CHRIST &
HIS EKKLESIA
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
In his work on Ekklesia
Translations, Cooper P. Abrahams,111 states that the Greek word 'ekklesia'
which means 'called out assemblies or congregations’ had been in use
since 5 B.C. It was
also used for gatherings of Christians since the First Century, A.D. The word ‘church’ is taken from the Greek
word ‘kyriakon’ which
correctly refers to ‘the house of the
Lord’.
What is masquerading in this
21st Century as Christian Churches in various parts of the globe is
very confusing and disturbing, indeed. Although there are millions of God-fearing
and true Christians gathering in Assemblies around the world, there are many
who are not truly ‘called out from the
world and sin and paganism’.
My prayer is that this paper on Christ and His Church will help
bring clarity to those who are struggling in their Christian walk and those who
have been led astray by the false teachings of those who have substituted the
slippery slope of the “wide and broad way”
for the “straight and narrow way”
that our Lord Jesus Christ taught! (Matt.7:13, 14)
"If ye then be
RISEN with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits
on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on the things
on the earth. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ Who is our Life shall APPEAR, then shall ye also appear with Him in
glory." (Col.3:1-4)
When Christ died, we died with
Him. When Christ was buried, we were buried with Him. When Christ arose, we
arose with Him. When Christ sat down on His Father's right hand, we sat down
with Him. When Christ returns, we will return with Him. When Christ reigns, we
will reign with Him. We will be with Him eternally!
St. Paul states: "Know ye
not, that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
His death. Therefore, we are BURIED with Him by Baptism into death: that
like as Christ was RAISED up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in the newness of life.
"For if we have been planted
together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of
His RESURRECTION: Knowing this, that our old man is CRUCIFIED
with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should
not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from SIN.
"Now if we be dead with Christ, we
believe that we shall also LIVE with Him: Knowing that Christ being RAISED
from the dead, dies no more: death hath no more dominion over Him. For in that
He died, He died unto sin ONCE: but in that He lives, He lives unto
God." (Rom.6: 6-10)
POPISH
MASS: STRIKING THE ROCK!
Roman Catholic priests crucify Jesus
Christ repeatedly in their mass, much like Moses striking the Rock instead of
speaking to it. Moses paid a high price because of his anger and irritation
with the Israelites, when he disobeyed Almighty God.
In the first instance where they were
without water at Massah, he cried out to God and the Lord told him to strike
the Rock (Ex.17:6) and when he did, water gushed out quenching
their great thirst. On the second occasion at Kadesh (Nu.20:11), God
commanded Moses to speak to the Rock (Type
of Christ). He disobeyed and in anger he twice struck the ROCK.
Water gushed out, however, God was sore
displeased and would not allow the great Lawgiver to enter the Promised Land! WHY?
The ROCK represented CHRIST! The first strike against the ROCK was a
TYPE of Christ being CRUCIFIED to meet our great need of Salvation. On the
second occasion, Moses dishonoured Almighty God by striking the ROCK twice
instead of speaking to it. You CANNOT Crucify Christ again. All you need to do
is to SPEAK to Him in prayer!
MARTIN LUTHER, refuted the Popish
Mass as follows: "First, the blood of Christ remains the blood of the same
Christ. For we believe and hold that the BLOOD of Christ that is at the right
hand of God was shed for us only once."
(Church and Works, Vol.40, P.215)
The Bible is clear on the fact that CHRIST'S vicarious death on our behalf satisfied the Demands of Divine Justice and that He will NEVER die again: "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
"Nor yet that He should offer Himself OFTEN, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now ONCE in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. So Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb.9: 24-28)
The Bible is clear on the fact that CHRIST'S vicarious death on our behalf satisfied the Demands of Divine Justice and that He will NEVER die again: "For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
"Nor yet that He should offer Himself OFTEN, as the high priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now ONCE in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. So Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb.9: 24-28)
THE PURE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!
The Bible says: "But God, who
is rich in MERCY, for His great LOVE wherewith He loved us; even
when we were DEAD in sins hath quickened together with Christ, by grace
are ye saved. And hath raised us up TOGETHER and made us to SIT
together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come He might
show the exceeding riches of His GRACE in His kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus." (Eph.2: 4-7)
When Christ died on the cross, our
sins died with Him. When Christ was buried, we were buried with Him by (emersion)
Baptism. When Christ ascended and sat down on His Father's right hand, we are
now "sitting with Him in Heavenly places" and when He
returns, the saints will be return with Him. And we will be with Him eternally.
(Eph.1: 3)
God's Word declares: "And ye are
complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power...Buried with
Him in baptism, wherein ye also are risen with Him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.
