Tuesday | 05 December 2023
The body that the Father prepared for Christ, in which His will is done, is now corporate. This corporate body is the temple that was built through His death and resurrection. Importantly, to be a part of the temple of His body, we must participate in each of the wounding events through which it was established. The agape meal is the provision of God for our participation in this fellowship of offering through which we are being built together as a heavenly temple. A person who fails to recognise this point, and who seeks to avoid fellowship in the offering and sufferings of Christ, is not discerning the body. They will inevitably become increasingly weak and sick, and will eventually lose their eternal sonship. 1Co 11:29-30.
Not only are we built into the corporate temple through fellowship in the offering and sufferings of Christ, but we are also justified. Through His offering and suffering journey, Christ justified every son who has been sealed with the Holy Spirit. Eph 1:13-14. Eph 4:30. Through justification, He has worked all their works for them. They are able to fulfil the will of God that belongs to their sanctification as they are established as part of the temple of His body. Wonderfully, the apostle Paul declared that Jesus Christ was raised because of this justification. Rom 4:25.
The corporate temple focuses our attention on both the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. Let us first consider our membership of the body. Jesus used the imagery of the vine and the branches to explain the corporate body of Christ. The emphasis of the body is the individual members, who are branches of the Vine. As Jesus declared, ‘I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.’ Joh 15:5. In this regard, our obedience as sons of God and members of the body (and branches on the Vine) is addressed individually.
Further Study:
JOHN 15
Daily Proverb:
References:
1Co 11:29-30
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgement to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
Eph 1:13-14
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Eph 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Rom 4:25
Who was delivered up because of our offences, and was raised because of our justification.
Joh 15:5
I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.