Christ alone (vs "good" things) & the Church is Christ!

[Vine Abider]

I've chewed on this mater of the church being Christ, and discussed with others for some time.  But the more I ruminate on this, the more I see it is true!  We are the very body of Christ and He lives in us - without Him, there just is no ekklesia at all!  The church is just out from Christ.  And as this devotional says, ANYTHING that we focus on other than Christ, leads to a different path than life.

Winds of Teaching versus Christ

"That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive." Ephesians 4:14

When we do not have the proper focus of Christ, we are always subject to distracting and even heretical things. These distractions are very unsettling to our souls. Acts 15:24 says, "Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, You must be circumcised and keep the law--to whom we gave no such commandment." Legalistic teachings and tones are not focused on Christ and are always unsettling to our souls. Paul calls these teachings winds of doctrine. Only being rooted and grounded in Christ Himself can save us from these kinds of things.

We need to have the same value system that the Triune God has in this universe--Christ. It is Christ that must be our emphasis and our atmosphere. If something else comes in and replaces Christ, regardless of how good it may be, it is a wind of doctrine. It may be a good teaching from the Bible, it may be a particular practice, it may be a gift of the Spirit, it may be an emphasis upon a gifted person. Whatever it may be, it will have the effect of unsettling our soul. Anything that brings us down to a level lower than Christ is not the church. The church's emphasis and focus is always Christ.

With the full assurance of understanding that Christ is all and in all, we are solid, just like a rock. Nothing can change or influence us. We are not left to blow in the wind, wondering what direction we should take. Our course is set and our way is clear because we are under revelation. It is not a matter of speculation, negotiation, or experimentation. Christ and the church is a matter of revelation. Revelation motivates us! Revelation is our leading! Revelation is our mandate! Once we see the revelation of the church as Christ, that very revelation becomes a mandate to practice the church life on this earth (Eph. 1:9-10). We have no choice. Indeed, the revelation is referred to by Paul as "the command of the eternal God" (Rom. 16:25-26). The command is made known for the obedience of faith. This is the ultimate issue of understanding the church as Christ--that we rise up to gather together to experience a rich Christ for the church life.

The Supplied Life, B. Freeman; August 17th

[Desopixi Seilynam]

16 hours ago, Vine Abider said:

It is Christ that must be our emphasis and our atmosphere. If something else comes in and replaces Christ, regardless of how good it may be, it is a wind of doctrine.

"Why call ye me Lord Lord, and do not the things that I say?"
Luke 6:46  

Must Christ be our Lord? 

Christ is somehow our emphasis without the actual words He spoke being emphasized?

Heeding what Christ actually said takes our focus away from Christ?

We must look to Christ, only as an image, not as God who spoke and taught?

"He that does not love me, does not keep my teachings."
John 14:24

"Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"
1 Corinthians 1:13

"If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let that person be Anathema, Oh Lord Come!"
1 Corinthians 16:22

"If anyone preaches otherwise and does not agree to wholesome words
even to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and to the doctrine that is according to godliness, he is proud knowing nothing"
1 Timothy 6:3-5

 

Indeed let us focus on Christ and His words, not the books and words of men.

 

[Vine Abider]

6 hours ago, Desopixi Seilynam said:

Indeed let us focus on Christ and His words, not the books and words of men.

Since the church is really just Christ, then it stands to reason that we must gain Him, in order for more of Christ to be present in the ekklesia and therefore our testimony to the universe. If we build apart from Him and His divine nature in us, it comes to nothing.

[steve morrow]

REQUIRED

 

1 CORINTHIANS 4:1  let a man so account of us as the minsters of  CHRIST  and stewards of the mysteries 0f  GOD

--4:2--  moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful

 

PSALM 119:138  thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful

 

JAMES 1:8  a double minded man is unstable in all his ways 

JOHN 8:45  and because I tell you the truth you believe  ME  not 

LUKE 6:46  and why call you  ME  LORD  LORD  and do not the things which I say 

LUKE 8:21  and  HE  answered and said unto them  --MY  MOTHER  AND  MY  BRETHREN--  are these which hear the word of  GOD  and do it 

 

HIS  DIVINE  NATURE  ---  DOES  IT  INCLUDE  COVETEOUSNESS ???  DBL  STD ???

 

PROVERBS 2:6  for  THE  LORD  giveth wisdom out of  HIS  mouth cometh knowledge and understanding 

LUKE 17:33  whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it 

1 CORINTHIANS 2:4  and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power 

JOHN 6:63  it is the spirit that quickeneth the  --FLESH--  profiteth  --NOTHING--  the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life 

PROVERBS 18:21  death and life and in the power of the tongue and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof 

 

HEBREWS 13:8  JESUS  CHRIST  THE  SAME  YESTERDAY  TODAY  AND  FOR  EVER

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST