Christ's Body - The Church

 The Mission and Purpose of the Church

Follow Me, Jesus said [Mt. 4:19]. Seek first the kingdom of God, He said [Mt. 6:33]. Make disciples of all the nations, He said. Baptize them in My Name, and teach them all My commands [Mt. 28:19]. Christ gave us many commands. Love the Lord with all your heart, He said - but that was not a new command [Mt. 22:37 —> Deut. 6:5]. Love your neighbor as yourself. But that also was not a new one [Mt. 22:39 —> Lev. 19:18]. And then He gave His disciples what He called a NEW command: Love one another. Love one another. He told them, “A new command I give to you, that you love one another…by this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” [Jn. 13:34-35]. In fact, He said it 5 times on that one occasion. And so here we find the fundamental purpose of the people of God under the New Covenant, the entity now known as the Church - to manifest the love of Christ to the world in the context of radical caring community.

In theory, almost all of Christ’s commands could be carried out on my own,  flying solo. But not this one. In our day, people are increasingly asking the question, Why Church?  Isn’t it ok for it to just be me and Jesus? I have my relationship with Him, I’ve trusted in His death for forgiveness of my sins, I’m following Him. I pray to Him, I read His Word. I even listen to and watch sermons on radio and online.  I even share my faith. Why do I need to “go to church”? What purpose does it serve? Many aren’t even asking the question - they simply dis-involve. Yet the premise behind the question is flawed. “Church” has come to represent a meeting I attend. Or it is the building where I go in order to consume religious goods and services - most of which I can now get online. But we do not "go to church”. “Church” is not a place or a meeting. The church is people. It is the people God has called out of the world and gathered into a community. That is what the Greek word that we translate as “church" (ekklesia) literally means: “called-out ones”. Those who believe in Christ are called out of the world and into God’s forever family, what is sometimes referred to as “the body of Christ”.

It is true that Christ only ever talked about His body in reference to the Lord’s Supper.  He said, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” [Lk. 22.19].  It is one of the two sacraments Christ gave to His followers (the other being “Believers’ Baptism”) - but even in this context we see our need for the church - it provides the context in which observe these sacraments.  I can’t be baptized on my own.

But on a deeper more fundamental level, the Lord and the apostles clearly taught that those who trust in Christ are gathered together by His Spirit into a community. Technically we only see Paul refer to it as a “body”. For him, the church is a spiritual body, comprised of many members, each of which have different gifting and functions as a part of this diverse body [Rom. 12:4-5; 1Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 4:15-16; Col. 2:19]. There is not one body part which would every function in isolation from the rest of the body. Thus what we find throughout the New Testament is the clear mandate and expectation that those who follow Christ do so together, in community. They are called together, journeying with one another.  The Greek word for “one another” appears some 60 times in the New Testament in connection with commands and instructions for how Christians are to conduct themselves in the context of this God-ordained community. And this community finds its ultimate purpose in carrying out the new command which Christ gave to the apostles before He went to the Cross - love one another. Journey together, follow Me and carry out My commands in caring, committed community. And as you do this, it positions you, the church, to in fact carry out the mandate to make disciples of all the nations. The Great Commission and the New Command are inextricably linked. The reality of our being Christ’s disciples is manifested to the world by our love for one another. And love does not flourish or even manifest in isolation or in a digital vacuum. This command is not a solo gig. It takes two to tango.

And of course there are many other things that take place in the context of the community of the assembled Church which are difficult if not impossible to carry out in isolation, things like exercising the spiritual gifts of teaching and serving and encouraging and administrating, things which Paul says are indispensable for the maturation of our faith. He again is describing a growing body, one comprised of different parts, each of which has a (Spirit-designed) function, and when all the parts are fulfilling their proper role then the whole body is able to grow. Such that we can safely say, there is no real spiritual growth or maturity outside of healthy engagement with this body of Christ.

