Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. A strong church is one which
knows itself to be extremely needy, yea, even perishing and
dying, except that the Lord should visit it with the early and latter
reign of His blessings. Its power does not consist in
the strength of the orations of its preachers, or the strictness
of its order and close adherence to its time-honored traditions.
The true people of God are not known because of their faithfulness,
their zeal, or even their doctrine. But the Lord said, By this shall
all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
There is not a thing in the world for a man to glory in in such
a declaration. True love for the brethren is
something that can only be produced by the work of the Holy Ghost
in the people of God and is spoken of as evidence that they are
indeed the true sons of God. As John said, we know that we
have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. In Paul's letter
to the Colossians, he writes of the church being knit together.
The head from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment
ministered and knit together, increases with the increase of
God. He uses the same phrase in his letter to the Ephesians,
where it has been translated compacted, from whom the whole
body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supply, according to the effectual working in the measure
of every part, making increase of the body unto the edifying
of itself in love. The Greek word used in all of
these instances literally means to cause, to coalesce, to join
together, put together. It carries with it the notion
that this is brought to pass by a power outside of that which
is put together. We know very plainly that this
power is the power of God, which alone can enable brethren to
be woven together into a tapestry which is both beautiful and strong.
This is a tapestry which is woven of many different threads. For
as we have many members in one body, and all members have not
the same office, so we being many are one body in Christ,
and every one member is one of another, having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us. And there are diversities
of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in
all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every
man to profit withal. Yet this tapestry is the work
of one. Now there are diversities of
gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are differences of administrations,
but the same Lord. God hath tempered the body together,
having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked. There
is no gift of which any man may glory, but each is to rejoice
that every gift is given for the profit of the whole body
by him who doeth all things well. He is the wise master builder.
One needle is used in the knitting of this tapestry. But all of
these worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath
many members, and all the members of that one body being many,
or one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit. The children of God are knit
together in local assemblies, as they are all born of the same
Spirit, and are partakers together of the same life. Thus having
been given the gift of discerning the body of Christ, they cannot
help but to love one another. This tapestry is spread abroad
by its maker, and with it he is well pleased with its beauty,
which is the result of his work. This is the direct answer of
his prayer. For I have given unto them the words which thou
gavest me, and they have received them, and have known surely that
I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst
send me. I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them
which thou hast given me, for they are thine, and all thine
are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And
now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world. And
I come to thee, Holy Father. Keep through thine own name those
whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are. The maker of this tapestry will
declare its fitness in the final day, and will manifest that its
beauty is that which is wholly supplied by him. Now unto him
that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding power. To the
only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and
power, both now and ever. Amen. 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.
Do you love his church or are you satisfied with forms of religion? If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at forthepoor at windstream dot
net.