The Latter Rain...
Salvation comes from God, whom the Bible calls as the Living God and Savior. God is employing a human being in order for His will to be fulfilled ... and that is the salvation of man.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will bring two kinds of salvation, through the Bible. At the time He assumed human form, He saved Israel from its sinfulness. That is written in Matthew 1:21, which says-
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."
However, when He comes again, for the second time, He will bring salvation to the faithful. And, the Bible is teaching us how we can become one among those people that our Lord Jesus Christ will save come judgment day. The first verse that we have to pay attention to is Ephesians 3:6, which says-
"That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel."
St. Paul, the Apostle, said, "The Gentiles should be fellow heirs." But before we continue analyzing this verse, let us find out from the Bible: who are called "Gentiles" and why are they also called "heirs?" In Ephesians 2:11-12, this is what is written--
"Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."
In those lines, St. Paul reminds the Christians in Ephesus of their former conditions. According to the Bible, during those times, "they were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel." Therefore, Biblically speaking, the Gentiles are those who were apart from Christ. They were "strangers from the covenants of promise," ... they were the hopeless, and they were without a God in the world because they were not part of Israel. And we, who live at the present time, may also be called Gentiles if we will use the Bible as our basis.
According to St. Paul, for the Gentiles to be a part of the salvation that comes from our Lord Jesus Christ, they have to be made parts first of the body; and only after that will they become partakers of a promise in Christ by the Gospel.
You will notice that St. Paul made reference to a "body" ... a body into which the Gentiles must integrate themselves so that they also become heirs. The explanation to that may be read in Colossians 1:18-
"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."
Therefore, the body whose head is Christ is the CHURCH. At this point, we must understand that the Gentiles, like us, must join the body, or the Church. And when we say that we must join the Church, it means that we no longer have to build any. We no longer have to establish our own church just for us to become partakers of a promise in Christ.
And whenever we say "join," or be a part of the body, of the Church, it denotes that, there is already an existing Church. In fact, this Church already exists even before the promise of salvation was given to the Gentiles. There is an existing Church even before Paul was made apostle. And this was the same Church that our Lord Jesus Christ taught, when he assumed human form. ... And there can never be another church.
Today, there are preachers who claim that another church had appeared in the Philippines. And according to them, this church was different from the one in Israel. If this is the case, it would appear that, despite the fact that there was already a church in Israel, another church appeared in the Philippines. As far as the Bible is concerned, such a belief is wrong because, according to St. Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, in 4:4-
"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling."
There is just one body ... there is no other body. And the proof that there is only one body can be read in Colossians 3:15-
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which ye are called in one body; and ye be thankful."
Here, St. Paul is addressing the brethren who, in the beginning were Gentiles, but were eventually called to one body. In other words, the body that the early Christians (the Israelites) made themselves a part of, is also the same body, or church, into which the Gentiles were being called upon to join. Now, if the Gentiles will just integrate themselves to the body, then, the Church will remain ONE.
It is against the teachings of God, and of the Holy Scripture, that other churches is built in other places, let's say in the US, or in England, or in Germany, or in Rome. They also claim that another church had also been founded in the Philippines. The truth is, God did not give any right to anybody to build his own church. It is indeed disgusting that today, a lot of ministers build churches of their own. They deliberately oppose and defy what the Bible said - that, the Gentiles, like us, must join or make ourselves a part of the body, or the Church, for us to be saved.
And what is the reason why we must abide by it? It is because, as far as God is concerned, He did not give anybody His consent to build a church right now in our time. This is what Psalms 127:1 says-
"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that built it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."
The verse mentioned of a "house," which becomes useless if it is not built by the Lord. Let us now ask the Bible. What is being referred to as the "house," which only God has the right to build? In I Timothy 3:15, it says-
"But if I tarry long , that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."
If you have noticed, in the New Testament, the word house refers to the Church of God. This is, truly, the house of God because it was built by God, Himself. That is why, if, in our time, you come across churches, whose founders are also their ministers, you can be sure that they are NOT REAL!
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