Category: GOD and the Republic

Over the past several months I’ve come across increasing references to the end times. At least one man, Lance Wallnau, says we are in the end times now. Is he correct? If not, I do not think he is far off. Then there’s tribulation. Will Christians today suffer from the prophesied tribulation or will we escape it via the Gathering Together – the Rapture? Ooooh! Good question!

When the topic turns to tribulation, it seems to send shivers down the spines of many a Christian. It’s scary, don’t you think? Could it be it is so scary because we are ignorant? Don’t get mad, ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge as opposed to stupidity – the inability to understand knowledge, or bullheadedness – the refusal to even look at new knowledge. When it comes to scripture, it is always preferable to seek knowledge and understanding. This is not to say, we can always understand everything in scripture. After over 40 years of reading, studying, and praying, I can honestly say there is a lot I still do not understand. Hopefully it is not because I am stupid or bullheaded (about scripture).

So… tribulation. I daresay when most of us hear this word, our thoughts immediately go to the “great tribulation”. That phrase “great tribulation” only occurs three times in the King James…

Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

Revelation 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Revelation 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

These three verses seem to indicate a definite period of time. What did Jesus say about it?

“such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Well now, this tells me this is a very special period of time. We can also find what seems to be a reference to the same period in Mark.

Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Take note, this verse talks about after “that tribulation”, again referring to a specific period of time.

Now let us consider the context of this verse:

Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

In this passage Jesus marks the beginning of the period “But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet”, at least it sure looks like the beginning act to me. Jesus also reiterates his statement in Matthew in verse 19: “For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.”

Now I won’t delve into any debate as to whether these passages in Matthew and Mark are versions of something Jesus said once or whether Jesus essentially said the same thing twice and each disciple quoted a different occurrence. Neither view invalidates anything.

One thing is clear to me – Jesus spoke of a “great tribulation” that was to occur after the “abomination of the desolation spoken of by Daniel” and it ain’t pretty. I am also confident this great tribulation is again prophesied in the Revelation of Jesus Christ – the last book of our bible.

Now for the good news – we ain’t there yet. I’m still thinkin’ today’s Christians will be caught up in the Rapture by then. Now some who contend this rapture won’t happen until some time in the Revelation period also will call Christians like me cowardly for not wanting to live through all that. Or, for some reason, my belief in the Rapture is some sort of wrangling to avoid stressing out about it or something. I don’t fear the “great tribulation”. If I am correct about the Rapture and Jesus were to ask for volunteers to hang back on earth, I expect to raise my hand. I’m sure I’d regret such a decision more than once but if I can serve my Lord and Savior in such a manner, I am willing to do so.

All this speculation aside, my understanding for the time being is this great tribulation does not apply to us. We’ll be gone.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

What is this “wrath to come” if not this period spoken of by Jesus? It and other verses state we are specifically saved from this wrath. Hallelujah! I’m all for that. (I stand by my previous statement but I’m not fool enough NOT to breathe a sigh of relief if Jesus doesn’t ask for volunteers.) So that means we’re clear of tribulation… right? Well, not exactly.

Nowhere in scripture are we promised that we will never experience tribulation. In fact, we are told we absolutely will see tribulation.

Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Paul not only speaks of tribulations, plural, but says tribulation works patience. Now, according to the version of the bible you are reading, the word “tribulation” could be rendered “suffering” or “trouble”. Either one could easily apply. In other words, we are not out of the woods yet! In fact, the verse above offers a clue as to how such tribulations or sufferings or troubles can actually work in our favor.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Here is says “all things work together for good”. Should “all” include troubles? Of course it should, if if you rather… why not? Imagine a life without troubles, never having to face a challenge. What would such a life be like? The word that comes to my mind is “complacent”, or maybe the phrase “fat and happy” evokes a more accurate picture.

There is a saying bandied about these days a quote attributed to G. Michael Hopf that fits well here:

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”

In fact, this principle is seen throughout scripture. We often see this as “cause and effect”, God blesses men who then turn away from God and God gets angry and punishes men. These now suffering men turn to God who then blesses them. It seems all we ever see is an angry God dispensing wrath. Is this really the way things are? I don’t think so.

Granted some passages in scripture seem entirely brutal. One of the examples I point to is the story of King Saul and the Amalekites. Saul was the first king of Israel. Saul was instructed to wipe them out entirely.

1 Samuel 15:1 Samuel said to Saul, Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore listen you to the voice of the words of Yahweh.