"And you being dead in your sins and
the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened (made alive)
together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses: Blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of
the way, nailing it to His Cross." (Col.2: 10-14)
The Bible teaches that believers
in Christ are "born again" and have been "baptized
into the body of Christ" by the Holy Spirit. We are "heirs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ" and have been "accepted in the
Beloved". We are "washed in the precious blood of
Christ", have become "new creatures in Christ" and
through God's Word are being daily "transformed by the renewing of
our minds". (John 3:3,7; 1 Cor.12:13; Rom.8:17; Eph.1:6; 2
Cor.5:17; Rom.12:1,2).
St. Paul states: "Know ye not
that your bodies are the members of Christ? What, know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are
not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor.6:15,19,20)
WE ARE ONE WITH CHRIST
The Bible affirms that "Christ
lives in me and I in Him" (John 14:16-23), and we are "hidden
with Christ in God." (Col.3:3) The Apostle prays, "That He
would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with
might in the inner man: That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."
(Eph.3:16.17)
In St. Paul's Epistle to the Colossians,
we are confronted with the greatness of the Gospel of Christ in what he calls
the "Mystery of the Ages", which is Jesus Christ
actually entering and taking up residence in the believer:
"Even the Mystery which
hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His
saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU, the Hope of
Glory." (Col. 1: 26, 27)
St. Paul conveyed through
the Holy Spirit the good news that even though we are sinners by birth, nature
and choice, through Jesus Christ's vicarious death on the Cross, we can be
forgiven if we have faith in Him!
The Bible states: "For
when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For
scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man,
some would even dare to die, but God commended His love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom.5: 6-8)
What does the word 'IMPUTE' mean?" The Bible declares: "Wherefore,
as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and
so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...Therefore as by the
offence of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even
so by the righteousness of one (Jesus Christ) the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were
made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." (Rom.5:
12-19)
OUR SINS IMPUTED TO CHRIST:
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IMPUTED TO US!
Adam's sin was imputed
or credited to our account making us guilty in the sight of God, but through
His MERCY and LOVE for us Jesus Christ left Heaven's glory to be incarnated (God
in human flesh) so that "He could taste DEATH
for every man". (Heb.2: 9). As He hung on Calvary's Cross, the
sins of the entire world were laid upon Him and He became SIN (sin
offering) so that He could destroy our sins!
He willingly and gladly
gave His life for us. The Bible says, "Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher (perfecter) of our faith; who for the JOY
that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down
on the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12:2).
Our sins were IMPUTED to Him
and He died as God's Pascal Lamb, paying the price of our
salvation by meeting the demands of Divine Justice. (Phil.2:5-11; John 1:29;
Rev.5: 6)
The Bible states: "That
is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not IMPUTING
their trespasses unto them: and hath committed unto us the ministry of
reconciliation...For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew NO SIN: that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor.5: 19-21)
Seven hundred years before
the birth of Christ, Isaiah prophesied: "Surely He hath borne our sicknesses
and carried our pains: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God
and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for
our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon Him and with His
stripes we are healed.
"All we like sheep have
gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid
upon Him the iniquity of us all.(Is.
53: 4-6) Who His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the TREE,
that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness: By Whose stripes ye
were healed." (1 Peter 2: 24)
OUR NATURE FOR HIS NATURE!
In his
great spiritual wisdom and knowledge, St. Paul gives us a peak into what he
calls the 'ETERNAL PURPOSE OF GOD' for the Church, which is His Body:
"For this cause I bow my knees unto
the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in Heaven and
earth is named. That He would grant unto you, according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man: That
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
"That ye being rooted and grounded in
love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
length, and height, and to know the LOVE of Christ which passes
knowledge, and that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
"Now unto Him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that works in us. Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Eph.3: 11-21)
In His great compassion for humankind our
Lord and Saviour initiated what I call 'THE GREAT EXCHANGE'. Through the shedding of His pure and perfect
blood for the sins of the world, He took upon Himself our sin, guilt and unrighteous
nature and in return, gave us His Divine Nature and His
righteousness.
St. Peter says: "Grace and truth be
multiplied to you through the KNOWLEDGE of God and our Saviour Jesus our Lord.
According as His Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory
and virtue:
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding
great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the DIVINE
NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
(2 Peter 1: 2-4)
St. Paul wrote: “Elect according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the BLOOD of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and
peace, be multiplied.
"Blessed be the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ: which according to His abundant mercy hath BEGOTTEN us again unto
a lively hope by the RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an
inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in
Heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1: 2-5)
The Greek word 'Theosis' is used to define the great spiritual truth, 'Partaking of the Divine Nature'. We are united with Almighty God by His wondrous grace in the Person of Jesus Christ, Who is "God come in the flesh". (1 John 4: 2) Through the divine gift of sanctification by God's grace alone, we are able to mortify the deeds of the flesh! (Rom.8:13)
The NICENE CREED states: "Jesus Christ, Who for us and our salvation descended from Heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became a man." - Third Article. Church Fathers John Chrysostom and Athanasias the Great preached that, "Christ became man in Nature and in Truth and assumed human nature with all its properties: not another kind of flesh, but the same one with which we are afflicted."
