It was at Pentecost that both the “Body of Christ” and the “House of God” began. The one hundred and twenty disciples were, by one Spirit, baptized into one body, and thus united to Christ, the Head, on high. At the same moment they became the habitation of God through the Holy Spirit taking up His abode in them. He is here now dwelling in each individual believer, and in the assembly as a whole, and will be till the Lord comes and gathers up all His saints to be with Him in glory. Precious privilege! Would that all God’s people knew and enjoyed it.
It was the testimony of those already saved and sealed by the Spirit that now reaches others, and the giving of the Holy Spirit to all who believe, adds them to the body already formed.
To the disciples is committed their reception into the house of God, baptism being the rite used to indicate their reception into the assembly on earth. Men are the builders. This is seen in 1 Corinthians 3:10. “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”
The foundation is one, there is no other. It is Jesus Christ, yet on this foundation may be built a mixture of materials, which will not stand the test of fire that is to try it. Here men are the builders (verse 12), and it is a fact that cannot be denied, that whatever in Scripture was committed into man’s hands was soon corrupted. So it has been in the assembly also. There is no fear that God will fail to carry out His purpose to give His Son a body and a bride to share His place in glory, but we have to own the ruin man has brought into the assembly on earth.
In Acts 8, Simon, the sorcerer, was brought in, yet Peter and John declare that he is still a slave to sin.
In Acts 20:29, 30, Paul warns the elders of what is sure to come: there were grievous wolves to enter in among them, not sparing the flock, and these were surely not children of God. In verse 30, “of your own selves,” and here we find they were children of God, but not walking according to the truth that there is one body, for they speak perverse things to gather disciples around themselves. They do not walk in the unity of the Spirit, else they would gather the disciples around the Lord as members of His body.
In 1 Corinthians 3:14, 15, 17, there are three samples of builders. One is building in accord with the great Architect’s plan, and he is rewarded. One is a saved man, but his building is not approved. One is a wicked man, he and his work are destroyed, yet it is all under the name of Christ. The wicked man is responsible for his work, and what is done is recognized by God, though not approved of. The unsaved that have the name of Christ upon them (Gal 3:27) will not be judged as Jews or Gentiles, but as the professing assembly of God (1 Cor. 10:32). Israel brought out of Egypt forms an illustration of the professing assembly (1 Cor. 10:1-12). False apostles are seen in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. Some made the Apostle weep in Philippians 3:18, 19.
In 1 Timothy 3:15, there are instructions about how to set things right in the assembly, and chapter 4:1-3, also tells what is coming. In 2 Timothy the ruined state has come, and is growing worse (3:13).
With all this manifestation of departure from the truth, we must see for our comfort and blessing that God’s purposes and counsels cannot change. Ephesians gives us their unfoldings, and we look on to see the assembly in glory as the body and bride of Christ, and as the dwelling place of God.
“Unto Him be glory in the Assembly by Christ Jesus, world without end, Amen.” Ephesians 3:21.
One can see how the broken and scattered state of the assembly hinders the blessing of God’s people, but the Holy Spirit has not departed. He is here to bless and to guide and to help all the Lord’s people who look to the Lord for it, that they might be taught of Him.
The Lord in His Word views all believers as members of His body, united to Himself, the glorified Man, their living Head in heaven. The Holy Spirit has united them to Him and to each other. From Pentecost till the Lord comes (1 Thess. 4), it is ever true, that here on earth, there is one body (Eph. 4:4). Faith will take up what God says to walk according to it, looking on all believers as members of that one body. They believe the gospel of their salvation, they were sealed with the Spirit, and thus added to it. It is now their privilege to walk in the unity which the Spirit has formed, and to gather together unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, where His presence can be enjoyed, even if only two or three (Matt. 18:20). To encourage us, the Lord has given us the smallest possible number to form an assembly. 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17, tells us it is the basis of our central act of worship, redeemed by the blood, and united by the Spirit. The cup is the communion of the blood of Christ, and the one bread (loaf) is the communion of the body of Christ.
It is the provision the Lord made; obedience to it sets aside all divisions and gives us the divine ground of gathering. The Holy Spirit will not gather the members, except to Christ. He is the only center that God can own. This is the original ground as given in the Word of God. Efforts of men to make a union that will embrace all Christians, are futile; the only way is to own the union that God has made. He could say to some, “Thou hast kept My Word, and has not denied My Name.”
The assembly is the pearl of great price for which the Merchantman sold all He had and bought it (Matt. 13:45, 46). Christ also loved the assembly and gave Himself for it (Eph. 5:25-27). There we find His love for it so great that it led Him to die. “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.” There is His present service toward it, gathering out and fitting it for Himself, that He might present it to Himself a glorious assembly, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Will it not please our Lord, therefore, if we are found in the current of His thoughts, counting dear to us what is dear to Him?
In Ephesians 4:8-16, we find that same love making provision by giving gifts unto men, and that is ministry. It comes from Christ in glory, as the Head, caring for the members, and leading them to care for each other. It is given “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Verses 15, 16 describe the healthy action of the members holding the Head.
As the dwelling place of God the Spirit on the earth, we are “builded together,” “and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (of the New Testament) Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” This looks on to the blessed result in glory. Fitly framed together shows the divine workmanship. “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Here the household of God is builded together as His dwelling place, and looked at in its normal condition, taking no account of the scattered condition, and our faith is to take it in as our privilege now, that He dwells with us, as well as in us (John 14:17), going on with His faithful service to all true believers wherever they will give heed to His ways and teachings of the Scriptures. Since the Holy Spirit has come, it should be easily understood that we cannot pray for Him to come, He, dwelling in us, helps us in prayer. If we grieve or quench the Spirit, He does not leave us, but we deprive ourselves of the comfort of His services. To grieve the Holy Spirit is in our walk and ways generally. To quench the Spirit is more in the assembly, or with each other, as it is followed by “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thess. 5:19-21). Both hearer and speaker are exhorted in this way.
1 Timothy 3:15, Paul wrote, “but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” We cannot get the assembly together now as it once was when this was written to Timothy, but the same truth applies to the two or three that are gathered to His name, not claiming that they are the assembly of God, but caring to see that the Lord’s honor is cared for, both in the doctrines they hold, and in their walk. Holiness becomes God’s house forever. Evil persistently allowed destroys the claim of any to be on the ground of God’s assembly.
Where the will is subdued, and the ear is open to hear of Christ, and to keep His Word, the Holy Spirit delights to minister to such, whatever part of the great profession of Christianity they may be in, still God carries on His work.