2 Thus says Yahweh of Armies, I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.

3 Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. (WEB)

Saul did not listen.

1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and wouldn’t utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

God did not take lightly the annihilation of the Amalekites. It wasn’t punishment. His intent was to spare Israel trouble in the future. Saul got greedy and saved out the best of the livestock for himself. He also showed compassion on the Amalekite king, Agag. His disobedience caused him his position. Why? Why was an act of compassion reason to remove Saul as king? Again, the word is disobedience.

1 Samuel 13:14 But now your kingdom shall not continue: Yahweh has sought him a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh commanded you.

As a practical matter, God was not “angry” with the Amalekites. Certainly they rejected the One True God and sought to worship other gods, as did every nation on earth… including Israel. Time and time again Israel turned away from God unto false gods, even after God delivered them from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea. Yet God forgave them again and again. He still forgives them. Consider what God says about Israel in the New Testament. This after Israel rejected the Messiah and still rejects him. While God in no way condones humans worshiping false gods, he has shown mercy time and time again on even those who reject him, as well as his only begotten son Jesus the Messiah. This, if nothing else, should demonstrate God’s mercy.

Why then tribulation? Or as so many non-believers have put it: “if there is a god, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?”. If I may first point out… nothing happening in the world today is a mistake. While I am certain I do not understand these things entirely, I do believe I have some idea. First, let me ask you… what would fiction look like without conflict?

We all know the common tropes in fiction. Man is lonely, man finds girl, man loses girl, man wins girl back, and they live happily every after. Of course these days we are likely to see every possible variation of this theme but the basics remain the same. Every story centers around one or more conflicts. Also, the protagonist is flawed somehow and this causes problems. What would one of these stories look like with these issues?

Woman is lonely, woman finds man, they live happily ever after. Wow. That was a nail-biter. You get the idea. Now I’m not saying we experience tragedy in our lives just to spice things up, but just as conflict in fiction serves a purpose, tribulation and troubles in real life does likewise.

While I’m near this topic and before we dig in, I want to address something that often seems to make no sense and that is untimely and seemingly pointless deaths. To use a real-life example, there was a young couple who lived across the street from us years ago. They had a big house and a big family. We didn’t know them well but they seemed to be decent God-fearing people. One of their children contracted leukemia and died at age two. If ever a death seemed senseless, this one was a top contender. Instead of asking why this child died, might it not be better to wonder, what was this child spared? We don’t know. I’m sure that today, nearly thirty years later, the loss of this child still causes pangs for the parents and others close to this child. What we won’t know until we begin our journey in eternity is what the alternative might have been. I have no doubt both the parents and the child would have suffered more had he lived. So it is with all such tragedies. We don’t know what we don’t know.

Back to the topic of tribulations aside from the “Great Tribulation” mentioned above. We are told on no uncertain terms we will experience them. In the King James Version, the Greek word “thlipsis” is rendered “tribulation” 21 times and “affliction” 17 times. In other places it is rendered trouble (3x), anguish, persecution, burdened and “to be afflicted”. These last four renderings are once each.

The meaning is described as “pressing together, pressed or oppressed” and so forth. One can ascertain the sense is to feel pressure from outside. While I get the sense that the “Great Tribulation” will entail more than mere “pressure”. I’m still working out this aspect in a bible study on the “end times”, but my sense about this period sometime in the future is the intent is to get the attention of the remaining population as those who are never going to accept God are systematically removed. What about the rest of us?

Certainly you’ve come across some dramatic depiction where someone, usually a man but not always, finds himself in very deep doo doo. There he sits, alone and talking – seemingly to the air. His words are generally along the lines of “God, if you exist, I’m not a praying man but if you can hear me, I need your help.” Such is a prayer of desperation if I ever heard one! Let’s take a closer look.

First, the man directly addresses “God”. Does he even know whom his is talking to? The fact is the word “god” can refer to any number of beings real, or imagined. It is as non-specific as one can get. And yet this man expects “something” or “someone” being able hear him. Some talk about this mysterious being as “the man it the sky” or will scoff at the idea of something they cannot see, hear, or touch – preferring to believe in something tangible. Then, this “being” he speaks directly to is not supposed to be instantly insulted by questioning its existence. Hmph. After which he admits he’s a stranger. “You don’t know me but…” right before again talking to some mysterious being even while he admits he has no idea if anyone is on the other end. Finally, he asks for help in a situation where he has nowhere else to turn.

