The common purpose of the body of Christ John 13:33; Eph 4:1-7; 2Co 1:1-10

In our study of the function of the church, which is the body of Christ, by comparing scripture with scripture we find a similar pattern in the book of Ephesians to what we have seen in Heb 10.

 

Eph 1-3 teaches us about our position in Christ, our forgiveness, the work of the HS as our teacher and mentor, the mystery doctrine, all of which point to personal spiritual growth. Then the application of that doctrine is begun in Eph 4 and that application is clearly linked to our unity as a church.

 

As a reminder, why are we developing this from the word of God? The Lord was leaving the disciples and He passed on to them the greater comfort of divine love for one another.

 

EPH 4:1 I, therefore [after chapters 1-3], the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk [lifestyle] in a manner worthy of the calling [election in Christ] with which you have been called,

 

EPH 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, [humility from doctrine producing the love of Christ within the believer]

 

EPH 4:3 being diligent [same word in Heb 4 for entering the Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God] to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace [daily Sabbath rest].

 

 

 

/HEB 4:11

Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience. \

 

/ “diligent” - spoudazo[spoudazo] (aor-act-sub) = to make every effort, to be diligent. It connotes a strong motivation in the soul.\

 

/The ingressive aorist looks at an action in its entirety while the action of the verb is at its beginning. So this verb means, “Let us begin to be diligent.”\

 

/In EPH 4:3 spoudazo is a present active participle. It is a retroactive progressive present and refers to something that has begun in the past and continues until this present time.\

 

The different is that in Eph 4, Eph 1-3 has already been taught and the Ephesians were getting it, in contrast to the Hebrews of Jerusalem who were continuing to attempt to execute the Mosaic Law, they were not getting it.

 

/So some have already begun the diligence of entering His rest and some have not and these are commanded to start now!\

 

As we all begin or continue our diligence to enter the rest of God on a daily basis, we have a bond of peace.

 

EPH 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace [daily Sabbath rest].

 

This means no competition, no comparison, no MAS’s, because none of what we are doing in the church or the CWL individually has anything to do with us, and everything to do with God, His plan, His purpose, and His will.

 

EPH 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called [elected] in one hope [confidence] of your calling;

 

EPH 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

 

EPH 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

 

/There is unity when there is one goal, one objective, one purpose and it all points to Jehovah Elohim. \

 

The only time you and I are mentioned in this list is in reference to our election in Christ.

 

We are privileged to be on the stage in the intensified stage of the AC. All the glory goes to God and Him alone.

 

/HEB 10:25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another;[for the purpose of encouragement] and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.\

 

/Forsaking the assembling together under the authority of the local church is the basic sign of negative volition. Whatever your excuse it is tantamount to negative volition toward doctrine which is the basic concept in reversionism.\

 

/9. God has ordained the body of Christ to listen to doctrine as a unit and to gather together for the purpose of doctrine, to love, encourage, and support one another through the application of that doctrine.\

 

Before we move on, I want to show you how the Apostle Paul comforted the Corinthian church. This serves as a model for our comforting of one another.

 

2 Cor 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

 

2 Cor 1:4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that [result] we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

 

How did you get comfort from God? Did He leave heaven and come down and give you a hug and pat on the head? No, His word and His Spirit gave you power.

 

2 Cor 1:5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.[not through men but through Christ - His word]

 

2 Cor 1:6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation [deliverance from your own affliction]; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

 

2 Cor 1:7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

 

Now, here is the key to the comfort that Paul gives. Paul is not even with the Corinthians at this time. He is not socializing with them, hugging them, having dinner with them, but he is going to communicate to them the faithfulness of the Lord is delivering him out of an impossible situation. If the Lord would do this for Paul it follows that He will do it for them who are facing much smaller afflictions.

 

This comfort does not come in the form of bragamonies from the pulpit or bragamonies to one another. We will at times witness or hear about the success of other believers being delivered by the Lord from difficult circumstances and it will become a testimony to the faithfulness of God.

 

But never substitute the lives of others for your own comfort that comes directly from God through His word.  

 

2 Cor 1:8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

 

2 Cor 1:9 indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

 

2 Cor 1:10who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

 

2 Cor 1:11you also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers of many.

 

/Phil 2:2

make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. \

 

The love is the love of Christ, the spirit is a human spirit full of doctrine, and the purpose is the glorification of Christ.

 

The conclusion is:

/Our victory in the tactical stage of the AC depends on our understanding of our position in Christ, our inculcation of doctrine, and our unity as a body.\

 

But never put the cart before the horse. Unity can in no way exist unless believers are positive towards the inculcation of doctrine, and inculcation means daily perception.

 

So when Christ announces His departure, the fear of the disciples is unwarranted. A greater peace and a greater comfort and a greater power await them at the presentation of the church to the earth at the feast of Pentecost, roughly 50 days from this night.

 

/We never face a situation in this life as believers when fear is warranted. Perfect love casts out fear, 1Jn 4:18.\

 

If we find ourselves in fear, name and cite it, and recall the doctrines again in order to regain your courage.

 

Turn back to:

 

John 13:33 "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'

           

Why bring up that He said the same thing to the Jews?

 

He said to the Jews:

 

John 7:33 Jesus therefore said, "For a little while longer I am with you, then I go to Him who sent Me.

 

John 8:21 He said therefore again to them, "I go away, and you shall seek Me, and shall die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come."

 

But what was not said to the Jews was the actions of Jesus at the right hand of God for the benefit of the believing disciples.

 

/The Jews sought for the body of Christ in order to discredit His promise that He would rise again. \

 

Many have done this all throughout the Church-age and especially today. Their only interest in Christ is in seeking a way to discredit His word. They are just like the Pharisees searching all Jerusalem for His body.

 

This is not drawing near to Christ with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith as we have studied in HEB 10:22.

 

/The disciples sought for Christ because of the love He gave them and that comfort that it provided for them. \