The HOLY BIBLE states: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth." (John 1: 1,2. 14)
Jesus Christ was True God from Eternity and True Man born of a virgin without the aid of a human father. St. Paul wrote concerning Him: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, Yet WITHOUT SIN." (Heb.4:15)
With absolute faith, the Church Fathers believed in and declared the Divinity of Jesus Christ. St. Eirinaeos believed in One God, Father Almighty and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, incarnate, for our Salvation. Proving that 'God the Son' was indeed God, he declared: "If a man had not been joined to God (united in Christ) He would not have been able to partake of incorruption."
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is beautifully evident everywhere in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners and points them to the Saviour, but is unable to work in their lives until they have received Christ as Saviour! Then, He works through the shed blood of Jesus Christ to work miracles. Here are some of His great works for God's glory and the deliverance of people!
The Greek word 'Theosis' is used to define the great spiritual truth, 'Partaking of the Divine Nature'. We are united with Almighty God by His wondrous grace in the Person of Jesus Christ, Who is "God come in the flesh". (1 John 4: 2) Through the divine gift of sanctification by God's grace alone, we are able to mortify the deeds of the flesh! (Rom.8:13)
The NICENE CREED states: "Jesus Christ, Who for us and our salvation descended from Heaven and became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became a man." - Third Article. Church Fathers John Chrysostom and Athanasias the Great preached that, "Christ became man in Nature and in Truth and assumed human nature with all its properties: not another kind of flesh, but the same one with which we are afflicted."
The HOLY BIBLE states: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth." (John 1: 1,2. 14)
Jesus Christ was True God from Eternity and True Man born of a virgin without the aid of a human father. St. Paul wrote concerning Him: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, Yet WITHOUT SIN." (Heb.4:15)
With absolute faith, the Church Fathers believed in and declared the Divinity of Jesus Christ. St. Eirinaeos believed in One God, Father Almighty and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, incarnate, for our Salvation. Proving that 'God the Son' was indeed God, he declared: "If a man had not been joined to God (united in Christ) He would not have been able to partake of incorruption."
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is beautifully evident everywhere in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners and points them to the Saviour, but is unable to work in their lives until they have received Christ as Saviour! Then, He works through the shed blood of Jesus Christ to work miracles. Here are some of His great works for God's glory and the deliverance of people!
THE GREAT WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
1. We are baptized into the Body
of Christ by the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor.12: 13
2. The love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit - Rom.5: 5
3. We are led by the blessed Holy
Spirit of God - Rom.8: 17; Gal.5: 18
4. By the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit our bodies are the temples of God - 1 Cor.6:15-20
5. We become partakers of Christ
through the Holy Spirit - 2 Peter 1: 2-4
6. The Word of God is the Sword
of the Spirit - Eph.6: 17
8. We are sealed by the Holy
Spirit, Who is the Earnest of our inheritance - Eph. 1: 13,14
9. He gives us the Spirit of Wisdom and
Revelation in the Knowledge of Him - Eph.1:17
10. The Holy Spirit of God brings
us into the Holy of Holies - Eph.2: 18
11. The Holy Spirit calls us into
the Ministry of our Lord - 1 Tim.1: 12; 2 Tim.1: 9
12. The Holy Spirit manifests
signs, wonders and miracles by the Gifts of the Spirit - 1 Cor.12:7-12;
Gal.3:5, 14
13. We are sanctified (set apart)
by the Holy Spirit - Gal.5:24, 25; Eph.5:26, 27
14. Through the Holy Spirit, we receive
the Fruit of the Spirit - Gal.5: 22, 23
15: The Holy Spirit witnesses
with our spirit that we are children of God - Gal.4: 6, 7
16. The Holy Spirit reveals the
Son of God; not only to us, but in us - Gal.1: 16
It is evident that the LIFE OF CHRIST we
receive through His shed BLOOD brings the Holy Spirit into operation in the
lives of Believers in Christ!
CHRIST IN US: WORKING THROUGH US!
For nearly 2,000 Years, the Church has
heralded this worthy Slogan as our Theological Doctrine: Christ Has Died ~
Christ Is Risen ~ Christ Will Come Again! What more can we say? Nothing can
better that great Salutation! We can only build on that marvellous Confession
of Faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, Thrice Holy
God, Indivisible, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Immutable, Incomprehensible,
Immortal, Infallible, Good, Merciful, Gracious, Holy, True & Just! Amen.
Please Note: There is more to
follow. M.S.
