The church life as a mysterious God-man living of the resurrected people is seen in a seed form in Genesis 8 after Noah and his family got out of the ark, and is also seen in picture in the gospel of John.
In chapters 2 and 12 we see that in the church life Christ is changing death into life (by changing water into wine, see John 2:1-22) and all the saints feast in the Lord’s presence, functioning in their measure to serve, testify, and love the Lord (as seen in John 12:1-11).
Today in the church life the Lord Jesus is continually changing death into life, not caring so much about our outward behavior or the improving of our character but focusing on making sure we enjoy His life, live by His life, and express His life.
Christ is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25) to swallow up any death in our being and in the church life, so that we all would live in the resurrection life of Christ (which is the life that passes through death and still lives).
Also, the church is a covenant church – just as God covenanted to Noah, his family, and the animals that He will never destroy the earth by water, so God has covenanted Himself to us to be our all-inclusive portion and supply for all our Christian life and church life.
Today we in the church life do not look at failures, weaknesses, defeats, or negative things, but we stand on all the promises in God’s word, which meet all our needs and fit every situation! Hallelujah for the church life, where Christ is everything to us in a covenanted way!
A Picture of the Church Life in Resurrection – as Seen in the Gospel of John
In the Gospel of John the Lord Jesus did many signs and said many things that all have something in common: they emphasize life, and they focus on changing any death into life. In the church life the Lord Jesus changes death into life, since all the believers in Christ are beings in resurrection, living in the resurrection life of Christ.
Our living as Christians is a matter of changing death into life for the building up of the Body of Christ (as seen in John 2). This means that a proper, genuine, and complete Christian life is the changing of death into life for the building up of the church, the Body of Christ.
We shouldn’t focus on being better, acting more kindly, being more polite, serving more, or improving our behavior. Our only focus in the church life is LIFE, the divine life, and being in the Lord’s presence to enjoy Him and have any death (psychological death, spiritual death, and even physical death) changed into life!
If we look at John 12:1-11 we see a miniature of the church life in the house in Bethany. There we have the Lord Jesus speaking, the disciples listening, Mary loving the Lord and absorbing His words, Lazarus testifying of the resurrection life, and Martha serving. They all represent the different kinds of saints in the church life: some are very busy serving, others simply love the Lord and listen at His feet, while others testify of the Lord’s resurrection life operating in them.
All the saints, no matter the function, enjoy the Lord, are in His presence, and feast with Him. How wonderful! Maybe Martha is a bit jealous that Mary doesn’t help her, but the Lord is not upset: He simply speaks, and His speaking brings in peace.
We cannot have the church life without people like Martha, those who serve the Lord – but in resurrection. Also, we cannot have the church life without people like Mary, those who love the Lord and are open to His speaking all the time. People like Lazarus are very necessary in the church life, those who enjoy Christ’s resurrection life operating in them and simply testify of this.
As seen in Matthew 25, we all are both Martha (faithful servants using our talents for the Lord’s interest), and Mary (virgins loving the Lord and waiting for His return), and Lazarus (persons in resurrection).
The focus, though, is not on the things the saints do but on the Lord Jesus Himself. The Lord Jesus is the immense magnet, drawing us all to Himself and causing us to enjoy Him. All that the saints do – as seen in John 12 – is feast with the Lord and enjoy Him in His presence for God’s satisfaction. Hallelujah for the church life!
We are Covenanted People Living in the Church of the Covenant
In Gen. 9:12-13 we see that God made a covenant with Noah, his family, and all the animals with them, that He will no longer destroy the earth by water; the sign of His covenant was the rainbow in the heavens, His “bow”.
In the same way, in Christ’s resurrection we the believers are covenanted people. In the church life we live under God’s covenant, God’s New Testament, enacted in the Lord’s death and resurrection and sealed with His blood. God Himself has covenanted all that He is to us.
In the whole Bible there are hundreds of verses where God is promising us so many things. God is “binding Himself” to do so many things for us if we believe to Him, are one with Him, and stand on His word.
We shouldn’t believe in our failures (though we may fail again and again), our weaknesses (though we know how weak we are), or any negative things (there are so many negative things in us and around us) – we are covenanted people! We have a verse in the Bible to meet every situation!
