God's Church
THE CHURCH IN GOD’S PLAN
God's Church
THE CHURCH IN GOD’S PLAN
The most significant figure of history must surely be Jesus Christ. He literally divides time into two grand eras by His supernatural character and divinity. But Jesus’ appearance on the human stage was not unexpected. A divine plan began unfolding in the Garden of Eden and brilliantly culminated in Jesus’ unparalleled ministry on earth.
The Apostle Paul called this plan, “the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets; that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel…To me, who am less than all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 3:4b-9).
Why Christ Came: Christ came to redeem man from sin. This is the “good news” or “gospel” that all Christians now proclaim to the world. This “gospel” constituted the unveiling (revealing) of God’s hitherto hidden plan for man’s release from sin and condemnation. The Apostle Paul calls the Gospel of Christ: “the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience of the faith” (Romans 16:25b-26).
Paul describes God’s Word as: “… the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:25b-27).
Before the world was formed, God conceived the means by which man could regain his disrupted relationship with God – the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This was the “mystery” that now in the Gospel of Christ is published for all men to consider and accept.
God’s Eternal Plan: What is not generally realized is that God’s eternal plan included another vital element, the church. When the New Testament discusses the divine unveiling of God’s mystery regarding man’s redemption in Christ, the church is also discussed. Carefully consider the following Bible verses: “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:8-11).
The inspired apostle here says that the church is important – a vital part of God’s eternal purpose, now realized in Jesus Christ and the salvation He gives. This means that the church is a vital part of man’s redemption in Christ. To talk about Christ one should also talk about the church. As Paul explains, (Ephesians 1:22-23) the church is Christ’s body, “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
When the same writer revealed God’s mystery as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27), he again included the church as part of this divine plan. Here is how he says it: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and generations …” (Colossians 1:24-26).
Is The Church a Social Accident: All of this says that the church is not a social accident – it did not just happen. The church was neither the product of gradual cultural development nor was it an emergency, stop-gap measure invented at the time of Christ’s death because the plans for His kingdom had been thwarted by those who rejected Him. One writer suggested that when John the Baptist preached the kingdom’s imminent appearance among men: “He did not, of course, know that Israel would reject the King, and that the Kingdom would be postponed for over nineteen hundred years, and that in the interval of its postponement, the church would be called out ...” (M.R. DeHaan, The Second Coming of Elijah, p. 10).
This view of the church as simply an interruption of God’s original plan for His kingdom distinguishes between the church and the kingdom – a distinction the Bible never makes. To be Biblically specific, the “church” describes God’s “called out” people. Christ came to give men the option of either eternal life or eternal hell. Those who accept Christ’s call are described as: “… the temple of the living God. As God said: ‘I will dwell in them, And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’ Therefore Come out from among them. And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:16b-17).
The church comes into being when responsible people decide to obey Christ, live by His directions, and make His purposes their life goals.
The “kingdom,” is identified with the “church” throughout the Bible – expressing God’s government through Christ over “the called out” people.
Christ did more than simply die on the cross for our sins. Seven hundred years before His coming, Isaiah predicted: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end. Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it, and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward forever” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
To say that the church came into being because Christ’s efforts at setting up God’s kingdom among men were temporarily defeated is a misconception which makes the mistake of disconnecting the church from God’s unfolding plan for man's redemption – the “mystery” now revealed.
This erroneous idea also dismisses all that Christ Himself said about His church or kingdom. He began His public ministry on this note: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17b). He promised His closest followers: “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some here who will not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mark 9:1). When He told the apostles that He would build His church on the foundation rock of His divinity, He also assured them that they would receive the “keys” to the “kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:16-19).
To talk about the church as a social accident, an evolutionary cultural institution, or an emergency measure invented by God after the so-called “kingdom plan” failed, denies Old Testament prophecies about the coming kingdom or church.
A Specific Look: Let us now specifically consider “God’s eternal plan for the church.” This study is presented in the hope of aiding those who attach little or no real significance to the church – who have adopted a “take it or leave it” attitude. We also hope it will aid the sociologist who sees the church as just another cultural institution, and those who erroneously teach that the church was God’s emergency plan after Christ’s reign was rejected. Above all, we pray this brief investigation of God’s Word will bring all of us to a fuller and richer conception of the Biblical church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s now consider some Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) prophecies about the coming church or kingdom. One of the first such indications occurred in the reign of David as king of all twelve tribes of Israel. In both an immediate and long-range promise, God said to David: “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he shall be My son” (2 Samuel 7:12-14a).
God made two distinct promises to David. First, his throne will be occupied by the sovereign who rules God’s kingdom. This ruler will be the son of David – a direct descendant. Second, God’s house and God’s kingdom refer to the spiritual reality. A few verses later in the same reading, God again says: “And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).
