Alright, Ephesians chapter 1
again. Ephesians chapter 1. Paul, this
is a part of Paul's prayer to the Ephesians. This last couple
verses here. Where Paul has expressed the
order, the arrangement of God Almighty's sovereign purpose
in no uncertain terms. When Paul being moved to say,
according as, then it must be in that order. When Paul is moved
to say, having predestinated, it must be according to that
order. When Paul says, in whom ye also trusted after that ye
heard the word of truth, it must be in that order. When Paul says, verse 15, Wherefore
I also, after I heard of your faith and love, faith in the
Lord Jesus, and love unto all saints, it must be in that order. This is the primary group of
people we're to pray for. God's people. God's people. But Paul sums it
up in this way in chapter 1, verse 22. And hath put all things
under his feet, that is Christ's 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. Now, the Apostle Paul, by inspiration
of God, and as a matter of fact, he's the only one that mentions
it throughout the New Testament. The Apostle Paul is the only
one that talks about the body of Christ in those terms. So the Apostle Paul, by the inspiration
of God, provides several statements of description of the body. And we're going to look at each
one. I told you we're going to go into more detail about the body.
Christ's body. That's the message. Christ's
body. The body is described by the
Apostle Paul. Now, there, I thought about an
illustration and the only one I know of to try to give right
off is, there is a, or was, I should say now, there was a body of
men, a group of men, They were described as astronauts. They were a part of the Gemini
and the Apollo missions. If you were to take a list and
say, here is a description of those astronauts, and you describe
them. Here's the description of what
it meant to be, Joe, a part of the Gemini or the Apollo program
to space. that only people that fit that
description or only the people that fit that description can
be called the astronauts of that program. As we look at these eight things
that Paul describes and calls the body of Christ, the question
I must ask myself And the question you must ask yourself is, do
those things describe me? If they don't describe you, if
they don't describe me, then that means you and me are not
a part of the body. You can talk about, well, but
you were elected or predestinated to it all you wish. But there
is order here. No one has any right to claim
to be a part of the body unless they fit the description of the
body. There are groups of people in
this world that hang their soul, their very eternal or I should
say everlasting soul on the fact of an election or a predestination,
but they care nothing about what that election was to, or what
the predestination was concerning. First of all, in our text, Paul
describes the body as his body. You see it? and hath put all
things under His feet." Well, who is the His here? Christ. No doubt about that. "...and
hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head
over all things to the church, which is..." Those two words. "...His body." There are all
kinds of bodies in this world. Baptist bodies. Presbyterian
bodies. Church of God bodies. They're
all not the same body. Baptist, it doesn't matter. Calvinist
or Arminianism, that's not the question. He didn't have a Calvinistic
body, it's His body. You can be a Calvinist and still
perish. You can hold to certain doctrines
and still perish. Paul said, which is His body. Now there's two things that this
teaches. I'm not going to try to give
you what it means. You don't need me to tell you what it means.
I'm just here to proclaim what it says. You can look up the words. If
you've got any concern for your soul, you ought to do that. When
you go home, you ought to go back and get your Bible and whatever
books you have in your arsenal and study these things to see
if what Joe and I are saying is true or not. Because that's what matters.
It ain't up here to, I've heard all that before, I know it. No,
no you don't. No man knows anything yet as
he ought to know it. There is not a subject upon the
face of this earth that concerns the personal work of Jesus Christ
that we already know enough about and we can leave it alone. Not
one. That's why Paul says, a part of my prayer is that the eyes
of your understanding, having been enlightened, that's the
most accurate translation, that you may know what is the hope
of his calling, the riches of the glory of his. In other words,
you said it, Joe, Moses wanted to know more. He knew quite a
bit, but he still wanted to know more, more. So Paul describes
the body as what? His Christ's body. Two things. Ownership. Right? His body describes what? Ownership. Sure, that's true. If you're
a part of the body, Jesus Christ owns you. Lock, stock and barrel. He owns even your physical body.
