The Essential Nature of Growth and the Bride of Christ

In these last few days God has impressed upon me the absolute requirement of “spiritual growth” for all believers. While that principle was birthed in me from the very beginning and the first message I preached was from Heb 6:1-2, there is a renewed zeal to see the church everywhere advancing into the purpose of God, fulfill that purpose and bring joy to the heart of God. The underdeveloped state of the church in general surely has been a great concern for every true seeker after God. While the philosophers in the church are focused upon trying to prove that God exists, the greater plan of God for a perfected bride for Christ is severely neglected. If God’s only concern was to provide for a few to escape hell and make heaven their home, His greater desire for a perfected church would be optional. Unfortunately the perfected church without spot or wrinkle seems to be a very low priority in the church.

Everything in God’s creation is coming to full maturity and nature teaches us about God. In the realms of “Christian philosophy” there is no answer to why the universe was created or what is the real meaning to our life. Apart from the Bible itself there is no explanation available. Science surely has no clue as to what existence is all about. All seems to be an incomprehensible mystery except for the single source of the Bible. Even here multitudes have overlooked the real reasons given for creation. Probably if the real reasons were discovered the significance would be so revolutionary they would be rejected. Does the Creator God really desire to share His throne in heaven with fallen man and give man dominion over all the works of His hands? If it is true that “all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the saints of the highest one” what does that mean to modern society?

If God has designed such a tremendous destiny for man what are the requirements to fulfill that destiny? It is certain that God will not turn over His creation to fallen man or to devils. This is the primary reason why the church must come to perfection or full maturity. Full maturity means to the character, the attitudes and the disposition of Christ. To be conformed to His image and His likeness. To grow up in ALL things into Him.

The fact that God will not turn over His universe to fallen man points to the cross of Calvary as the pivotal point of all history, both past, present and future. Without Calvary there would be no possibility of man ever achieving to the throne of God. Redemption, reconciliation and perfection are requisite to the fulfillment of God’s plan for eternity. However, redemption and reconciliation are not sufficient without full growth, maturity or perfection. This is where the popular “gospel of grace” has fallen short and does not presents the demands of the Kingdom of God on the life of the believer. If God’s plan was just to save man from hell the gospel of grace would be sufficient but God’s plan is so much greater than saving us from hell. He is trying to prepare us to reign with Him throughout eternity.

From this short and simple explanation it is clear why the one foremost thing on God’s heart is the church coming to full maturity. My thesis is this; The believers lined up in rows on Sunday morning and listening to a message is not sufficient to prepare the church for her eternal destiny. The self-centered and selfish attitudes of the common believer is not compatible with the demands of the Kingdom of God or the character of Jesus Christ. As long as the church declares that God loves you just like you are, there will be little reason to change. This is why the gospel of the Kingdom must be preached in the whole world. This gospel demands that we change. Of course we are powerless to change but if we will ask we will receive because all the provision to change is inherent within the Kingdom. If we see no reason to change we will not ask, seek or knock.

For this reason I believe that the format of the Sunday morning meeting must be changed to include training at each level of spiritual growth. We have identified four levels of scriptural growth. (1) Babes (2) Children (3) Young Men (4) Fathers. Most all preaching and teaching is targeted upon the “children” stage of spiritual growth. Even this goes over the heads of the “babes” and is too complicated. This also prevents ministry to the “young men” and nothing is prepared for the “fathers”. This may be acceptable because the “fathers” should be able to feed themselves. The great problem is how do the “children” get to become “young men” and the “young men” get to become “fathers”?

The Sunday morning church “service” should be a training center to equip the saints to do the ministry. The church has become a place to house people and guarantee the status quo. It is the time we take up the collection and feed the ego of the “pastor”. The growth of the “young men” and the “fathers” will depend upon their becoming active “in the ministry”. If there is “only one minister” that will eliminate the Young Men and Fathers from coming to full maturity. The current system contributes to it’s own failure in equipping the saints. The Wednesday night meeting does nothing to equip the saints and even the cell group system fails to equip the saints to do the ministry.

