THE BODY OF CHRIST

There has been so much confusion and controversy in the church concerning the role of the flesh in salvation. Well the confusion and all controversy is about to be cleared up in these lessons pertaining to “The Body of Christ.” Although I must say that much of this confusion was and is due to our lack of knowledge and complete ignorance as it relates to the mystery of Christ.

The Church has villainized the flesh. It has blamed all its shortcomings on the body. But I want you to stick with me here for just a few moments and hear the mind and heart of the Father concerning the body you live in. In order to make you see the great mystery of our salvation it is necessary to take you back to the beginning and beyond.

It is fitting that we come to understand that the Father was never caught off-guard by anything satan or Adam did in their disobedience to Him. The verse below is only one of several that suggest that God knew us before He ever made the world.

Romans 8:29

For whom he did foreknow, he alsodid predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among manybrethren.

Here we are able to peer into eternity past and see the mind and heart of the Father regarding His creation. For whom he did foreknow, implies that God knew his entire creation name by name, before any of us were ever born. This is confirmed in the following passages.

Ephesians 1:4-6

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

In the beginning God purposed for those who would believe on Christ, to be conformed or rather (made liken unto His image).

Romans 8:1-4, 10

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

I want us to linger here a moment. The verses above are literal. There is nothing figurative or symbolic about them. The subject matter here is ‘those who are in Christ Jesus.’

1. They walk after the Spirit.
2. The law of the Spirit of Life has made them free from the law of sin and death.
3. God sent Jesus into the likeness of sinful flesh, to condemn sin in the flesh.

It was not only that Jesus came to earth looking like humans, but the implication here is also that he came to occupy human flesh. The likeness here also refers to the fact that at salvation the human body is cleansed of all evil concupiscence and the law of sin and death. Therefore, it is no longer sinful flesh. Thus his presence alone condemns sin in the flesh. The human body was indeed born again. Thus, it is no more sinful flesh. Nevertheless, it has the same appearance as the sinful flesh it once was. Now Jesus is able to live in this body (flesh), and condemn sin. For he is light, and in him is no darkness at all. Now it follows that we can no longer blame the flesh for sin. It is incapable of sinning; because the seed of God, (Jesus Christ ), remains in it. And it cannot sin.

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Now that the life of Christ (the Spirit of life), is in the flesh, all the righteousness of the law can now be fulfilled in us. The spirit of satan no longer lives in our flesh, giving it the ability to betray us.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Let us look at the literal meaning here. Note the wording here. If Christ be in you, then the body died because it was sinful. Now it's important to note that the death of the body does not occur until the coming in of Christ. This is when we become partakers of the atonement. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:11. To receive the atonement we had to be baptized into Christ death. This is clearly stated in the third chapter of Romans. Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Romans 6:3. In this baptism the body itself is baptized into the death of our Savior, that it may rise in the likeness of his resurrection. This point is further illustrated in the next verse.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

When the Spirit of Christ enters your mortal body, it will quicken it alive unto God. This makes us partakers of his resurrection. It is by his life that the body lives. Thus, it is the Body of Christ.