SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH 2023
CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22).
Christ and the Church are one. He is the head and we, the Church are His body. We're inextricably one with Him. In Acts 9:3-5, for example, we have a clear reference of the union of Christ and the Church in the dialogue between the Lord and Saul of Tarsus, who later became Paul.
That passage reads, "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:3-5).
Prior to his conversion, Saul wreaked havoc in the early Church and persecuted Christians everywhere, until he had an encounter with the Lord, who intercepted him and asked, "...Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me" (Act 9:4). An offence or evil committed against the Church is committed against Jesus Christ. The Lord takes it personal because we're of the same stock.
He's the vine, and we—the Church—are the branches. He's the head of the Church: "And he is the head of the body, the church..." (Colossians 1:18). The head and the body have the same name, authority and identity; together we're called Christ.
We've been baptized into the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:27 says, "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." The Church, which is the body, doesn't answer a name that's different from that of the head.
This is to help you see who you are, where you are, and what you have; you're one with Christ. When He was raised from the dead, you were raised up together with Him. Now that He's seated on the throne, you're seated together with Him in the place of dominion, glory and authority. Blessed be God!
PRAYER
Blessed Father, how awesome you are! Thank you for my inextricable oneness with Christ; thank you for bringing me into such sublime union and identity with the Monarch of the Universe. Now, I'm seated with Christ in the place of dominion, glory, and authority, where I reign and rule over circumstances and situations by the power of the Holy Ghost! Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Ephesians 5:29-30; For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we [being] many are one bread, [and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READING:
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Ephesians 1:15-2:1-10 & Isaiah 13-14
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Luke 24:40-53 & 2 Samuel 21-22
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