Our Christian life and our church life are a covenant life – whether “God feels like it or not”, when we claim God’s promises, He makes them real to us! The church life is a life under God’s covenant, and we are called “the church of the covenant” (see Heb. 13:20-21). Hallelujah! And here are some of the hundreds of promises the Lord makes to us in His word:
- Lam. 3:22-23 – Because of God’s lovingkindness, we are not consumed, and His compassions do not fail – they are new every morning! Oh, great is God’s faithfulness! Every morning we can have a new beginning, enjoying God’s new mercies and compassions.
- Rom. 8:1 – there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Wow! As long as we are in Christ Jesus (which we are), there’s no condemnation! Satan is a liar. We overcome Satan because of the blood of the Lamb, which covers us and is our stand!
- 2 Cor. 12:9 – God’s grace is sufficient for us. No matter the suffering, the pain, or the weakness – God’s power is perfected in our weakness. We just need to enjoy the Lord by turning to Him in our sufferings, problems, weaknesses, pains, etc, and He will give us more grace to meet the need. He promises us!
- 2 Tim. 1:10 – Christ nullified death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel. Right now corruption and death may be operating in us, but when we are in Christ, death and corruption are finished! Eventually, He will swallow up any death in us and transfigure us in His life to be the same as He is! This is the gospel, this is the good news!
- 2 Tim. 2:1 – we are empowered in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. God wants to empower us – we simply need to enjoy the Lord as grace! When we enjoy the Lord, He as grace will strengthen us, empower us, reign in us, and even will cause us to reign in life (Rom. 5:17).
- 1 John 1:9 – if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous not only to forgive us our sins, but also to cleans us of any unrighteousness. Even more: when God forgives, He automatically forgets. This is His promise. We confess, He forgives and forgets! If we try to re-confess something, God doesn’t even have a recollection of that sin!
- 1 Cor. 1:9 – God is faithful, and He has called us into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We may not be faithful, but God is. He is faithful to continually call us into the fellowship, the enjoyment, the participation into His Son, the wonderful Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to His call. Come into the fellowship!
- Matt. 28:20 – Christ has promised that, even though He’s not physically present with us today, He is with us until the consummation of the age. We can enjoy His invisible presence by faith, contacting Him, enjoying Him, and being in His sweet presence. No matter where we are, He is with us. Christ is Emmanuel, God with us all the time!
- 1 Tim. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:22 – the Lord is with our spirit: grace is with us! The Lord Jesus Christ Himself in resurrection is with our spirit right now, even one spirit with us! Grace is with us – amen!
… and there are many other hundreds of promises in the New Testament for us, through which God is giving more of Himself to us to meet all our needs for the building up of the church, the Body of Christ!
What are the Promises of God that You (the reader) Enjoyed Recently? – Write them in the Comments!
Hallelujah, we are covenanted people living in the church of the covenant under God’s continual blessing! Hallelujah for such a wonderful church life!
Thank You Lord for Your presence with us. Thank You for all the promises You gave us. Thank You for the covenant You made with us, through which You keep giving us more of Yourself in so many ways to meet all our needs and situations. Lord, we love You and we sit at Your feet to listen to Your words! We want to serve You in resurrection. We want to let Your resurrection life operate in us so that we may become a testimony to Your resurrection life. Keep us enjoying You with all the saints in resurrection in the church life!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration (besides the Word of God and my Christian experience): bro. Ron Kangas’ speaking in this message and portions from, The Fulfillment of the Tabernacle and the Offerings in the Writings of John (chs. 5, 31), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on the Crystallization Study of Genesis (1), week / msg 12, A Seed of the Church Life and a Shadow of the Kingdom.
- Hymns on this topic:
# It is by this blood of worth / The new testament was made; / For this better covenant, / ’Tis a sure foundation laid. / We have been redeemed by God, / Not with silver or with gold, / But, Lord, with Thy precious blood, / Which Thy love doth e’er unfold.
# We love the church life, eating, / drinking, breathing Jesus. / We love the church life, taking / in God’s Word. / We love to hear those “O Lord, / Amen, Hallelujahs!“ / We love the church life, feasting / with the Lord.
# Lord there’s none in heav’n nor on earth / That I desire but Thee. / Though my heart and flesh faileth, Lord, / Thou ever my portion will be.
# In the church of Jesus there is life for you, / Warm as summer sunshine, sweet as morning dew; / Why should you be fearful, why take anxious thought, / Since the church of Jesus cares for those He bought?