For this reason the church has fallen to depending upon the Bible schools and seminaries to equip the saints, neglecting the very purpose of the church. Depending upon these “institutions” to do our work has been disappointing and the results have even been opposite our vision. Many have been indoctrinated with Christian philosophy and lost their faith in the TRUTH of God’s word. Many “institutions” are graduating spiritual children who are said to be “equipped” to lead the flock of God.

These are all far reaching and demanding statements but exactly what is the scriptural basis for such mystical theology? For many years I have tried to put all this into a clear teaching concerning God’s eternal purpose but each time I know I have fallen far short. Even though many know there is so much more to the Christian Life than just attending church and being faithful, few have been able to define what it means “to go on with God” or the exact reason why that is essential for God’s eternal purpose. I will try one more time to express what many feel but are not able to put into words.

I have approached this from church history, from the Tabernacle of Moses and from the example of the children of Israel coming out of Egypt to inherit the promised land. I have also tried to define it from the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. While all these things are helpful they fail to arrive at a complete conclusion to the absolute necessity of coming to full maturity. We have also seen that God’s eternal purpose cannot be defined outside of the New Jerusalem and the bride of Christ. I want to begin by restating many former truths that have been repeatedly preached.

I like to watch the History Channel because I have been keenly interested in the unfolding of historical events. I also have a great interest in church history to try to define how we arrived at this place in the fulfillment of God’s plan for man. However, knowing the past is no guarantee that we will understand the future. In fact it seems that all history is adjusted and then readjusted according to later events and facts. For example; The civil war is interpreted by later history and by it’s effects upon the country following the war. History has to be seen as it sits within the total events that follow. Nearly all history is interpreted from the viewpoint of politics and how certain political figures performed. For the Christian all that is irrelevant God is the One who is creating history. For that reason church history can only be accurately interpreted by the final outcome and conclusion. But you will say then how can we interpret church history in advance of the final conclusion? The answer is that we have a clear picture of the final conclusion of the church and can accurately predict how the church arrived at that divine place.

Prophesy is just “history written in advance of the facts”. Revelation 21 and 22 is history written in advance and pictures the church as the perfected wife of Christ. Revelation 19 is history written in advance and pictures the wedding feast of the Lamb and declares that the bride has made herself ready. Revelation 20 is the facts concerning the millennium written 2000 years ago. Revelation 5 to Revelation 19 is the facts concerning the political history of the world and proves that God is in control of all history. While these are eternal facts we should ask the question how does the church get from here to there?

The fact is that all Bible prophesy is focused upon this final recorded event of God’s eternal purpose, the perfected bride for Jesus Christ and the eternal Kingdom of God. From this dimension we should see that Genesis 1 and 2 are prophetic and are the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. In other words what God purposed in Genesis 1 and 2 are finally fulfilled in Revelation 21 and 22.

From this it should be clear that all of creation has it’s fulfillment in Revelation 21 and 22. All the events recorded in Genesis 1 took place simply to provide a “place” where God’s eternal purpose could unfold in history. Scientists are now saying that no other planet could sustain life as we know it. The earth is unique in all the universe of thousands upon thousands of planets and galaxies. From Genesis 1 and 2 we know that God created the earth to be inhabited by man and then God gave man dominion over the garden with the plan that he should multiply and rule over the whole earth and everything on it. To try to interpret history outside of these facts just leaves us with more and more unsolvable mysteries. The Bible is the only source of rational facts concerning creation but these facts can only be interpreted by an understanding of Revelation 21 and 22 and the perfected bride of Christ. All of creation is there for the sole purpose of obtaining a perfected bride for Jesus Christ and multitudes of children to satisfy the Father’s heart.

HEB 2:5 For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. [6] But one has testified somewhere, saying, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT THOU REMEMBEREST HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT THOU ART CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? [7] "THOU HAST MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; THOU HAST CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAST APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF THY HANDS; [8] THOU HAST PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET."