He bought even your physical body with a price. Your gods,
therefore glorify God in your body. Your bodies, which are
His. It certainly teaches ownership,
but it's more than that. It is His body, Him being stated
to be the head, that lets us know it is a relationship of
oneness. oneness. It's His body. It's
not just a body over which He is head. It's His body. Do you see what
I'm saying? It's not just He's a head and
out there are a bunch of different bodies and He's the head over
all them. No. It is over all things to the
church. Gave Him to be head over all
things to the church which is His body. It's a relationship of oneness. He owns me, but it's more than
that. He is one with me. And I am one with Him. That's a glorious thing. John
puts it this way. Now, right now, now are we the
sons of God. Now are we the sons of God. Of
course, it does not yet appear what we shall be. But right now,
even right now, we are the sons of God. And he goes on in that
same epistle, 1 John, he goes on to say concerning Jesus Christ,
as he is, so are we. Even where? Where? As He is, so are we in this world. Isn't that a glorious thing?
Not just we'll be like Him one day, we're going to be actually,
totally, completely like Him. But we're His body now in this
world. The world will not see it, but
we're still as He is in this world. That's number one. Do you fit? Do I fit that description? One, He owns me. And I'm not
bitter about that. I'm not angry about that. I remember
years ago when I thought I had Christianity, when I thought
I was saved, when I had made my profession even as a young
child. I did not, I can only say that honestly now, but I
did not like the idea of being owned by Jesus Christ in all
that I was. Why? Because all I had was a
religious profession. I was not a part of the body. I'm you. You've heard. Well, I'm my own man. I'm my
own woman. Then you're not a part of the
body. That's the truth of scripture.
It's that clear. We are being hard. No. No. God is severe. God is severe. God is strict. God is exact and Christ is the
head over what? His body. Number two, in our
text we see the church, the body, he says all things gave him to
be head over all things to the church which is his body. They're
not synonymous terms but they speak of the same group of people. The church which is his body,
in the text is the fullness of him. that filleth all in all. That's an amazing statement.
Almost a conundrum. The fullness of Him that filleth
all in all. Yeah. That's what the book says. Now it's not about what does
that mean. It's about what does it say. It's not about addition to Christ.
We don't add anything to Christ. But it is talking about completion. God Almighty purposed that He
be the firstborn among many brethren. Therefore there must be many
brethren or Christ would not be complete. He is not head without
a body. He is the head of His body. Do you see it? It's not about
us adding to Christ something. No, Christ, think about it, it
is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. He's the one doing
the filling. You see it? And He's filling
all in all. So then Christ fills His body
that both He and it is in full unity and membership. His body
will not be lacking one digit, one part, one member. So Christ fills His body in such
a way that both He and it is full in membership and full in
standing before God. He is accepted of God the Father. were accepted in the Beloved. Accepted in the Beloved. That's
a description, another description, a second description of the body. You either fit that description
or you do not. I hear it not a lot, but you
hear it on occasion. We're looking for potential membership
in our church. Potential members. Potential
members. No, there is an elect group of
people who were predestinated by God to be what His sons. They will be brought into the
body. placed in the body in their specific
place as a specific member of that body and it will be Christ
the head of the church which is his body the fullness of him
that filleth all in all. Everyone Jesus Christ came into
this world to save must be saved or he's not the head. He's not the head. That's number
two. That's the second description.
Because of this, we read a statement in several places, but we read
it even in this epistle, chapter 4, if you want to turn there.
And in verse 4, thus we read of one body. Ephesians 4, verse 4. There is
one body. But you cannot take that and
separate it from the rest of the context. There is one body. What is it that motivates this
one body? One spirit. And it's capitalized,
and I believe properly so. There is one because Paul told
the Corinthians, by one spirit you are all baptized into one
body. That's not some kind of spirit baptism. That's the Spirit
of God motivating every one of God's people to confess Christ
in the water in obedience to Him. That's what it's talking
about. This thing of spirit baptism is not taught in the Scripture. John said when He comes, He will
baptize you with the Spirit. Who's the baptizer? Not the Spirit,
the Son! It took me a long time to learn
that, Joe. Because I was so steeped in all of that error. It's what
I'd always heard, Mason. Spirit baptism. Spirit baptism. We're all baptized by one Spirit
into one body. There is one body, one spirit,
even as you're called in, one hope of your calling. Notice here, calling is connected
to all this oneness. Just make a mental note of that.
