
Probably say that God created all things. That's true. God the Son, all things were created by the Lord Jesus and forth. And isn't that nice? Doesn't that magnify his person? And He's before all things, and by him all things consist of subsist. That is, he just sustains everything, not only the Creator, but the sustainer of the universe.
Do we take that in, brother, that even on the cross of Calvary, when he was hanging between heaven and earth, he was sustaining all things for the word of his power? Oh, but majestic thoughts and marvelous to consider. Verse 18.
And he is the head of the body, the Church, who is the beginning.
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First born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence or please the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell. Here in fossils especially we can see how the Apostle almost belabor that point of the preeminence of the Lord Jesus of thoughts that we can't hardly explain. How would you explain?
Verse 19. That in him should all fullness dwell? How would you explain it? Well, that's a mysterious thought. Certainly deity is there in that thought, but how can we explain it? He's before all things. By him all things exist in all things he must have the preeminence. And then verse nine of chapter 2 Says for in him.
Dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead.
Bodily And you are completing him. Now that's exceedingly important in connection with the problem, their philosophy, because they were being subverted by a kind of philosophic Judaism that is coming under the law, but in a philosophic way, something that was interesting to the mind, mysterious, and as though it added something to our Christianity.
We don't need anything added to our Christianity. We're completing him. So if anybody confront you, friends or neighbors or fellow school companions or whoever, and says you need something like the second blessing of the spirit of God, you know it's only your lacking something. Oh no, no, you can say no. We have all the book says. We have all. We're blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.
And you can see, no, we are complete. It's lovely, isn't it, to just give a scriptural answer in that way. That's what Paul sought to tell these clausions, you don't need these extra things. They're going to corrupt you. They're going to pervert you. You need to realize you are complete in hearing. Turn over to Ephesians. Now back up to Ephesians.
Ephesians, chapter one. We get some of the same thought.
In Ephesians Chapter one.
Speaks about Christ.
That in verse 21.
That well, verse 20 and has set him at his own right hand.
In the heavenly places, far above all principality and power.
And might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and have put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him, That filleth. All in all you know those Egyptian brethren, I mean not old brethren, young brother.
Really into the word of God. And sometimes they come up with some rather puzzling things and out of the clear blue they were asking some questions and one young brother said, what are the three fullnesses of Ephesians? I said well I have to take a look at it.
But we have one here in verse 23, the fullness of him that filleth All in all. Well, now Ephesians brings before us in a very special way the Church, Christ and the Church. And so here the church is owned as his body, and not only as his body, but the fullness of him that Philip all known. What statements of Scripture, what does that tell us?
Well, certainly one thought we gather from this.
Is that the church is a compliment to him like a wife would be a compliment to her husband.
And so.
He speaks of the Church. Here is the fullness of him, that Philip All in all one place of divine favor.
You know, let me just say something to you. I am bewildered when I consider the vast multitudes in the world today that are in darkness, even when we were over in Egypt, is strictly against the law to evangelize the Muslims. You could be put in jail and fined for doing so. And you look into the faces of those four people, and for the most part, they're unhappy and they're in darkness.
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And you just have to say, shall not the judge of all the earth do right? The Lord knows their measure of responsibility. He knows the responsibility of all. And His love and compassion for poor need souls far exceeds our best thoughts about these things. And we can have full confidence that the Lord knows all about it and He cares for me.
And it may well be that many and it may well be that many of them will have opportunity after we're gone.
Many not having any clear knowledge of the gospel, and perhaps multitudes of them, even those poor dark Muslims will believe that gospel after we are gone. But I tell you what divine favor has been shown us, especially in these favorite lands of Christianity, that we not only hear and know the way of salvation freely, but we have Bibles in our homes.
And we can know the truth, and some know even this precious truth of the divine center, the truth of the ground gathering. But we're laying the groundwork of the importance of these things now, here it emphatically says in verse 21 That he has a name which is above every name.
Now let's put it this way.
If someone confronted you and said.
Well, what is the name of your church? What kind of answer did you give them? I mean an honest inquiry.
Well, wouldn't it be nice, brother?
If we could say, well, we just do not hold any other name but the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, his name is sufficient for salvation. Any Christian would agree with that. Is his name not sufficient then for all things, and especially as the divine gathering center.
That's the force of Matthew 1820, the Lord Jesus says, where two or three are gathered together under my name, there my in the midst of them. And I really believe that the Lord will acknowledge that in the coming days, because it says very plainly there in Revelation 3 about those who have kept His word and not denied His name.