HEB 2:10] For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. [11] For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

COL 1:16] For by Him all things were created, both in the, heavens and on earth visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him. [17] And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [18] He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. [19] For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,

God created all things by the Word of God and they were created FOR the Word of God. Nothing that exists came into being by itself but God created it all by His Word. Even thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities were created BY Him and FOR Him. Everything that exists is for God and His eternal purpose. Genesis 1 and 2 declares why creation exists the way it does and that is to provide an inhabitable place for man to dwell. The sun, moon and stars were set there to provide times and seasons and an atmosphere where trees and vegetation could grow for man’s benefit. All the animals, birds and fish were created for man and man was created FOR God and to fulfill His eternal purpose. Man seems to have forgotten that he only exists BY GOD and FOR GOD. Man has no other purpose to live except to please God and to live FOR Him and to complete His eternal purpose and bring joy to God’s heart. Anything else is null and void of purpose. That means it is eternally worthless and insignificant and empty. To see and understand this truth it is then essential for the believer to fully consecrate himself and for the church to become the church in the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.

From this short study it is clear that man has been created and set here to live in apprenticeship training for the climax of the purpose for all of creation and that is for “man”to rule over the whole universe as a co-ruler with Jesus Christ. However, the divine plan is not just to have a man or a few men to rule over all the works of His hands but to have a perfected church which is also the prepared and beautiful bride of Christ who has become one with Him. All history then is a record of the unfolding of God’s plan from the very beginning to the final conclusion in Revelation 22.

My assertion and analysis then can only be this: All ministry is wasted that does not have this eternal goal of the perfected church as the single purpose of all effort in the ministry. Just to see how many believers we can pack into a building is nothing if our goal is not the perfection of these saints. The haphazard way we approach this work shows us we really don’t understand what the final conclusion of history will be or even care about why God created it all.

All history of the Old Covenant and before was for the purpose of forming a nation that would bring forth the Messiah. A Messianic race of people in a Messianic nation. The Messiah came to give Himself for the church, the Messianic bride, His eternal wife and companion. Within the New Covenant all the provision is made to prepare that bride for Christ. Now is the time for the church to give herself wholly to the Lord that He might mature and perfect her for Himself. This work is so great and complicated that it is beyond man to comprehend the extent of what that means. The Holy Spirit has come to carry out this work of perfection and the “ministries” are set in the church to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in this work. Since man or ministries cannot understand the depth of the work necessary they must be dependent upon the Holy Spirit to direct and complete this work. Of course not all of mankind will even care about God’s plan and will reject even the redemption that begins this work. Then there will be many in the church that are too involved in their own plans to care about maturity or the development necessary to complete God’s purpose. For this reason Jesus said, MATH 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. [14] "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, (ZOE) and few are those who find it. The word translated as ‘destruction” is the word translated “ruined” in Luke 5:37 speaking of the wine skins. The meaning is “to perish from God’s plan” or the loss of well being.

All of God’s original purpose for creation is finally fulfilled in those who find the narrow gate and enter through it. The narrow gate leads to the New Jerusalem or the perfection of the bride. The calling and work of the overcomer is to fulfill this purpose. Surely God didn’t go to all this trouble just to find and develop this tiny minority of souls who would fit through the narrow gate! Does that mean that the whole universe was created just for this small group of perfected saints? Yes, it seems that way! Then what happens to all those who have chosen the easier way of salvation? God has a place for everybody but everybody will not be in this exclusive company of the bride of Christ. She has come to that measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ and has become conformed to His image, without spot or wrinkle, holy and blameless. Her character has been transformed so that she will rule over all the works of God’s hands exactly like Jesus will rule. For that reason she will be seated with Him on the throne of heaven and rule with Him through out eternity. Since it is the bondservants that actually see His face and dwell in His presence, (Rev 22), we should understand that the “bride” will also be the overcomers AND the bondservants. All these terms speak of the same thing but each term speaks of that diverse preparation.