One hope. Well, I have hope in this. Another
person says, I have hope in that. If this and that are not the
same thing, then you're not a part of the same body. Right? If the this and the that are
not the same thing, you're not a part of the same body. You're
saying people have got to believe like you do. No, I'm saying people
believe who I do. And in time, we are all being
taught what to believe concerning the who. We are being corrected, Joe,
where we're wrong and encouraged where we're right. That's just
the way it is. Look at what it says. For the
perfected of the saints, for the work of the ministry. Till
we all come into what? The unity of the faith. None
of us starts knowing everything and none of us dies knowing everything.
But God Almighty sets all members in His body on a path to knowing
Him. And He begins teaching them.
And He corrects us when and where it is necessary. Now, lest someone say, well,
but it says there He is. That's not really there. This
is one body. Don't be silly. Look at Colossians. Chapter 3, verse 15. And if you ever read Ephesians
and Colossians, they are very similar in many respects. In
many respects. And let the peace of God rule
in your hearts. That's not talking about you
giving God permission. It's talking about bowing down.
That's what it's talking about. And let the peace of God rule
in your hearts. to the witch you're also called
in one body. And be glad for it and thankful
for it. You see it? And be thankful. So thus we read
that there is one body. You're either a part of that
one body or you're not a part of His body. You might be a part
of somebody, but not a part of His body. You see what I'm saying? That's the description. It's
one body. There are hundreds of bodies
in this world of even people who have a hope, but they don't
all have the same hope. They don't all have the same
Lord. They don't all have the same baptism. They don't all
have the same one hope of His calling. They just don't. Therefore,
they're not all a part, Mason, of the same body. Can't be. Can't be. Well, you're too discriminatory. Not nearly as discriminatory
as God is. There are people I would include,
I have included, and God said no. Later on, He said, nope,
that wasn't one of them. And there's others that I probably
would have thought, I'll never have association with that person.
God said, yeah, you will too, because I called them into the
same body you're in. Now deal with it. That's what, deal with
it. Deal with it. I mean, some of us may be fingers,
but some of us are not very good looking fingers. Some of us may
be a hand, but some of us don't grip as well as others do. And
I better stop the illustration there, because I'll get in trouble
if I go a lot further with that. Called. Called into one body. There's the description. Were
you called by God into one body. There's the description. Okay,
I don't want to jump ahead to number four. It's also described,
go to Ephesians 4. You should be, yeah, Ephesians
4 again. Back to Ephesians 4. It's also
described as the whole body. Ephesians 4 verse 15, but speaking
the truth in love may grow up into him in all things. That
doesn't mean you grow up into salvation. That doesn't mean
you start out with a little taste of it, but it's kind of iffy
as to whether you're really going to have, it has nothing to do
with that. It's talking about maturity in the truth of God. but speaking the truth in love
may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, so aren't
we talking about the body here, the church, the body, right?
Which is the head, even Christ, from whom, do you see that? We don't derive what Paul's going
to talk about merely from doctrine, we derive it from the person
the doctrine speaks about. Do you see what I'm saying there? If you can know the doctrine,
but if you're not getting it from the head, you're not a part
of the body. If you get the doctrine just
from me, you've got nothing but added condemnation to your soul.
That's kind of frightening, is it not? Because this says, from
whom? That's talking about the head.
From whom? Here we go. The whole body. Not
just a few members in the body. See, that's the whole point.
from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working
in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body,
not in numbers, but in maturity, in understanding, in recognition,
in repentance, in faith, in love, whatever it might be, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. There's another description.
