A  Bride Prepared      

Are You Not Yet Carnal?

It is a shame that we are not of one mind, and able to get together with converted family members and friends for the Feast of Tabernacles.  Too many of our brethren have been taught not to associate with others who are not within their own fellowship.  They turn their heads when they pass their former brethren on the street – no longer considering them, brethren.  Paul says that those who participate in that kind of behavior are not spiritually mature, but still carnal babes.  “Brethren, I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 3:1)   The Bride is not prepared to meet Christ while this practice persists in His one Church.

Soon, the brethren who are led by God's Holy Spirit will be together in mind, attitude, and spiritual unity as the Bride of Christ.  The Bride will not come from any one earthly organization or group.  That is because Christianity is not something you belong to – like an organization – but a way of life that leads to holiness and Godliness.  It is only when we truly put on Godliness that unity with other brethren, who are also pursuing being at one with God, can transpire (John 17:21-23).  It will be a miracle when it happens.  The man-made lines that separate brethren must be crossed – the barriers must come down.  Jesus will have only one Wife.  The Bride of Christ will be spiritually mature.  Are we willing to do what it takes to be a part of the Bride?

Make no mistake about it - Jesus Christ is not going to return to a scattered bunch of churches.  Jesus Christ has only one Church, and it is made up of all the brethren who are being led by His Holy Spirit.  That is who Christ is returning to.  Christ is not divided – how can we remain separated for so many wrong reasons?  There is the question of some members hobnobbing with the wealthy or the ministry, and with the “beautiful people” to the exclusion of the “little people,” or the ne’er-do-wells – it is not a new problem (James 2:3).  Human nature wants to be a part of a fashionable group, and Satan uses every weakness that he can find to instigate division among God’s people.

Perfectly Joined Together

Paul writes about the divisiveness in the Church at Corinth, saying that quarrels and contentions clearly demonstrate the carnal nature of those who will not seek peace. “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  For while one says, I am of [Fill in the name of a minister]; and another says, I am of [Fill in the name of an organization]; are ye not carnal?”  (1 Corinthians 3:3-4)

The Church in Corinth exhibited the same problem that we have today.  Paul begged, “I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  (1 Corinthians 1:10)  These verses are unmistakable warnings to us today to get our lives in order.  Paul said, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.”  (1 Corinthians 4:14)

There are many today, who – like the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25 – thoughtlessly believe that their group is uniquely qualified to be the Bride, to the exclusion of all the others.  As a warning to us, let us remember that down through history, there have always been “foolish virgins,” who thought they were the sole favorite of God’s affections.

Organizations per se are necessary – their function is to manage the business concerns of the group such as planning Feast sites, administering funds (including third tithe), publishing, writing contracts, interfacing with the Government, providing halls for Sabbath services, etc.  An organization is a physical entity.

A serious problem arises when members begin to look to their headquarters rather than to God.  “I would never do that!” people exclaim.  But, how often do we hear the phrase, “Let me check with Headquarters?”  The Church that Jesus founded is a spiritual entity and cannot be sued – but organizations are legal entities that have to take into account insurance and liability considerations.

God’s Word says that it is good and right to serve the elderly and the fatherless.  In one example, headquarters prohibited an elderly function from taking place because, “The church could be sued if someone hurt themselves.”  That is a case of headquarters being out of touch with its purpose.  But a much more serious predicament arises when members look to a headquarters to make decisions on spiritual aspects in their lives.  God warns the Bride-to-be that all ministers are not His ministers.  A false minister can cost a person their salvation.  Some are Satan’s ministers – masquerading as good ministers – transformed as the ministers of righteousness.” (2 Corinthians 11:15)

Role of the Ministry

The Bible is the living Word of God – containing timeless spiritual lessons for mankind.  A minister should be able to teach and preach sound doctrine – rightly dividing the word of truth – guiding [showing the way] through the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:2, 15, Acts 8:31).   His duties are baptizing, marrying, performing funerals, praying, anointing the sick and counseling.  The minister is to expound on Godly concepts.  “Holding fast the faithful Word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”  (Titus 1:9) 

The function of the ministry is to teach how to walk in God’s way and how to apply God’s principles in our lives.  All too often, we find the minister in the role of decision maker for someone else’s family.  That is wrong! Yes, the ministry should be available for Godly counseling – however, the ministry is not to usurp the decision making function of the head of the family.

That is not the role of a minister or any group’s headquarters.  “ [The ministry] does not have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.”  (2 Corinthians 1:24)  When a minister presumes that his judgment is so far superior to others that he believes he has the right to supersede a member’s personal decision – he has violated a basic Christian tenet.

