Title: The Church Now and the Church Above
Contents
The church is the body of Christ. As it is written, “I now rejoice in your afflictions for your sake, and fill my body with the rest of the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, the church” (Colossians 1:24), indeed, “the church made into his body” is the true church. .“There is one body, and one Spirit, and in the same way you were called in one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4).
His body is holy. His body is perfect. His body did not belong to the world. Therefore, the church is not established by man, but is established by himself. As the Lord Himself said, "... upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18). that they might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27), holy and without blemish, as evidenced.
“But not first the spiritual, but the physical, and then the spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:46).
As it is written, the natural church comes first, and the spiritual church comes next. This is Ishmael first from Abram's maidservant Haga, followed by Isaac from Sarah the free woman Abraham's wife. It is written, “This Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and is like the Jerusalem that is now; she is in bondage with her children, but the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother” (Galatians 4:25-26). The church that is in the flesh is the visible church that exists now, and the church that is spiritual is the invisible church that is above.
It is written, “Therefore, we no longer know any man according to the flesh, though we have known Christ according to the flesh, but from now on we do not know him in this way” (2 Corinthians 5:16). And those born above belonged to the spiritual church.
The church is the bride of Christ. Abraham's true wife is not Haga, the servant girl below, but Sarah, the free woman above. Therefore, those who belong to the lower church are slaves to sin, and those who belong to the upper church are the sons of the free woman, so there is truly freedom.
If Christ, the head, is a spirit, then his body is also a spirit. Therefore, the church is spirit and life. It is the same as saying, “He who is united to the Lord is one spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17). Therefore, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
There is no church of Christ on this earth. This is because he said, "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to me..." (John 12:32) The body attached to him, the church, is built up from above, so the glorious church invisible to the eyes of those who are of the world. is.
It is written, “One of the seven angels, who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And I saw the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from Esau, where it had the glory of God, and its light was like a most precious gem, as clear as jasper and crystal” (Revelation 21:9-11), the bride of the Lamb, the spiritual church is Jerusalem above, which is not of the world. Therefore, unless one is born again from above, he neither knows nor can see the bride of the Lamb.
The church is the eternal dwelling place of God. The church above, the holy city, New Jerusalem, is the house of God, where he will dwell forever with his many children who are sanctified. It is like it is written, “If I delay, that you may know how to walk in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The house of God is not built by men who are seen, but is built with Christ in the elect.
Regarding the house of God, the Bible says, “Come to Jesus, a living stone rejected by men, but chosen and precious by God, that you also, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. You shall become a holy priesthood to offer sacrifices, as it is written in the scriptures, "Behold, I lay in Zion a corner stone, chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame..." (1 Peter 2:4-6). “You also are being built together in Jesus to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22)
is testifying.
The house of God is not built with dead stones (physical), but only with living stones (spiritual). The house of God is built by those who are not in the flesh but in the spirit. As it is written, “God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living; to God all men live…” (Luke 20:38).
There is no permanent city in this world. Therefore, the visible church in the world today is not the true church. For what is seen is temporary and what is not seen is eternal.
Already, the true church is the Jerusalem above, and it is still being built. Until this eternal New Jerusalem is completed, God is waiting for the number set in Christ to be fulfilled.
The eternal Moderator of this glorious church is our God, our Father. Also, the eternal President of the session is our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, thank you. We are now eternal members of this church. The chief elder of this glorious church is Abraham, the father of our faith. Also, the offices of this church are a cloud of witnesses surrounding us.
Now, all members of this church are the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the house of God. Therefore, our church is not a church of the world, but a true tabernacle in heaven where only those born from above can see and enter.
Therefore, it is written, “...the place you have come to is Mount Zion, and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and ten thousand and ten thousand angels, and the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are recorded in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect. and Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and the blood sprinkled on it that speaks better than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22-24). “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.” Amen
When the last Eve, the body of the last Adam, and the glorious church are all completed, God's eternal rest will come.
little brother kim yoon-goo