It's called the whole body. Any body not fitly joined together
is not a part of that body. Do you see it? Or I should even
better say anybody not being fitly joined together. That is
in the process of being fitly joined together. Because as we
see one another In this world, in local assemblies, sometimes
we seem mighty disjointed. But remember, it's not from which,
it's from whom. Right? From whom. Your sustenance
does not come from this local assembly. You're a part of this
local assembly because you've been made to be a part of Him
who is the head of this local assembly and every other local
assembly that's a true part of the whole body. So there's another
description. In other words, Christ is head
in reality, not just doctrinal theory. He's really the head. We're a body connected to the
head. And as everything flows from
this, don't matter about your physical body, everything flows,
all the nourishment, all the sustenance, all the growth flows
from the head. But it flows down through the
body. And the body is connected, fitly joined together. If you're a part of the body,
you ain't going to be out there by yourself not wanting to be
a part of the body. Now notice what I said. You're
not going to be out there by yourself not wanting to be a
part. I don't care whether I'm a part of the body or not. Then
you're a part of the wrong body. A body of one is not the body
Paul talks about here. Not of singularity me. No. Christ is head in reality. Not
in doctrinal theory. Thus the body thrives in and
thrives from and thrives concerning him. That's what it's all about. I hear people say, well, our
church is growing. You know what they mean, don't you? They mean
numbers. They mean just numbers only,
Joe. They don't care about any kind of spiritual maturity amongst
the members of their little group. They just want the group to get
bigger. That's not what Paul's talking
about here. The glory of the growth of the body is seen in
the members constantly crying out, O head, feed me. O head, sustain me. O head, I
want to know more about you. I want to know more about you. That's another description of
the body. That's number four. Here's number five. Ephesians
chapter three. It is called by Paul the same
body okay the same body let's read it Ephesians 3 verse 1 for
this calls I Paul the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is
given me to you, how that by revelation he made known unto
me the mystery, as I wrote afore in few words, whereby when ye
read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ. There
is a mystery here, but that has taught talking nothing about
spookiness. Not here. Nowhere does it talk
about spookiness. Let me rephrase that. Nowhere
does it talk about spookiness, but also it's not talking here
about something that can't be laid hold of. There are some
mysteries that can't be laid hold of. One of them is God made
manifest in the flesh. That's one of the mysteries of
God believed on in the world. That's a mystery. But Paul's
not talking about even that here, look. Which in other ages was
not made known unto the sons of men. The Old Testament did
not talk about this detail. That's what he's talking about.
As it is now revealed unto us, I'm sorry, unto his holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit. that the Gentiles should be fellow
heirs and of the same body, do you see that? And partakers of
his promise in Christ by the gospel. The Old Testament does
not deal with that. Now, I've read you his conclusion. Let's look at where he gets that
from. Chapter 2 of this same epistle. Verse 11. Wherefore remember that ye being
in time past Gentiles. See it? Gentiles in the flesh.
He's writing primarily to people who are Gentiles. In the past
you were Gentiles in the flesh. You were called uncircumcised.
about that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made
with hands. In other words, the Jews call
you what you are, Gentiles. Those who were physically circumcised
under the physical covenant, they seen you for what you were,
Gentiles. And Paul said, that's what you were. He said, you were that. That,
at that time, ye were what? Without Christ. being aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. And
then some men immediately turn around and say, but we are, the
Gentiles who believe now, are true Israel. No. That is not what Paul says. Look, but now, in Christ Jesus,
ye who sometimes were far off or made nigh by the blood of
Christ. For He is our peace, who hath
made both," he's talking about the Jew and Gentile now, true
Jew and the elect Gentile. The elect Jew and the elect Gentile,
that's what he's talking about. He's established that already
in chapter 1, right? But now in Christ Jesus, ye who
sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ,
for he is our peace who hath broken, who hath made both one,
and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us,
having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of two, that's
of twain, one what? What's that next word? N-E-W. Not the old order added to, but
a totally new order. One made of the twain of the
two, one new man, so making peace. and that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.
And by this, you're joined with all of God's people, that is,
those who are truly God's people. I am not Israel. I am a wild
olive branch grafted into the root stock of Israel. That's the doctrine of Scripture. When somebody says, well, I just
don't see it that way, then you see wrong. And I pray that the
eyes of your understanding being enlightened, God might show you
a few things. Because if you're a part of the
body, the one body, the whole body, you're a part of that.
And somebody else has bewitched you. deceived you. And that why do you think he
says in verse 14 after he goes through all this that you henceforth
be no more children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine
and slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and
wait to deceive but speak the truth to one another. We are not all a new Israel.