The ministry’s responsibility is to help the brethren focus on God and His ways.  When a minister makes himself or his organization the center of attention rather than God, he is making an extremely serious mistake in judgment.  And sometimes a member quickly becomes persona non grata – an unwelcomed person, if he does not do exactly what the minister dictates.  That is wrong!

Look to God and His Word for direction in your life.  Those brethren who have been disfellowshipped for unjust reasons by political ministers have not been removed from God’s true Church – only from an organization gone astray.  Only God’s Spirit is everlasting.  Organizations come and go.  Past organizational failures and closures teach us that we must always be extremely careful not to confuse “organization” with God’s Truth and Work.

Foolish Virgins

How many organizations boast that they are God’s favorite group – pleasing God the most?  Or, that they are doing the primary work at the forefront of preaching the gospel; or they are the biggest work; or have more TV stations; or they have the most senior man; or they have a brand that isolates and distinguishes them above others; or they have produced the most literature; or that they alone received the baton of Church authority that was passed down; or some such claim of dominance?  Brethren, are we blind to the divisiveness of that rationale? 

It is God who does the “Work” – we are merely his tools.  “This is the Work of God that you believe on Him [Jesus Christ] whom He [the Father] has sent.” (John 6:29)  It is God, not us, who will cause Israel to be warned and restored (Ezekiel 3, 36).  It is God who will cause the gospel to be preached to all nations as a witness.  And, it is God who makes it possible for the Bride to prepare herself.  Give God all the credit for His works (John 14:10).

"Everyone who exalts himself will be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted."  (Luke 18:9-14)  Without the words actually being spoken, some members are being taught by the attitude and behavior of their leadership that there are other brethren who just don't measure up.  Where in the Bible do you find any true leader of God’s people telling the brethren not to fellowship together?  You do not find it because it is clearly against Christ’s teachings.  There will be perfect peace within Christ’s marriage – because He is King of Peace (Hebrews 7:2).

Their condescending message is loud and clear – avoid mixing with brethren from other groups, because we are better than they are.  Those groups that are betting that God will choose only the members of their unique organization for the place of safety, or to be the Bride of Christ, underestimate the mind of Christ.  When we consider the meaning of 1 Corinthians 12:24, we learn that the mind of Christ is exactly the opposite of what is commonly found in practice in various Churches of God today!  "… God hath tempered the Body [of Christ] together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked," because, “God hath set the members, every one of them, in the Body [of Christ], as it hath pleased Him."  (1 Corinthians 12:24, 18)

God is the Source of Unity

Since it is God who has placed the individual members where it pleases Him, we would do well to receive all the brethren.  If we were working on our relationship with God as we should, the result would be a better unity with other like-minded brethren.  The reason for the disunity in the Church, even after so many years, attests to the fact that there are those who have not yet become rooted in Christ as they should be.  It is simply unfathomable to have Church of God organizations existing side by side, while ignoring each other’s very existence as brethren of Christ.  Would Jesus have been a part of such divisiveness without taking positive action?  Clearly, the Bride will not possess a spirit of alienation.

The will of God is perfectly clear:  "There should be no schism in the Body [of Christ]; but that the members should have the same care one for another." (1 Corinthians 12:25)  In this verse, the “body” is the Body of Christ, and the "one for another" refers to all those members who have God’s Holy Spirit in their minds – leading them in God's way (Romans 8:14).  As much as God desires unity – it must be based on God’s truth.  God desires unity – but, it must be according to His Word: “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly [he will not repent of sin].”  (2 Thessalonians 3:6)

Here is where Christian maturity must prevail – do we withdraw from the sinner or do we go to our brother and try to help him?  We must do one or the other.  Here is our priority:  If there is any possibility that our brother is able to repent from the error of his way – we must help him.  Is it not obvious what we should do?  Can we be so unwise as to come to the conclusion that we have been released from the commandment to love one another?  Do we make void the commandment of God by loving only the people who have "no problems?"

We will not be prepared for the wedding supper with Christ until we truly seek to remove the obstacles that persist between ourselves and other children of God.  God demands that we must be an active part of building close relationships with brethren – including those who are across imaginary organizational lines.  It is every Christian's duty before God to seek out others.  Perhaps the apostasy separated us against our will – but that is not a justification for continuing in our divided condition.

Those brethren who finally make up the Bride of Christ will be of one mind.  Christ is not divided – we all know that (1 Corinthians 1:13).  But, do we know this?  The Body of Christ, those in the true Church, His true Bride – by definition – cannot be divided.  That raises a serious question if we refuse to acknowledge others who are led by God’s Spirit.  When a member cuts off fellowship from other brethren – that is division – plain and simple.  One person or the other is going to miss out on that precious occasion of the wedding supper!  We cannot expect to be saved ourselves while saying in effect, "I don't care if others make it into God's Kingdom or not."

Chapter 4: The Door is Closing