A regular reader of this Two Edges of the Sword blog sent me an enthusiastic
note of approval after reading a recent posting. However, she concluded her note with this question: “But where is the Holy Spirit in all this?”
I dropped a note back to her, reminding her that the Sword of the Word of God always has two edges. There is the first edge, the Law edge, that tells us what we must do to please God. The second edge is the Gospel edge, which tells us what God did at the cross because we are total failures at doing what the Law told us we must do! In that posting we were working on the Law edge.
However, we are also learning how both edges function together: “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The holy, righteous LAW OF GOD (given to Moses), that we cannot keep, was combined with the limitless GRACE OF GOD, poured out on us at the cross, producing the TRUTH OF GOD, that sets us totally free (John 8:32)!
This is so exciting! It means that we are free from ever having to try to do something we can’t do (keep the law) to please God. Instead, God’s Holy Spirit is living that life of keeping the Law of God—THROUGH ME (Galatians 2:20), as I simply trust Him to do so! I now see that every Mosaic Law is a PROMISE of what He will do in me (Philippians 2:13; Romans 8:4))! Hallelujah! Do it, Lord, just as you promise!
Once we see this truth, we are ready to be equipped by the church for the task for which God created us—to rule over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). It is the church’s job to do that. As we learn to see the Law of God, energized by the Grace of God resulting in the Truth of God, we will find ourselves naturally, spontaneously, and unconsciously (NSU) “attacking the Gates of Hell” (Matthew 16:18)! Behind those gates, many ignorant church-goers are trapped by satanic deception.
What a set-up! The stage is set perfectly for the church to come riding to the rescue. Jesus told us to pray to our Heavenly Father: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). At Pentecost, the church was born, whose job is to get us all ready (NSU) to be vital participants in answering the Lord’s Prayer.
Here’s how the church equips us “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
Yes, the primary purpose of the church and all the ministry-gifted people in it, is to EQUIP THE SAINTS, not to have big crowds, or a growing mega-church with all the bells and whistles to attracted church-goers!,
How is this equipping in Ephesians 4:11-13 accomplished?
1. As one of God’s people, I realize I am like a “little child:” “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). I only know what Daddy (my Abba Father) has told me, in my heart—ginosko (experiential) knowledge.
2. As God’s little child, I will “walk in the light” with my fellow believers (1 John 1:7). I will readily and openly confess my sins to them, and they to me: “So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed” (James 5:16).
3. As God’s family, we will rejoice together that all those sins we confessed together are forgiven, even before we confessed them! Our eager confession is simply proof that we realize this to be true! “If we say that we have no sin (‘It’s not my fault’), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (evidence that I am not yet awakened to the gospel). (But) “If we confess our sins (evidence that I realize) He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8, 9).
4. Finally, when God’s little children meet together, we each come with a contribution. Church is NEVER OBSERVATIONAL ONLY; it is ALWAYS PARTICIPATORY, with every member making a contribution, even the least recognized: “Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary…But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:22, 24. 25)
So, the New Testament church gathering looks like this: “Whenever you come together, EACH OF YOU has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26).
This church is not striving to grow, to be famous, or to advance the careers of its leaders. Its desire is to be what we think GOD HAS SHOWN US a New Testament church is like, as I have described here.