We are one new man, a totally different thing now. Well, what God really meant in
the Old Testament, He wasn't really meaning what He said,
we see it now fulfilled in the New. Not in this respect. No, sir. No, sir. There are hints back there, but
there is no clear doctrine back there. Here's what we see. Here's a hint. when Moses is
rejected by his own people, the one he was already foreordained
to be the deliverer of. Right? Even from his infancy,
Joe, Moses was ordained of God to be the deliverer. But then,
when he tries to begin to deliver his people, he sees an Egyptian
hurting one of his own. He goes out and kills that Egyptian. What's the Jews do? They reject
him. He has to flee. And what does he do? He goes
out and marries a Gentile bride. Does he not? Before he is ever
received by the national covenant people. Now that's just an allegory. That's not the doctrine taught
back then. That's just an allegory back
then. Let me tell you something. It is the same body. There is no Jewish church or
Gentile church when it comes to the New Testament church.
And as I've already said to you, we are not just an extenuation
of the Old Testament church. The Old Testament called out
people. That's what the word church means.
We're under the Old Covenant. at least from Sinai until Christ
Jesus came into this world. We, the one new man, we're not
under that old covenant. We're under the new covenant. That's the same body. Beloved,
I've even heard a grace preacher talk about the Jewish church
and the Gentile church. There is no such thing taught
in the New Testament. There may have been local assemblies
that were predominantly Jewish. There may have been local assemblies
that were predominantly Gentile. But they were not a Gentile church
and a Jewish church. There is one church made up of
Jews and Gentiles, and they're made into one new man in Christ. That's number five. Number six.
It is a body, turn to Colossians 2. It is described as this, as a
body knit together. Colossians 2 verse 19. And I'm
coming in the middle of the context, but you'll see that what I'm
saying to you is still true. And not holding the head. You
see, that's one of the manifestations of being a part of the one body.
The whole body is you hold the head. The body holds to the head. In other words, the body is looking
to the head. It's grasping up there. That's
the whole thing, Joe. That head up there. And not holding
the head from which all the body, not the certain parts of it,
not the most spiritual parts of the body, not the most faithful
parts of the body, from which all the body by joints and bands
having nourishment ministered and knit together. Now, you don't even have to have
the meaning of the Greek. Knit together. Even if you look
in the Webster's Dictionary and you think about knitting, what
are you talking about? It's made it all one. You know, you took
all the threads and a woman sits down with her needles and you
see all this thread is gobbled up. But after they get done with
the work, Joe, what do you got? You got a nice looking scarf
or a shirt, whatever it is. It's knit together. That word means this, to cause,
to coalesce, to join. The body is knit together. If you're not knit with the body,
you ain't a part of the body. That's the whole point. Because
Christ's body, which is one body, a whole body, His body, is all
coalesced. As I've said, there is no place
for individuality in this thing of God. Well, I'm my own man,
I'm my own woman. I'm not going to submit myself
to the authority of a local assembly. Then you're stepping outside
the auspices of the body over which Christ is the head. The body according to Paul, 1
Corinthians 12, here's number 7. 1 Corinthians 12 and 1 Corinthians
12 and Ephesians 5 are the two main chapters, the main places
in the Bible that describes or talks about in detail the body,
if you ever want to look at the body in detail. 1 Corinthians
12, Ephesians chapter 5. Look at what it says here. The
body is what in 1 Corinthians 12, 24? Look, for our comely
parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together. It's very similar to the same,
what we've all just read, knit together, but here he uses the
word tempered. It means to mix or to blend,
but not in the sense if you've got a bunch of different marbles
and they're all different color and you just put them all in
one box. No, it means they actually become part of one another. Look, for our comely parts have
no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given
more abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there should
be no schism in the body, but that the members should have
the same care one for another. If one suffer, they all suffer. So you see, that's how together
it is. That's how coalesced we are. That's how joined we are. That's how mixed we are. That's
how blended we are. David, they ain't black churches
and white churches. You hear that on TV. Well, that's
a black church. If they mean that's made up of
predominantly black believers, that might be right, David. But
there ain't no black churches and white churches. Just like
there ain't no Jewish churches and Gentile churches. They ain't
no American churches and English churches. They may be local churches in
America, and they may be local churches in England, but if they're
not all part of the same body, they're not in Christ. This is a tempered together. That was number seven. Thus, Paul describes it this
way. Turn to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. I beseech
ye, therefore brethren, by the mercies of God. What mercies?