Yet we see this scenario played out again and again. No doubt it has happened on more than one occasion and, again with no doubt, God, Almighty God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, has often answered with some sort of helping hand. That is all fine and good but it is not where I’m going with this.

Where I am going is, for some reason most people can accept the idea of a supreme being when we are at our wits end. It is not unnatural to reach out to God… as a last resort. In other words tribulation or trouble tend to drive people towards rather than away from God – at least those who might be inclined to turn to God. Those determined to reject him will do so anyway. For the rest of us, you know the old saying… you never miss something until you don’t have it.

Let’s face it, when our lives are surrounded by peace and comfort, we tend to let those things distract us. Even strong Christians are known to get “too busy” to focus on God or maybe we just let spiritual things slip from our minds. “Maybe later, for now I just want to enjoy the ocean breeze. God’s there too… right?” It’s not until the storm becomes threatening that we suddenly remember God.

For too long, our nation has settled in with the comforts of life. We’ve been blessed. We enjoy a high standard of living. At the same time, we’re stressed – as a nation we tend to be “aholics” – workaholics, alcoholics, sexaholics – you name it. Far too often we are too busy for our own families – much less godly things. It is beginning to show. Rather, we are neck deep in our sinful ways and they are devouring us. It’s not God doing this, it is God allowing us to experience the lives we chose when we turned our backs on him.

This is not to say the godly never experience tribulation. Again, we are promised tribulation (or warned if you will) in scripture. Nothing there even suggests it is avoidable. In fact, we are directly told we will likely get more tribulation if we stand faithful. However, that’s not the point.

The point is we all face trials and troubles, in other words tribulations. While we may well escape the “Great Tribulation”, it does not mean we should expect some fairy tale life of total bliss. Those choices we’ve made individually, taking full advantage of the blessings God has bestowed upon our nation while at the same time turning us away from the God who bestows these blessings are now coming back to bite us. Hard.

This nation is a mess not because God has turned his back on us but because we have turned away from HIM! As a nation we may already have passed the point of redemption. But it’s not all “bad” news.

God already knows what choices we will make and the result of those choices, including the troubles we get into. For each one of us and all of us he knows how things turn out. It’s all good. God said so.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All things means exactly that – ALL things – even those pesky tribulations. What we need to do, and by “we” I mean those of us Christians who are paying attention, is turn back to God, ask forgiveness for our sinful acts and turn to him once again.

As far as the “Great Tribulation” is concerned, I have no definitive understanding as of yet. Every time I am convinced there will be a rapture, I see things that make me wonder.

1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

What is meant by “the last trump”? Does this refer to the last trump in a certain event or THE last trump?

The main problem I have with reconciling revelation times is it appears salvation in the revelation period will revert to works rather than grace. What then signals the end of grace? For me the obvious marker would be the Rapture.

Whether or not certain Christians will endure the Great Tribulation may be the object of debate until either Christ raptures his body of believers or the world is embroiled in the Great Tribulation. Either way, we cannot escape tribulations nor should we desire to do so. In fact, considering those situations where we can expect even more tribulation, we should welcome, even embrace them. Consider the early apostles:

Acts 5:40 b …when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

They were bold to speak the gospel and rejoiced that they were counted worth to suffer. Should we not be of the same mindset?

Tribulation is something we are not going to escape nor should we desire to. If the price for serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father is being despised and abused by the world, should we not embrace it?

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you, to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you.

13 But because you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also you may rejoice with exceeding joy.

14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. On their part he is blasphemed, but on your part he is glorified.

15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil doer, or as a meddler in other men’s matters.

16 But if one of you suffers for being a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this matter.

17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who don’t obey the Gospel of God?

18 “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?”

19 Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

The above is from the King James. The World English Bible (WEB) renders it a bit differently.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Why quote both versions? To begin with, I understand lots of people don’t much like the KJV. I’m partial to it because I’ve been reading it for so long. Even so, I like to get a different perspective now and then. Too often I find passages I’ve either missed for years or lacked a fuller understanding. The above verse is a good example.

The word “particular” can mean many things in English. Individual is one synonym. Distinct is another. When dealing with the concept of the Body of Christ, it seems quite relevant to take in the parts as well as the whole. You and I are the parts. Christ Jesus, as the head, is also a part. This passage in Corinthians goes to great lengths to emphasize each of us is not just “a” part but an important part of the whole. Surely we would be lost without the head, Christ, but that doesn’t mean your part is not important. Consider another reference to members.