How can we deny his name?
I believe that's one way that we can deny His name. If we hesitate to own him as the only name by which we gather, it's an easy way out to say we're part of the brethren or whatever. But if we own his name, oh how important that is to give him the glory in that place. The Spirit of God delights to do that. Back up here to Philippians. Chapter 2 here again.
We see how.
The Lord Jesus went all the way down.
I believe you can trace seven steps downward. You'd have to use Mr. Darby's translation to get it, but I believe you can trace seven steps downward. And then in verse 9 and 10:00 and 11:00 you can trace seven steps up.
Let's read verse 9. Wherefore God also have highly exalted him and given him a name or the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.
Of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
I can well remember a time when a group of Christians were having an open air meeting on the street corner. And right across the way was a group of people that were listening and they were interested in hearing what they were hearing until the speaker began to quote Philippians 29 and 10. And then they all turned away and walked off. Imagine imagine that. They didn't want to hear such a quotation as that.
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They just did not want to hear it and they turned away from it. But it will be true. It will be true. They must acknowledge the glory of that name. Now whether verse 9 is the same name as verse 10, I don't know. It doesn't really make any difference. The thought before us is that he has a name which is above every name and then verse 10 tells us that at the name of Jesus every nation.
Will honor that name. He will have that name honored, and that name is greatly dishonored today. Oh, there's a superficial sort of thing, but really, in truth, that name is dishonored. Brethren, we can honor that precious name by openly, honestly acknowledging that not only do we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, but we are gathered to His precious name.
That glorifies him. Let's keep that in mind. Because we made the great attempted to take a shortcut, we may be tempted to hedge around what we really know and believe in our hearts. Well, I think that that's fair enough. How God would exalt that name.
And honor that name and we can honor to now turn over to John's gospel. And let's go into the second point here in our consideration of the ground of gathering.
Which is so important if you can.
Catalogue this in your mind. I believe it will be a help to do chapter 14.
But opportunities arise over this question, a way in which you can really honor and glorify the Lord.
Now in chapter 14 the Lord Jesus is introducing another personality here, verse 16, And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever.
Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot perceive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Mars.
Chapter.
Well, let's notice verse 27.
At verse 26.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to you your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, Chapter 15.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which perceive it from the Father, he shall testify of me, and ye also shall bear witness, because he have been with me from the beginning. Chapter 16.
Verse 13.
How be it? When he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of or from himself. But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. Notice especially verse 14. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
Now you can see very plain the work of the Spirit of God. I came into an assembly one time for a reading meeting back east.
And there was a man that came in, I did not recognize before. I knew most of the other Brethren, but this fellow took quite a part in the reading in the Brethren seemed to acknowledge him.
And afterwards I got into a little conversation with him. And somehow or another we got onto the subject of the Spirit of God. And he made this statement, this remark. He says, well, the Spirit of God is an influence. I said what? And he says the Spirit of God is an influence. I said, Oh no, I said the Spirit of God is more than an influence. The Spirit of God is a person. He says, Oh no, no, I said look, now let's just take a look here.
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Bible says he, he, he will show you all things and so forth. There's a person in question here. Oh, no, no, he wouldn't have it. And he was adamant over that line of things. Well, what could I do that mourn the brethren about him? You know, I fear for a thing like that. You don't know what it may lead into. Know the Spirit of God is the first thing and how we need to realize that not only in connection with the fact that he dwells within us, each one of us individually.
But we need to realize this in connection with what is due to him.
The liberty that ought to be his in the assembly or in the Christian testimony.
But tragic to say, the Spirit of God has been formally shut out. Now, I'm not talking about individuals. There may be many faithful individuals, but the whole structure of what is accepted now, and to put it in plain language, it is the notion of a clergyman. There is nothing in scripture that answers to that and that the structure of that thing.
Has really interfered with the liberty of the spirit of God. In many cases. Has blocked the way for the spirit of God to function as he pleases. You know, it's a most interesting thing. I don't know how many of you have read anything about the the Welsh Revival that took place over several years ago, and I think one of the.
The main leaders in that work was Amanda, the name of Kevin Roberts. I don't know all that much about it, but this I do know that it was a real work of the spirit of God. Obviously there were many, many souls that were saved well from darkness into God's marvelous light, and they all felt so grateful over this work of God by his spirit.
That they decided to have a meeting, this last particular occasion, and they all circled around and they left one empty chair for the divine guest, as it were. And they determined that they would not prearrange this meeting. They would just simply go as they felt that at the Spirit, and they had a most lovely time together. It's like our gracious God to do that, she said.
