AMAZING GRACE

      "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that the ones having believed in God should be careful to maintain GOOD WORKS. These things are good and profitable to men," Tim 3:8.

      Which kind of works are "GOOD WORKS?" Are they man's works or God's works? If they are God's works God will accept them, but if they were man's works they would be flesh works and God will in no wise accept them.
      If they were man's works which are flesh works and therefore works which God will NOT accept, the Scriptures would not call them "GOOD WORKS" but BAD WORKS, and would therefore NOT urge us to affirm constantly that we should be careful to maintain such works?
      Read the following scriptures and observe how highly commended these GOOD WORKS are: Mt 5:16; 26:10; Mk 14:6; Rom 13:3; II Cor 9:8; Eph 2:10; Phil 1:6; Col 1:10; I Tim 2:10; 3:1; 5:10; 5:25; 6:18; II Tim 2:21; 3:17; Titus 1:16; 2:7,14; 3:1,8,14; Heb 10:24; 13:2; I Pet 2:12.
      Since God is not pleased for us to walk in the flesh and perform flesh works (Gal 5:16-26), these GOOD WORKS are clearly God's works which are worked in us by the Holy Spirit, Phil 2:12-13.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand that we should WALK in them," Eph 2:10.

      There is only "ONE BODY," and that "ONE BODY" is the physical body of Christ together with the church which is metaphorically called the physical body of Christ, I Cor 12. When we refer to the church as the body of Christ, we are using a metaphor, a figure of speech, since the church is not really the body of Christ.
      Four times the church is specifically called the body of Christ in Col 1:18,24; Eph 1:22-23; 5:29-32, and four more times in the analogy given in Eph 5:22-33.
      Since there is only "ONE BODY," (Eph 4:4) it is obvious when such expressions as "one body," "the body of Christ," "His body," etc., are used metaphorically, the expressions are referring to the church as the physical body of Christ, Ro 12:5-6.
      The expressions, "in Christ," "in Christ Jesus," "in Him," "in whom," etc., likewise refer to the church as the body of Christ.
      Baptism is metaphorically God's appointed entrance, access, or door into the body of Christ (I Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27), therefore baptism is God's appointed entrance, access, or door into Christ. This is so because the church is also metaphorically called Christ as well as being called the body of Christ, Rom 6:3-6; I Cor 6:15-17; 12:12 (12-27); Gal 3:27; Rom 13:14; Eph 4:15-16; Col 2:11-17,19; Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15.
      Be sure to read and study these passages over and over to see how intimately God has joined the church to Christ, so that Christ, the church, and everyone in the church are addressed as "one body," "one flesh," one entity, as one person.
      As Saul was persecuting the church, Jesus said, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me.....I am Jesus whom you are persecuting," Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15.
      The bread in the Lord's Supper also represents the church both as Christ AND as the flesh body of Christ. Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, brake it, and told the church to eat it for it represented His flesh body from which His blood flowed, Mt 26:26; I Cor 11:24.
      Then Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in the generic sense, as he often did, saying: "For we, being many (many members in one church), are one bread, even one body (one flesh body of Christ); for we all partake of that one bread" (the flesh body of Christ), I Cor 10:18. Here the bread represents the local church as the flesh body of Christ.
      The bread in the Lord's Supper represents the flesh body of Christ, while the fruit of the vine represents the blood that flowed from the flesh body of Christ.
      The body of Christ is now glorified, and the glorified body is neither male or female, (Gal 3:28; Lk 20:34-36. The church is metaphorically called "the body of Christ," and as such our bodies are reckoned to be (metaphorically referred to as) glorified members of the glorified body of Christ (I Cor 5:7; Rom 6:4; 7:6; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10; et al), which is neither male or female, Gal 3:28; Lk 20:34-36.
      The church is called the bride of Christ, which means the church is called "one body" and "one flesh" with Christ, Eph 5:22-33; I Cor 6:15-17.
      Since we are no longer to know Christ after the flesh man but after the new man (II Cor 5:16-17), the church is, therefore, to be considered the glorified body of Christ, and the members of the church as glorified members of the glorified Christ. This is a large, scripture filled, and beautiful subject.
      In baptism we symbolically "PUT ON CHRIST" (Ga 3:27), as we put on clothing or a uniform. This means that in baptism we dress ourselves up "in Christ." Our body is called a "house," a "building," and "clothing" that we put on over our spirit -- "we are at home (in our own house) in the body," II Co 5:1-9.
      The church is metaphorically called the physical (but glorified) body of Christ, and the members of the church are therefore also metaphorically called the members of the glorified flesh body of Christ, I Cor 12:12-27; 10:17; Rom 12:4-5; Eph 1:22-23; 4:15-16; 5:28-32; Col 1:18,24; 2:9-19.
      God has thus joined the church to Christ in a union that is designed to exemplify the epitome, the zenith, the acme, the ultimate of oneness with Christ. In this same act God joined the members of the church to Christ in a union that is the ultimate of oneness with Christ.
      Being thus joined to Christ, the covenant people are (will be) joined to the Father in a union or oneness so exceedingly wonderful it transcends human comprehension -- as the love of Christ (of God) "passeth knowledge," Eph 3:19.
      We can know the love of God and of Christ, but we cannot exhaust the knowledge and experience of that love. God's love is infinite. An endless eternity will forever experience a fresh and increasing flow of its beauty, energy, and the enriching efficacy of its quality, Eph 3:19.
      We are created "in Christ Jesus unto GOOD WORKS," Ep 2:10. Since whatever is NOT of faith is sin (Ro 14:23), then whatever IS of faith is good. GOOD WORKS are "God's works" which are "grace works." Faith works, grace works, the Holy Spirit's works, and God's works are all GOOD WORKS. These are all one and the same good works.
      Conversely, man's works, our works, flesh works, Law works, and dead works are also one and the same and are all unacceptable to God.
      We are created IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS that we should WALK IN THEM. However, we cannot WALK in good works OUTSIDE the body of Christ, Lk 7:29-30; Col 2:11-12; I Jno 1:5-7. Furthermore, we cannot walk in good works BEFORE baptism, for there are no good works placed BEFORE baptism for us to WALK IN.
      God Himself ordained that scriptural water baptism bring us into the body of Christ, therefore into Christ, Rom 6:3-6; I Cor 12:12-13-27; Gal 3:27-29; Col 2:9-17. Remember, baptism is BY FAITH, and is therefore BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.
      A later study will cover the "in Christ" and "body of Christ" subjects. These subjects are extremely important, especially since the traditional teaching about them leads swiftly into the universal invisible church theory and its practices.