James 3:5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! (WEB)

In one verse, James gets to the heart of how one little member can affect much. What is the tongue? Apart from the taste function, is it not mere skin and muscle? Yet how much trouble can it cause? How much havoc can it wreak?

James 3:1 Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.

2 For in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

3 Indeed, we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and we guide their whole body.

4 Behold, the ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds, are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires.

5 So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!

6 And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.

7 For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind.

8 But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God.

10 Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

Taking verse one into account, one may ascertain James is speaking directly to teachers. If this is so, does the mean those who are not teachers are excluded? Without a doubt James indicates teachers will receive a “heavier judgment”. The qualifying word “heavier” (rendered more severe and greater in other versions) in no way suggests those who are NOT teachers will not receive judgment. Indeed, we know from other scriptures we will all give an account. So, no, even those who do not teach can take these words lightly.

That said, I am not pointing this passage out to expound on the tongue, as marvelous and terrifying as it can be. While physiologically there isn’t much to it, few can argue about the importance of having one. The same can be said about any part of our physical bodies. Why, then should any member of the body of Christ be considered unimportant or even expendable? (God help us!)

This passage in 1 Corinthians 12 goes to great lengths to make this point.

1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.

14 For the body is not one member, but many.

15 If the foot would say, “Because I’m not the hand, I’m not part of the body,” it is not therefore not part of the body.

16 If the ear would say, “Because I’m not the eye, I’m not part of the body,” it’s not therefore not part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.

19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?

20 But now they are many members, but one body.

21 The eye can’t tell the hand, “I have no need for you,” or again the head to the feet, “I have no need for you.”

22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

23 Those parts of the body which we think to be less honorable, on those we bestow more abundant honor; and our unpresentable parts have more abundant propriety;

24 whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God composed the body together, giving more abundant honor to the inferior part,

25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

26 When one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. Or when one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Consider the above in light of Ephesians 1:4

Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love;

We are not simply members of the body of Christ but we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be part of the body! How incredible is that?! It doesn’t matter whether you are a sweeper in some obscure factory or a world leader – GOD ALMIGHTY chose you and put you where you are because only you could live your life. Recently, something Lance Wallnau said made this crystal clear to me.

Lance was talking about an interview he did with Georgia State Senator Mike Crotts who said he died, met Jesus and came back at the command of his wife Phyllis. As I heard the story, Mike says Jesus told him he still had work to do in government as a politician.

Now when I first heard this, one of my first thoughts was, “Senator? I never heard of this guy before. Must be he wasn’t much of one.” Of course I was thinking of a U.S. Senator as I’d expect one who was brought back from the dead to be more prominent. At this point, most of what I really know about the man is stated above. I cannot point to his record as a politician. His world and mine never intersected before Lance Wallnau brought him up. In fact, I do not believe we go directly to heaven when we die. I won’t go into all the scriptures I base my understanding on but they are extensive and far more plainly stated than those suggesting otherwise. So what gives?

First, allow me to give Senator Crotts’ testimony the benefit of the doubt. While scripture does indicate those who are “asleep” in Christ will rise upon his return, nothing in scripture says Senator Crotts couldn’t have seen Jesus when he died. There are others who’ve made similar, credible claims. They all have one thing in common, they lived to tell about their experiences. So even if my understanding is accurate, that does not preclude the possibilities of someone getting a peek at heaven.

So let’s say Crotts did die, he saw Jesus, and was sent back to live out his life as a politician. Okay, fine. Does that make his life any more or less important that yours or mine? Absolutely not! Whatever Senator Crotts did, it was stuff I’d never do. And he could never do what I’ve done in my life. Neither of us can do what you do. The bottom line here is, the events of the world does not, can not hinge on the actions of one person. In light of this…

Have you ever heard of the “butterfly effect”? Simply put, the theory states that the motions of a butterfly flapping its wings in, say, Japan puts into motion a series of events that have a significant impact on us here in America. At least that’s my take on the idea. While we may never know or understand all the nuances of this concept – there are a lot of butterflies out there – we can all nod to the idea that one tiny action we take now can reap some astounding (or horrifying) results.

