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Those who have been baptized are said to be “in Christ”,
and they are indeed a privileged people. As we saw in the previous
study they have the assurance of the forgiveness of sins and they
stand related to the promises of God and the resurrection.
Membership of the Ecclesia
Those who have been baptized are said to be members of “the
body of Christ” - “Now are ye the body of Christ; and
members in particular” (1 Corinthians
12:27). The
body of Christ is also called the ECCLESIA - a Greek word usually
translated “church” in most Bibles.
“He (Jesus) is
the head of the body, the church (Gk. ECCLESIA) who is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead......whereof I Paul am made
a minister....for his body’s sake, which is the church
(ECCLESIA)” (Colossians 1:18,23,24)
The word ECCLESIA means “that which is called out”.
Thus the body of Christ is made up of people who have been
called out. This is why individual members of the ecclesia are
called saints. The word “saint” means “one who
has been separated”. Thus Paul writes, “To them that
are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints....” (1
Corinthians 1:2).
The Call to Separation
Those who obey the gospel are called to be a separate
people although not, like some religious orders of monks, to
physically leave the world. They are required to be separate from
its wicked ways:
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him” (1 John
2:15)
a)
Political Separation:
Their political
interests are centred on the
Kingdom of
God
which is to be a political institution to be set up by Jesus as
Israel’s King. They have pledged their allegiance to
Israel’s
King and await the greatest revolution the world has ever seen.
Meanwhile their king would have them obey the rulers of this
world:
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's
sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as
unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers,
and for the praise of them that do well” (1 Peter 2:13-14)
But when man’s
laws conflict with God’s will they must obey God rather than man:
“Jesus..said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
and unto God the things that are God’s” (Mark
12:17)
Thus they pay
their taxes and obey the ordinary laws which are for the good of
society. But, for example, when they are commanded to fight for
queen and country they have no option but to refuse for their King
says: “I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the
other also” (Matthew
5:39).
b)
Religious Separation:
The body of
Christ - the Ecclesia - is not a sect of Christendom. Its members
have nothing in common with the so called “christian” churches
which are united by such pagan teachings as the immortality of the
soul and the trinity. Paul was writing about separation from false
religion when he commanded: “Be not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light
with darkness, and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what
part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not
the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians
6:14,15,17).
c)
Social Separation:
They seek their
friends “in Christ” and not in the world. They live
alongside them; work alongside them; extend to them the common
courtesies of life; they seek nothing but good for them and do
good unto them as occasion permits. But they see themselves as
being different (but not superior) because the Lord has seen fit
to make them different. They therefore shun worldly organisations,
societies and clubs. They must remember the words of the apostle:
“Know ye not that friendship of the world is enmity with God?
Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”
(James 4:4).
The closest
friend a person can have is a partner in marriage. They therefore
choose such with great care. Only if marriage partners are “in
the Lord” can they be “heirs together of the grace of life”
(1 Peter 3:7). Those who are already married when they are
called by the gospel must of course remain with their partner,
seeking by example and precept to preach the truth to him or her
(1 Corinthians 7:10; 1 Peter 3:1-2).
Walking in the New Life in Christ
Those who
having been baptized into Christ subsequent to believing the ONE
FAITH are said to have been born again. The Father of this
family has provided for His children the means whereby they may
grow and become strong in their faith:
a)
Strength from the Word:
Those born
again into the family of God are commanded: “As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby”
(1 Peter 2:2).
They are “in
Christ” (i.e. part of the Christ Body or Ecclesia) and they
are required to let Christ dwell in them : “He that abideth
in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit”
(John 15:5). Christ dwells in them, not in some mysterious,
mystical way but by the word about Christ dwelling in them:
“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the
beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning
shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the
Father” (1 John
2:24).
It is by
allowing “the word of Christ to dwell in you richly”
(Colossians
3:16) that
they learn to behave like Jesus and so manifest the “fruit
of the spirit” of which Paul writes:
“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the
flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians
5:22-24)
It cannot be
emphasised too much that the means appointed by God for our growth
in this respect is His Word, the Scriptures, which are
“profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy
3:16,17).
b) The
Privilege of Prayer:
Prayer is one
of the greatest privileges given to the baptized believer. Paul
says: “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with
thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2); and James declares, “The
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James
5:16).
Prayer is not
just asking for things - such prayers are immature and unbalanced.
Prayer is conversation with the Father. Praise and gratitude form
the basis of faithful prayer and the expression of a desire for
the fulfilment of God’s purpose with the wish that His good hand
will be present in our life as we seek to prepare ourselves for
that great day. God is interested in all our life and our plans
for the future should be laid before Him. What the faithful desire
more than anything else is for Jesus to return to set up God’s
Kingdom. There must always be a confession of our weakness and the
baptized believer has the assurance that “if we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9).
c)
Fellowship at the Breaking of Bread
Before Jesus
was crucified he kept the Passover with his disciples. During this
meal he “took bread and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave to
them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in
remembrance of me. Likewise, also, the cup after supper, saying,
This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you”
(Luke
22:19-20).
Since that time
those “in Christ” have met each week (Acts 20:7) to
remember Jesus by eating bread and drinking wine (1Corinthians
11:26). Paul says that we must “not forsake the assembling
of ourselves together” (Hebrews
10:25).
At these
meetings, those who have a common faith and hope meet in unity to
remember the One who redeemed them with his own blood, to rejoice
in his resurrection and to renew their longing for their Lord’s
return.
Christadelphians
The word
“Christadelphian” is derived from two Greek words - “Christou”
and “adelphos” - and means “brethren in Christ”. It
is a convenient way of referring to the saints who are, indeed,
Christ’s brethren, since the word “christian” has been abused by
common usage.
“Both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one;
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews
2:11)
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