If we are looking for an explanation of history outside of this one eternal destiny of a bride for Jesus Christ, our explanation will have to be surrounded in mystery that cannot be explained. In all this we can see that “the Kingdom” is more than a set of ethics or a group of principles by which we elect to live. The perfection of the bride, the throne of God, the authority to rule and reign and the wisdom to judge the angels are all summed up in the King and His Kingdom. To be “kings and priests unto God” suggests an authority, a sacrifice and a worship that is not just symbolic, hollow or some empty doctrine, but the fulfillment of the reality that God purposed from the very beginning. The King and His Kingdom is not symbolic or a metaphor or some fantasy or some religious imagination but IS the eternal reality of God’s eternal purpose. Many can accept that truth but the fact that the church is predestined to that very same place with Christ is difficult for many to believe. The preparation that is necessary for such a high calling is just too much for most to endure and the price is too high.

If we can see that all of history or everything that takes place before Revelation 19 and the wedding feast of the Lamb and His bride is just preparation we should understand that the final completion of God’s plan does not appear until Revelation 21 when at last we see the “wife of the Lamb”. Everything that takes place in between Genesis 1 and Revelation 21 is for the training and the perfection of the bride. She must be prepared for such an awesome responsibility of managing the Kingdom with Jesus Christ and making decisions for the universe and all created beings including the angels. ROM 8:28] And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. [29] For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; [30] and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified..

For that reason “all things work together for good, etc.” If God and His kingdom are absolute with absolute authority then no other authority can exist. MATH 28:18] And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. The sovereign God Who has all power and authority has predestined the end from the beginning and since no other rival power exists His eternal purpose is of supreme importance as the goal of the church and therefore also the goal of ministry. From the very earliest beginnings the divine plan has been to include man in the eternal scheme of things. Discovering and proclaiming that mystery is the work of the ministries. The divine essence of that mystery that has been hidden from all past ages and which is now to be made known through the church is that “man” is to be exalted above every other created being to be like God and to sit in authority over all the works of God’s hands. EPH 3:8] To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, [9] and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; [10] in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, [12] in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

JOHN 17:21] that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. [22] "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; [23] I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity,

All this talk about ruling with Him and becoming like Him will just seem like fantasy except for this incredible statement that the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit are one and man is predestined to become one with God, Himself. Jesus clearly said that He would be in us and we would be in Him. This is not said about any other created being and sets man off from everything else. This puts man in a peculiar position of being of a whole new race of men that hold the sperma of God. 1 PET 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, [23] for you have been born again not of seed ( SPERMA) which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God.

If the throne of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom is eternal reality then the throne that is promised to the overcomer is just as eternally real. The philosophy of ignorance must be replaced with the truth of the Kingdom of God and His requirements to participate. This participation will surely involve the perfection of the bride and the New Jerusalem.

Since all of creation is moving toward this predestined end of the perfected church, it seems that the only rational work that we should be involved with is to work with God toward His purpose. If this is true we must seek God for the means to fulfill this goal and to fervently preach the Kingdom of God AND the Lord Jesus Christ along with God’s purpose to perfect a bride for Jesus.

Many will ask; What about the multitudes that are “believers” but can’t be bothered with all these dealings of God, His discipline and the many trials that accompany maturity? Since God IS THE ETERNAL FATHER, He wants many children in His household but these cannot be those that fulfill God’s eternal purpose and are one with Christ. God has a place for those spiritual children but it is not upon the throne of heaven. That is reserved for the one group that is called the manifested sons, the overcomers, the bride and the bondservants.

Most of the parables about the Kingdom of God reveal that God is not sentimental and eggar to accept just anybody that believes into His eternal Kingdom. Either we bear fruit of we are cast into the fire. This is not the sentimental garbage that is sometimes preached. God’s “sentiment” will not let anybody in after the door is shut so don’t be late.

REV 3:5] `He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. To “overcome” is the absolute minimum, therefore, to under-come is very dangerous even if their name WAS in the book of life. REV 20:14] And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. There is no sentiment in this.