The sovereign mercies he just talked about in chapter 8, 9,
10, and 11. I beseech you by the mercies
of God that you present your bodies, your body. Now this is
not, we're talking about our physical bodies. But this is
important. that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. And be not conformed to this
world. Do you see how these people are
not to be like everybody else? We're even to put forth an effort
not to be like everybody else. Right? We're to actually engage
in being different. And be not conformed to this
world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect
will of God. For I say, through the grace
given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly
according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
In other words, you have what you have because God Almighty
gave it to you. Don't brag about it. Don't brag
about it. Don't boast about it. If you
do boast, remember, you don't bear the root. The root bears
you. Don't you boast against the Jews?
Well, they were broken off. The root bears you. You don't
bear the root. You're blessed if you're a part
of the body because God Almighty purposed to bless you. He chose
you. He predestinated. He called you. All of these things. Look, for
as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office. So we being many are one body,
but look, and everyone members one of another. You see it? There's a description
of the body. Even when we don't all agree on everything, we still
must recognize we're all members one of another and members his
body. It's not that I'm right and you're wrong. It's that God's
right. And we're wrong. And anytime we are right, it's
only because God lets you see that. That's why. Don't be overly
angry, and that's the best way I know to say it, against anybody
who's a part of the body just because they don't get something
you do. Be careful. You've got to be careful. Mason
is fine to stand for the truth, but we've got to be careful that
I don't try to split the body up based on what I see. Because we're members. One of another. And we're to
protect that. And the major way here is by
what? By the mercies of God. And doing what? Don't be conformed
to this world. Why? Because they would have
us be like them. And we're not like them because
we're a part of the one body. Now in light, in light of these
descriptions, let me give you these things in summary. No one
joins this body by an act of human will. I remember I hear,
I believe it was Chris Cunningham quoted, he said he thought it
was Augustus Toplady. And I don't, I never could, I
mean I don't have the ability to check that, but it was a really
good quote he thought came from Toplady about man's free will.
It was something along this line. Isn't it amazing that man, man's
free will, man's so-called free will can't even cure him of a
cold or a sore toe, but yet he thinks that his eternal destiny
hinges on his free will. He said that's madness. But I
will put it, it's not about free will, it's not about human will,
free or not. You don't join this body by an
act of human will. It is by an act of God. Go back
and read Ephesians 1 again and see how he brings us through
this. By the will of God. By the will of God. It is not of him that willeth.
What? Elections not. Predestination's not. The Gospel's
not. Calling's not. It's by the will
of God. So no one joins this body by
an act of human will. They are a part of this body.
They are the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. Christ
is doing the filling. Do you see it? If it means, David,
here's a person. That person is supposed to be
a part of the body as a finger or whatever. He's the one putting
them there. He's the one giving them and equipping them for everything
they need to be that part of the body of Jesus Christ. It's
the fullness of Him that filleth all and in all. And I can add human works, human
merit has nothing to do with that. You don't join this body
by your effort. You don't join this body by your
merit. As a matter of fact, if you look at Ephesians chapter
2 then, you'll find out we didn't merit this at all. You see the
order? Now He didn't begin with our
depravity. He begins where it's supposed to begin, with God Almighty. Because it don't depend upon
your depravity, but you are depraved. And I am depraved by nature.
So much so, that it took an act of God to bring us out of that.
And you hath heed quickened. So again, no one joins this body
by an act of human will, or an act of human works, or an act
of human merit. And as we've seen in Colossians
chapter 3, this body is joined together by calling. Now you
know these things, so I'm going to pass through them. But they
must be said. This calling is according to
God's sovereign purpose, Romans 8.28. We know that all things
work together for good. To them that love God. Now there's
the first qualification. All things work together for
good to who? To them that love God. But who are they? That's
an amazing statement to say to anybody that they might love
God. To them who are becalled according to his purpose. And
it even gives us the order of that there, doesn't it? Secondly,
this calling has the gospel as its instrumentality. 2 Thessalonians
2 verse 14. He chose you to salvation through
what? First of all, there's got to
be a work of the Spirit in you. Even the preaching of the gospel
does not affect the elect by nature. God Almighty has to do
something for a person first before even the gospel is of
any value to them. sanctification of spirit, but
also what else? And belief of the truth. And
you don't just wake up one morning and do that. He says, whereunto
He called you by our gospel. And that's the only ordained
instrumentality of coming to believe the truth. Through being
called by the preaching of the gospel. So much so that Paul
puts it this way, the gospel he's talking about has Christ
crucified as its central theme. 1 Corinthians 1 21-24. It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. But what kind of preaching?
