“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
Ephesians 1:22-23
Never in the history of religion has man imagined a god like our God. He is very surprising, totally unlike anything fallen man might envisage. If He did not disclose Himself to us, in the Bible and in the Person of His Beloved Son, the nature and character of God would still be an impenetrable mystery. God’s relationship to the church, for instance, was a hidden mystery in ages past (Ephesians 3:1-6). No one could have imagined that God could or would choose to have a relationship with humans the way He has chosen to relate to the church. In the present dispensation, God has chosen the church to be His special vehicle through which His limitless wisdom, power, love, justice, grace, and mercy are displayed. The church is called Christ’s own body and bride (Ephesians 5:25-32), a beautiful reference to the mystical union between the Lord and His redeemed. So close are we to the Lord that from His perspective, those that are persecuting us are also persecuting Him (Acts 9:4; 22:7-8; 26:14-15). The connection between the Lord and His church is not only relational, but typological as well. That is, there are many parallels between the Lord and His ministry and the church and hers. For instance, the Lord miraculously entered the human family at incarnation through the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Similarly, the Holy Spirit miraculously brought the church into being at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Both the Lord and His church were God’s chosen custodians of special revelation (John 8:26-28; Matthew 28:19). In word and deed, both the Lord Jesus and His church were called to share the life-saving Gospel with the world. Both the Lord and His church were (and are) misunderstood by many, despised and opposed (John 15:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:12). Both have been the special target of Satan, whose goal is to harass God’s servants in order to neutralize their God-honouring, soul-winning work (Matthew 16:21-23; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Peter 5:8). Even so, Christ defeated Satan and the forces of darkness soundly at the cross (Colossians 2:15), crushing that old serpent’s head in the process (Genesis 3:15). Mysteriously, we are slated to participate in Satan’s utter defeat as well (Romans 16:20). Finally, as Christ was raised to glorified existence and communion with the Father, we too will experience resurrection, glorification and communion with God. Because He lives we will live also (John 14:19) Comfort one another with these words, dear saints!
God bless,
Pastor John
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