The Hebrew Bible prophet, Isaiah, predicted the coming of both God’s ruler and God’s house, as promised by God to David in the above passage. Regarding God’s future ruler, Isaiah said: “the government will be upon His shoulder: And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). There will be no end of His government or the peace it creates in men's hearts and lives as He rules on David’s throne (Isaiah 9:7).
Referring to God’s future house, the Lord’s prophet wrote: “Now it shall come to pass in the latter (last) days that the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3).
Here again Isaiah presents two promises: God’s ruler who will sit on David’s throne, and God’s house or kingdom will be established in “the last days.”
Almost two hundred years after Isaiah’s prophecy, Daniel was allowed to see beyond Judah’s captivity in Babylon to God’s new and everlasting kingdom. Consider the heart of his prophecy from God: “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44). Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, dreamed of a beast made of four different metals. This image was then crushed by “a stone cut out without hands” (Daniel 2:34). After totally demolishing the beast, the stone “became a great mountain and filled the whole earth” (Daniel 2:35). This “great mountain” reminds us of Isaiah’s description of God’s house, established on the mountains and situated so that all nations and peoples could “go up” to it (Isaiah 2:2-4).
Daniel further revealed that during the time of a fourth world government, represented by one of the four metals, and at the time when this stone was ready to crush the beast, God’s eternal kingdom would be established. “And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people” (Daniel 2:44).
As God’s ruler and God’s house are mentioned in the promise to David and in Isaiah’s prophecy, now, four chapters after telling of God’s coming kingdom, we are given a brilliant picture of God’s ruler receiving His sovereign authority from God, the Father: “I was watching in the night-visions, And behold, One like the Son of man, coming with clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
Hebrew Bible Prophecies of Christ: In your own personal Bible study, consider the following Hebrew Bible prophecies: the Lord’s death (Isaiah 53:5-10; Acts 8:31-35); His resurrection (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:25-31); Christ’s ascension (Psalm 24:7-10; 1 Corinthians 2:8); and His coronation in heaven (Daniel 7:13-14; Zechariah 9:9; Philippians 2:5-11). Old Testament predictions regarding important events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, God’s ruler over God’s kingdom – fulfilled in the New Testament.
We also observe that the public ministries of both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ intensified and focused these prophecies of the kingdom or the church. In the wilderness of Judea, John the Baptist preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus’ public message was the same: “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). He said to His followers: “Assuredly, I say unto you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mark 9:1).
When Peter confessed Jesus’ divinity, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16b), the Lord responded with this promise: “… on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18b-19).
As late as the day Christ ascended to heaven for His coronation as predicted by Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14) and reaffirmed by Paul (Philippians 2:5-11), the apostles wanted to know: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6b) He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit, at which time they would become His “witnesses…in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:4-8).
So, as Jesus instructed, the apostles waited, still wondering about the kingdom. Ten days later, at the Jewish feast of Pentecost, they were overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit as promised by Christ. Then they presented the “gospel” of Christ. Their baptism in the Holy Spirit, their preaching, and the audience’s reaction are all described in Acts 2.
On that day, the apostles pointed out that truly these were “the last days” described by the Old Testament prophets (Acts 2:17; Isaiah 2:2). Then they proceeded to describe Christ’s death (Acts 2:22-23), resurrection (Acts 2:24-28; Psalms 16:18), ascension (Acts 2:33), and coronation (Acts 2:34-36), the ruler of God’s kingdom and head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23) – all in fulfillment of Hebrew Bible prophecies. Then they concluded with this thought: “… let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2.36).
The Kingdom – A Reality: Following that Pentecost day in Acts 2, the kingdom of God is always viewed in the New Testament as a standing reality. The Apostle Paul said: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness, and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). John, in the Revelation, says that Jesus Christ “made us kings and priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:6).
Nothing is more prominently taught in the New Testament than the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the Christian’s Ruler because “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). “For to this end,” Paul explains, “Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9). He is the Kingdom’s sovereign. “Then cometh the end [Christ’s second coming], when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).
He is the head of the church. God “put all things under His feet [at the resurrection, ascension, and coronation – see verses 19-21], and gave Him to be head over all things to the church; which is His body” (Ephesians 1:22-23a).
To talk about Christ as man’s redeemer without also considering the church misses a vital Biblical part of God’s eternal plan for man (Ephesians 3:8-12; Colossians 1:24-28). This interrelationship between Christ and His body, the church, means that when we answer Christ’s call to obedience and service, accepting His sovereign rule over our lives, we are added to the church (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:18) – made citizens of God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13) by His divine action.
The issues now before us are eternally important: have we given our lives to Christ? Have we obeyed Him? Have we surrendered our lives to Him in the manner He describes – complete trust, repentance, public confession of Him as Lord and Savior, and baptism?
In such “obedience of the faith” (Romans 16:26b) our sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38), God gives us new life (Romans 6:4), and we are promised full membership in the kingdom of God – the Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:47).
(Bible text is the New King James Version. Renderings from other translations are so noted.)