And they just simply waited on the leading of the spirit of God. Well, in the article about this the writer said how nice it would have been. Have they continued in that same sense of dependence upon the Spirit of God. But at any rate, the Spirit of God ought to have that liberty. That is a very important.
Principle in connection with this line of things.
Turn over now to First Corinthians chapter 12. You can see the way we're going.
Now in this 12Th chapter of First Corinthians.
We have.
Spiritual Manifestations in verse seven. That's the thought of it. It's really, that's what it really is. It begins with gifts, you see, but the gifts are in italics in the first verse.
There are gifts included there, but the subject matter is the way in which the Spirit of God would manifest himself.
And so we have different things mentioned here.
In manifestations of the Spirit, But it's all one in the same spirit. That's the whole key.
And people have difficulty with these chapters. They have great difficulty.
With chapters, especially chapter 1112? No, it's a 12 and 14 from there.
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We knew a young fellow.
That was sent up to a Christian School against his will. Well, I'll just tell you very plainly it was a place called Three Hills, Alberta.
And I'm not telling you question just how sound that place was. I don't know. But against his will, he was sent there. And so he had a one of his classes. They were taking up First Corinthians.
And I asked him. I said.
Did you get all the way through the book? Yeah.
I said what did they do when they got to chapters like chapter 12 and Chapter 14? He said they bridged it, he says. They made some statement that there are some that attempt to practice this, but we don't believe it can be today. Well, now, brethren, of course, it's very important to consider whether or not some of these gifts are still in effect.
Like Tums in.
Interpretation of it Verse 10. Well, we have other scriptures that we can consider. For instance, in chapter 13 it says in verse 8 charity never failed. That is, divine love never fails. That means it's durable. That doesn't mean that we fail at the grace of God, that's another thing. But this is talking about the durability of divine love. It never fails. It goes on eternally.
But prophecies will fail. Why? Because the prophetic things come to pass.
Are there prophecies in the word of God that have been fulfilled? Yes, there are. Did you know that?
There are some prophecies that have been fulfilled, for instance those most of those things in Daniel Chapter 11 have already come to pass, but they have come to pass with such accuracy pertaining to the activities of the kings of the North and the kings of the South earlier.
In Israel's history, or during the rather, I should say, during the 400 silent years they came to pass so accurately that critics of the Bible says, oh, those things have to be written afterwards because they were so accurate. Oh no, we know better than that, and every bit of prophecy will come to pass perfectly accurately.
One thing will miss but.
They do have their use and they fail. Whether there's be tongues, they shall cease and I really believe the tongues have ceased. Now I wouldn't want to go into a lot of question and discussion over that, maybe in regard to some very foreign places, but they have ceased. We don't need thumbs in the land of Bibles, and the tongue gift was a sign gift not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.
So it was never in the mind of God that that that gift should be used and abused in the assembly. And so these things do cease, and we need to recognize that as far as that goes, even knowledge.
Will vanish away. That is what the only knowing part.
When that which is perfect is come, and that which is in part shall be done away, because our understanding of the Word of God and so forth is only partial, and it may not be just altogether, as it should be, thank God for that precious truth which we do know and can rest upon and are assured of, but.
The functioning of the Spirit of God, the way the Spirit of God manifests himself, should not cease by any means, and we have other passages of Scripture that clearly indicates.
That the Spirit of God ought to have that liberty. Well, brethren, I believe that's a very important.
A very important truth. And you see what the Spirit of God delights to do. He delights to magnify the person of Christ. He delights to glorify him. And if he has that liberty, there's a better chance that it may be so. Now there's failure, of course.
But at least the way is open.
Men may intrude, but still.
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Where allowances made for the Spirit of God to have that liberty, that's a good thing, and that is an essential thing in connection with this precious truth. Now you see how that leads us right into the truth of the one body. And that's the Third Point I want to stress this afternoon in connection with the ground of gathering. Is this true?
In connection with the one body you see verse 12 or by or as the body is 1 and have many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ or the Christ is like Adam and Eve, he called their name Adam or by 1 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, I believe that brings the individual thought before us, as we have in John Chapter 7. If any man fears, let him come unto me and drink. And the Lord Jesus was Speaking of the Spirit of God in that connection. But here we have the body of Christ introduced to us. This is the most important subject. And brother, we are committed to this truth and practice now.
Because it's only now that we can practice this truth.