If just one thing you do today can turn a ripple into a tidal wave, what about everything you do? Surely some actions will cause a greater affect than others, but which ones? On the negative side I can tell you from experience, I’ve seen more grief rain down on me for a single misspoken sentence or word even, than I ever bargained for. And, yes, I have seen some heartwarming results from a well-placed word also. If our lives tallied up to a sum total with the positives on one side and the negatives on the other, what would you want your balance to reflect?

As I indicated previously, these factors tend to be weighted so our lives are not just some game of sums. Every action you take produces fruit. That fruit can either be good fruit or bad fruit. In other words, you reap what you sow. How does all this relate to the body of Christ?

Imagine the impact the body of Christ would have if every member only yielded good fruit. Is this even possible?

Mark 10:27 Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”

Now I cannot say whether this will ever happen. Nor can I say in will not ever happen. This is not for me or you to say. All I can do is sow actions that produce good fruit. I am only responsible for myself. Consequently, you are only responsible for yourself. You do your part and let God be God.

We are all part of the body of Christ, and members individually (or in particular). All of us were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before God in love. Why?

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

We were created in Christ to do good works. Where? Well, HERE – wherever “here” is for you. When? Whenever possible, in other words, all the time. What is the end goal? What does God have in mind for us? Well… eventually I’m expecting some sort of party in eternity, each of us still has work to do here on this earth. As members of the body of Christ who desire to serve our Lord Jesus and serve God, what should our goal be?

Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

Notice the first word “until”. Oh-oh, yeah, I did that – posted just that one verse, even though it seems to be missing context. There is more to all this than what you see above. In fact, God has a whole structure in place to get us all to that point. That said, this is the goal – one fully developed “person” (my rendering) with Jesus Christ as the head and us members as the body.

Already I’ve gone long in this post. Between this post and the previous, I’ve shown where we are the body of Christ and members individually. This was God’s plan from the beginning. As members, we are responsible for our own actions (what we sow) and the fruit we produce. Yet there seems to be something missing. WE are missing something. Let me ask you… ARE we coming to a “unity of the faith of the knowledge of the Son of God”? HAVE we “grown up”? What is the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”?

If you are seeing what I am seeing, we not only are not there, rather, we seem to be drifting further and further apart. WHY? What I’m seeing is this is because we are taking our focus off Christ and turning onto each other.

2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you.

2 Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

7 Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ’s, so also we are Christ’s.

Consider this passage in light of our topic. In the broader context, Paul is specifically speaking of his ministry. Let’s face it, life was not always easy for the apostle Paul. It seems everywhere he went, trouble, i.e. tribulation, followed. He was constantly attacked, beaten, and thrown out of town. Here, he writes of those saying Paul was “walking in the flesh”. He didn’t deny it but he did immediately turn the focus to God.

2 Corinthians 10:3b …“we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;”

This is the essence of our spiritual battle. While I contend our individual battles must first begin with our own minds, drawing closer to our Heavenly Father and our Lord Christ Jesus in our hearts, we cannot simply ignore those “imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God”. Sure we can limit our exposure to such things but we “must needs go out into the world” (1 Corinthians 5:10 d)

Our goal, however, should be to get those beams out of our own eyes before we try to take the speck out of the eye of our brethren. Let me ask you… what would the world look like if each of us brought “thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”? Personally, I think we would have no need to “police” our brothers and sisters in Christ because we would all be walking in the spirit, in love.

And THAT would evoke the vision of Ephesians 4:15-16

Ephesians 4:15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ;

16 from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

WE are the body of Christ – with our risen Lord and Savior Christ Jesus at the head, and those of us to confess Jesus as Lord as members individually. Together we make the whole, however the only true head is Christ. To this end, each of us should be “bringing every thought in captivity to the obedience of Christ”. To this end he gave us apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors), and teachers to bring us all together.

While I can envision how rank and file believers like myself can join with those gifted in ministries such as above to attain the “measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”, I find it difficult to reconcile that vision with what my own eyes see in today’s world – division, bickering, and so forth. Only God can accomplish this through His only-begotten Son Jesus the Christ. I don’t see God herding cats, thus WE must individually seek out and accept God’s Will in our lives. His Will is plainly stated in scriptures, particularly in the epistles to the church – the body of Christ. If we do those things, we shall surely see amazing things come to pass.

Maybe you can tell me how many times I’ve posted WE are the government. If I’d bothered to try, I’d have lost count long ago. Newsflash: WE are also the body of Christ – at least those of us who have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-10) The difference between the two statements is one only needs to be a US Citizen to be included in the first group. One must consciously accept Christ to be born again of God’s spirit and become part of the body. So this post is directed at my brethren in Christ in particular.