A special kind. Christ crucified. Because to the called, it's the
power of God. But unto others, what is it?
Foolishness and a stumbling block. Listen, it's even that to the
elect by nature. Foolishness or a stumbling block.
Until God Almighty breathes spiritual life and then sends that Gospel
along to call that life out in the manifestation. Here it is. Here it is. So the Gospel has
Christ crucified as its central theme. The whole thing of these
three points is this. Calling. Calling. You're only
a part of that body if you've been called in this way. You
got no right to think you're a part of the body if God Almighty
haven't called you according to a sovereign purpose, through
the instrumentality of the gospel, and that gospel is a specific
gospel. It's not just any old Bible message. You can be right about your eschatology all you want. You
can still perish without Christ. You can be right on your ecclesiology
and your doctrine of the church all you want and still perish
without Christ. You could even be right on soteriology, on how
God does save people, but if God ain't saved you that way,
then you ain't saved. Thirdly, no one in this body,
no one dictates their own beliefs, no one dictates their own motives,
No one dictates their own actions. No one dictates their own lifestyle. No one dictates their own goals
when they are in Christ's body. He is the head. He dictates it
all. And if you look at Ephesians,
he's talked about the body. And we were just like everybody
else by nature, going through it. But look, here's Jew and
Gentile, all depraved, but yet he's joined us together as one
new man. See it? And then here's one body, one
faith, one, one, one, one, and he says, and here's why God gave
these gifts, apostles, prophets, and all that, what, perfecting
the saints. But then he looked, verse 17, look at it, Ephesians
4, this I say therefore, do you see the order now? Based on all
that, all the way back to chapter 1 verse 1. This I say therefore
and testify unto the Lord, that ye henceforth, oh wait a minute
now, come on now preacher, that ye henceforth walk not as other
Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. And then go read,
he goes into even how you to conduct yourselves as a husband
and a wife. How you conduct yourself toward a master or a boss. how children are to conduct themselves
toward the parents, how the parents are to conduct themselves toward
the children. He dictates everything to the body. Do you see what
I'm saying? He dictates our beliefs. He dictates
our motives. He dictates our actions. He dictates
our lifestyle. He dictates our goals. He's the
head. Those who do not have these things
dictated to them and for them are not a part of Christ's body.
Anyone who would balk at this truth is in rebellion against
God's head. Those who are members in Christ's
body are grateful, submissive, repentant, because sometimes,
Mason, we're not always grateful and submissive. So we need a
gift of repentance as well, don't we? But those who are members
of Christ's body are grateful, submissive, repentant in love
and faith toward Christ and His people. That's the description
of the body. If you don't fit in that, you
ain't one of God's astronauts, if you know what I'm saying now.
He ain't called you into that elite group. And I know people,
it's an elite group. Because remember, as He is, so
are we in this world. That's an elite group, is it
not? Not an elite on their character, Joe. Elite by the sovereign decree
and purpose and work of God Almighty in Christ. Oh, to be like Him. Well, let
me tell you, He predestinated us to be conformed to the image
of His Son, and we are being. We are being. One day we will
fully be. I'm persuaded, I know that. But
we are being. We are being. Why? Because God
predestinates us to it. Isn't that a glory? That's a
glory. Father, may we find comfort and encouragement, even rebuke
in these things if need be. Guide us and direct us and correct
our understanding and our thinking correct our beliefs and our motives
and our goals and all of these things, Lord. Lead us and guide
us and give us a grateful, submissive heart. I ask it in Christ's name. Amen. Remember, next Sunday now, Lord
willing, meet at Montefitti's house. Yeah, I know it is. Y'all
get a little taste of it now.