When we are home in the glory, this truth will not be in effect again. But it is now that we can practice this truth and it glorifies the Lord Jesus because he is head of the body, the church. The head is in heaven, the body is here on earth, and if the body functions in practice as it should, it acknowledges the head and heaven.
But now let me just say this before any more remarks are made. That of course, of course, every true born again believer right here in Pelham, throughout Iowa, the United States, Canada and the world are members of the Body of Christ. We know them.
We thank God for every true member of the Body of Christ. But this is a crucial test to practice this truth. A crucial test, One of the most crucial parts of the test is in connection with discipline. And of course, when a person is disciplined, it has no bearing upon their position in the body of Christ. Not at all. Oh no, it's only in connection with the assembly as such.
But I'm talking about the practical truth of it. That is the holding to this unity set before us here. That if one is our fellowship and one assembly, they are out of fellowship in every assembly of those gathered to the Lords name. That's a pretty cold test.
But this is a very important thought.
When I was in Egypt, we were a little into these things.
And I made this remark that raised a good deal of question. But these dear Egyptian brethren are unfeigned, and they're knowledgeable in the word, And if they don't quite agree with the thing or understand it, they'll correct you on the platform, so to speak.
Now, correction, everything is done through translation. So if there's a pause, then, you know, maybe there's something that they're not sure of. And the translator may say, would you repeat that again or would you explain what you meant by that? But I made this remark. I said, you know, I said.
We see the importance of practicing this truth now.
Because when the Lord comes, this truth will not be.
Truly longer will be with the Lord. It would be another picture of the Church.
And those that are going on are in a different waiting place.
And so Paul tries to reinforce the truth of resurrection by saying.
Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead of the dead rise not?
And you know, the Mormons have taken a verse like that and made a doctrine out of them, a tremendous doctrine. They have a huge subterranean vaults over in Utah where they keep vast amount of records. They have gone through the genealogies of perhaps every county in the US and they take all of these records and they hire people that will be baptized by proxy for these people.
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They have built a whole doctrine on that line of thought. And of course, these Egyptian brethren immediately wanted some clarification on that passage of scripture. Well, the best illustration I can think of is a division of soldiers. I said, you have army divisions here, don't you? Oh, yes.
So I said, let's take, for instance, a division called 104th Egyptian Army Division. I said That may be a real old division. Maybe it dates back for for decades, maybe 2 or 300 years. He knows. And as time goes on, many of those soldiers have died off in battle. Some have been retired. Certainly after a couple 100 years, they're all gone.
There's none of the same original soldiers.
There's brand new soldiers that have replaced them so that there's none of the original 104th division of soldiers, but the 104th division is still there. It's still in existence. That's like the body of Christ. Now. There are those that have gone on to be with Christ. There are others that have stepped in the ranks and that all baptism does is identify a person with Christ.
When it says else what shall they do who are baptized with the dead, it just simply means that they are taking their place in the Christian ranks. It has no bearing upon the dead person, only that.
There was that vacancy, like the 104th Division and the newcomers.
Are taking their place. Well, you know, it's a wonderful thing to be identified with the Lord Jesus and baptism, but oh how wonderful it is to truly be gathered through his name according to the truth of the one body. That is a very important truth. And that brings glory to Christ now. And the Spirit of God wants to bring the glory of Christ in that way.
Before believers, if they will have it. What a precious truth, brother. How much do we value it? The last three points that we consider the worthiness of his name, the liberty of the Spirit of God, and the truth of the one body held in practice today. But there's another very important aspect in our closing here in Hebrews chapter 13.
For the glory of Christ.
In this line of truth.
Verse 13.
Let us go for Hebrews 13.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 13.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach.
Now it's a person that we go fortnight to. That is a very important thought in connection with separation otherwise.
Separation could be an exclusive thing and not correct in this thought, if we don't consider that it is done as unto the person, it is unto him.
That we go forth. It is unto him that we are separated. And of course you tie in these truths for a second Timothy, Chapter 2.
And other places. And we see how vitally important it is to hold in the truth of the ground together in separation. It can't be held in the other way, or it's corrupted and it's spoiled. So that truth must be held in separation. But the glory of it is that it is a person.
That we are drawn unto, that's what makes the difference. Not just simply a matter of cutting off, as it were, of just a wholehearted separation, but the recognition that it is unto a person. That's the 4th and important point in this connection. I trust everyone thinks of these things, considers these things. I believe it is vital to what we claim to hold.
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Position right now.
Shall we pray?