Romans 12:4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function,

5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Ephesians 5:23 for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. He is Saviour of the body. [“assembly” is the Greek word ekklēsía often rendered “church”]

(For the sake of consistency, I’ll quote from the World English Bible (WEB) today unless otherwise noted.)

Today, “diversity” seems to be all the rage everywhere. Oddly enough there is no one group more diverse than today’s Christians. There is nothing at all wrong with this, in fact, there is everything right about it. “For God so loved the WORLD, He gave his only-begotten Son.” While diversity is fine, there is another aspect that is not at all desirable… division. No scripture advocates division, quite the opposite is true. The verses quoted above stating we are “one body” only scratch the surface.

In Ephesians especially, the apostle Paul revealed the mystery “which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men” (Ephasians 3:5). What is this “mystery”?

Ephesians 3:6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel,

Gentiles were and are anyone who was not of the nation of Israel. Israel was a chosen people. Why were they chosen and not some other group? (Using my best, indignantly snotty tone) Well, somebody had to draw the short straw. It was them. There were two primary reasons for a chosen group. First, the Messiah had to be able to trace his lineage back. Second, somebody had to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that no one else could possibly fulfill the law. While the Jews performed admirably in this respect, any group could have done the job. Only one man, the only begotten Son of God, born of sinless blood, could perfectly fulfill the law. Now about that “joint heirs” bit.

Once again, we need to look at Israel. They were chosen and they were also promised to be heirs of God. That mystery comes into play because what God did not reveal to them is the rest of the nations, the gentiles would get equal footing in the Kingdom of God by accepting Christ Jesus as Savior. Now, if the Jews had been paying attention, they might have caught on. Jesus told them as much.

Matthew 20:1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

4 To them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.

5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’

8 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’

9 “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

12 saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

15 Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’

16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The key factor to note above is everyone got the same pay. In essence, they were “joint heirs”. Just as those who labored the entire day for the same pay as those “eleventh hour” workers got disgruntled, many Jews who accepted Christ after he died as was raised from the dead were put off.

Acts 15:1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

Acts 21:20 They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

This conflict is arguably the first recorded major division in the new church. With centuries of tradition behind them, many of the new believing Jews decided if Gentiles were to be included, they would have to be circumcised. This didn’t just refer to the act of circumcision itself but adherence to all of Judean law. They simply could not wrap their heads around how Jesus paid for our sins!

Paul understood it and he taught it.

Ephesians 3:3 that by revelation the mystery has been made known to me, (according as I have written before briefly,

4 by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ,)

5 which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the power of the Spirit,

6 that they who are of the nations should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and joint partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus by the glad tidings;

7 of which I am become minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me, according to the working of his power.

One should note here that the word “partakers” here means to “take fully”. In other words, everyone in the body of Christ is equal. There is not longer any difference between Jew and Gentile.

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision,” (in the flesh, made by hands);

12 hat you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

Ephesians 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

There you have it. No matter where we started from, as a Jew or as a Gentile, we now belong to the body of Christ. What does this mean?

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

Read that again. We both have access by one spirit to the Father!

Access. It’s a big thing. Really. Here it is again:

Ephesians 3:12 in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

Who is “whom”? Christ Jesus of course. Here it is declared we not only have access but boldness as well. God’s plan all along was to restore man to the original sinless state. In fact, since we were chosen “in him before the world’s foundation, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love”, God had designs on us even before Adam sinned! Furthermore, His intention was never for us to grovel before Him, pleading only after a blood sacrifice. He didn’t “lay down the law” in order to keep us in line and fearful.

Galatians 3:19 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a bondservant [i.e. under the law], but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

There it is again! We are sons and therefore heirs. The law has served it’s purpose and now, since Christ, is no longer needed.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And again there is that concept of “one”. What’s that all about?

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;

3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

Let this sink in… we were both chosen and called. Remember Matthew 20:16

Matthew 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen

Ephesians tells us we were chosen in 1:4 and called in 4:1. How do I know this? Look at whom this letter is addressed to:

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Summing it all up, we were chosen and called to be joint heirs in one body with Christ as the head. This was no accident but was God’s plan for us all along and this is just the beginning. We are also members. What does that mean? How does this relate to our Christian walk?

I’ll discuss this in my next post.