Who are we as a Church of Jesus Christ?

childofGod31 · #1 8th September 2009, 09:35 PM

Who we are as a Church of Jesus Christ

God the Father - Great powerful mighty Creator of the whole universe. The One who created our earth and everything in it. The Judge of all humankind. Who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, Whom no one has seen or can see. 1TI 6:16
He is the Alpha and the Omega. Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty." REV 1:8
In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him. O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. PSA 89:7,8
You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry? From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet PSA 76:7,8
Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed Him as His counselor? ISA 40:13
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. PSA 139:17,18
He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing…The LORD is the everlasting God. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. ISA 40:26 -28
I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King. ISA 43:15
No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" ISA 43:13
I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done Rev 22:12
Prepare to meet your God! AMO 4:12

Jesus Christ Beloved and only begotten Son of the Living God. To Whom God the Father said: Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
The Son was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
God the Father has seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

MAT 17:5 1 John 4:9 PSA 2:8 DAN 7:14 Eph 1:20-21 PHI 2:9

The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One. "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in his wrath. Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way. PSA 2

You have granted Him the desire of His heart and have not withheld the request of His lips. You placed a crown of pure gold on His head. You have bestowed on Him splendor and majesty. For the King trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High He will not be shaken. Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind.
Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might. PSA 21

CHURCH This word means “assembly” and it also means “belonging to the Lord”. So church is the assembly (of people) belonging to the Lord. Even though “church” includes both male and female people, God is comparing His Church to a woman. As though He is a man and she is a woman. To show the kind of relationship that God has with His Church.

Church is – the favorite and beloved of God, His daughter and He is guarding her and watching over her.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God 1JO 5:1
the Father himself loves you because you have loved me…. You have loved them even as you have loved me.
JOH 16:27 JOH 17:23
Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders. (in His bosom) DEU 33:12
"They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. MAL 3:17 ,18
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty… He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. PSA 91:1-4
I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. ISA 27:3

The Bride of Jesus Christ, for whom He gave His life and with whom He is deeply in love.

For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. REV 19:7
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. Rev 21:9
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her EPH 5:25
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. 1JO 3:16

Shining like the sun, amazingly beautiful

ISA 62:3-5 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD'S hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God…for the LORD will take delight in you…as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.
SON 1:8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks of the sheep
SON 7:6 How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights!
DAN 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
SON 6:10,9 Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? ….my dove, my perfect one, is unique…The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her.

Perfect, immortal, divine, will be one with God the Father and Jesus Christ

HEB 10:14 because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
1CO 15:53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
2PE 1:4 you may participate in the divine nature.
JOH 17:21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. …I in them and you in me.
EPH 5:31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Church is the body of Christ and it completes Him. Together, they are ONE (body).

EPH 1:22 And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills everything in every way.

Church is the future queen of the whole Earth, destined to rule on the throne together with King Jesus.

REV 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.

PSA 45:9-17 at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. 10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. 11 The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord… In embroidered garments she is led to the King… they enter the palace of the King. Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

REV 5:9 with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."

REV 11:15 The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever.
to be continued...

childofGod31 · #2 8th September 2009, 09:35 PM

continuation:
In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve – first creation. First creation fell into sin, just like a pot which became marred in the potter’s hands. Our sins separated us from God. Isa 59:2, Сol 1:21 And the people who are born are according to the image of Adam, and are born sinful.
JER 18:4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

1CO 15:49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

But then, God created a new creation, IN Christ Jesus. (A new creation which becomes one with Jesus Christ living in them, thus – in Christ Jesus.)

2CO 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
There is a song called Together as One. It talks about all the things I mentioned. New creation, One with Christ. The shining ones. Doing away with the old (nature) and bringing in the new (new creation).

Now is the time That we stand together as one
A new life inside us will shine as bright as the sun
Let's bring in the new And do away with the old
A new love a new love that's true
Together as one we'll stand for the world to see
Together as one we'll shine throughout eternity
All the dreams we dreamed before are now reality
You and I in a perfect love faithfully

EPH 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

ISA 43:19,21 See, I am doing a new thing!... the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

EPH 2:15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two
(In Himself, In Christ Jesus, a new man was created – a born again man, a new creation, born of God (no more Jews or Gentiles, but a new creation).

Church is the new creation. These are people born of God, born of the Spirit, born of the imperishable seed. 1 Pet 1:23 These are the people in whose hearts God has sown the seed of Jesus Christ. And when this seed matures, it will bring the fruit – the image of Jesus Christ in a born again person. This God has predetermined from the beginning.

ROM 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
The people according to the image of Adam live in sin. The people according to the image of Jesus Christ, live in holiness.
1CO 15:49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.
1PE 1:15-16 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
1JO 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

In the old testament God has been revealing Himself to people through the chosen nation, Israelites. He also has brought forth salvation and a Savior through this chosen nation. But in the new testament, He is bringing salvation to the world through the church. Church is a group of people whom God set apart for Himself, separated from the world, washed in the blood of Christ and the Word of God, sanctified through the Spirit and came to live in them. So the church is the temple of God where He lives by His Spirit. (Eph 2:19-22)

Church are the priests of God, together with Jesus Christ. Jesus is interceding for the church before God. And the church is interceding before God for the world. Jesus Christ was a messenger of God and brought the good news of salvation to the Jews. And now the church is spreading the good news to all the people of the world. (Eph 3:10) Church is the light of the world. (Mat 5:14) Church has the power to step on the powers of darkness and to live a victorious life over flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit. Church will be priests of God in the future as well. Church will judge the angels.

1PE 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1CO 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
REV 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.
REV 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
REV 22:4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

Church are the people who are the citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20) and aliens on this earth (1 Pet 2:11)
They are not of this world. They are totally devoted to God (Rev 14:4, Jh 10:27). They turned away from the world (Мат 10:38,39 Jam 4:4,5 1 John 2:15 2 Cor 6:17) and now live for God and not for themselves anymore. (Rom 12:1 1Pet 4:2 Gal 2:20). They live as children of the light (Eph 5:8,11) and do the will of God. (Мat 7:23 Rom12:2) God is their inheritance and their portion. Levites were priests. Spiritually, Levites represent the Church.

EZE 44:28 "'I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.

Church is the body of Christ. Different members have different functions, and have different gifts of the Holy Spirit for the edification and building up of the church. And for giving birth to spiritual children. (Еph 4:11-13,16, 29 1 Cor 12, 1 Cor 14:12, 1 Thes 5:11, Rom 15:2)

Church are the people who love each other, love God, love their neighbor and take the love out into the world and even to their enemies. (John 13:34,35 Lk 10:27 Rom 13:9,10 1 John 3:12-16 Мat 5:43-48)

When the Israelites went out of Egypt, they went into the wilderness. The church is expected to go into the spiritual wilderness of rejecting the world and rejecting self. Just like Israelites were fed only by manna, so the church is expected only to eat the Word of God. (and spiritual stuff). Song of Son 8:5 says that the bride was coming out of the wilderness leaning on her beloved. Hos 2:14 says that God will speak tenderly to the bride in the wilderness. So in the wilderness, the church gets to know God in a very close and personal way, gets strengthened and matured.