Another critical function of the body is providing a context for corporate agreeing prayer. Jesus said, “If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst” [Mt. 18:19-20]. Not only does Christ tie an amazing promise of answered prayer to prayers of believers gathered together in community, but He promises His very presence. In some deeper inexplicable spiritual sense, Christ says He is present when I gather with other believers, in a way that He is not when I am by myself. It doesn’t require a mega-size meeting, but there is real power and divine purpose in God’s people gathering together regularly.

We read in Acts 2-4 that the early church gathered together often for instruction and prayer and sacraments and for times of sharing - and that the Lord was constantly bringing others into their community. Are we in the 21st century any less needful of gathering with fellow believers? Is the mission today any less tied to our loving one another well? I think, surely not.

The Relationship of the Church to Jesus Christ 

Our ability to be reconciled to God (and to our fellow man) is made possible through the blood of Jesus Christ [Col. 1:20].  Through Christ’s death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection, He is now the Firstborn from the dead - He is the beginning.  He gets first place in everything - including and especially in the church [Col. 1:18].  He is both the end and the means to it.

As such Paul tells us that Christ is the Head of the body [Eph. 1:22-23, 5:23-24].  This means that everything which pertains to the church is subject to Christ.  He is in charge of the whole thing, everything, everyone.  Again this flows from the fact that He purchased the church, this assembly of all those who believe in Him, with His blood.  He ought to be in charge since He paid the ultimate price to buy us back.  Indeed, Christ is the One Who laid down His life for the body, His bride [Eph. 5:25].  He is the One Who nourishes and cherishes and sanctifies the body, His bride, so that He can present to Himself the church without any spot or wrinkle, holy and blameless [Eph. 5:26-27].

What’s more, for those who believe in Him and have been joined to His body, who are spiritual members of the church, all of our spiritual growth comes from Him [Jn. 15:4-5; Eph. 4:16] and is directed towards Him [Eph. 4:15].  He fills us with His Spirit, with His life, and then as we depend on and follow Him, He reproduces His resurrected life in and through us [Jn. 7:38-39].  And we understand that all this, His fulness filling His church and filling all things [Eph. 1:23; Eph. 4:10] is so that ultimately He will come to truly have first place in everything [Col. 1:18; cf Phil. 2:10].  Someday, we are told, every person will bend their knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  Some will do it only begrudgingly at the judgment, but those who, by His grace, become a part of His church in this life do so by giving Him first place in their hearts in this life.

Leadership and authority in the Body 

Scripture tells us that the Lord gave some as apostles and prophets and evangelists and pastor/shepherds and teachers to equip members of the Body for the work of service [Eph. 4:11-12], to help them mature in their faith with a growth that collectively builds the Body up in love (Eph. 4:16].  We see these gifts - primarily shepherding and teaching - playing out in local assemblies through those who have been appointed as elders.  From the inception of the church, the apostles appointed elders to lead every one of these localized expressions of the Body [Acts 14:23; cf Tit. 2:5].  There are others no doubt who the Spirit gifts as teachers, but in the New Testament the primary responsibility appears to fall on elders.  These men give leadership to each local church, devoting themselves to serving and ministering to the saints [1Cor. 16:15].  They are to eagerly shepherd and watch over the flock [1Pet. 5:1-2; Heb. 13:17], those sheep who are a part of their local body of believers, working hard at the ministry of preaching and teaching [1Tim. 5:17].  These elders are also the ones given special authority to anoint and pray for healing for those in their local body who are sick [Jam. 5:14].  In turn, the rest of the body is to respect them and humbly submit to their leadership [Heb. 13:17; 1Cor. 16:16].  

Paul reminds us that there is no authority except that which has been established by God, and that those who resist God-established authority are actually opposing the ordinance of God [Rom. 13.1-2]. This is a heavy responsibility, both for those who follow, as they need to humbly submit and trust the Lord to guide and empower and work through leaders who are by no means perfect, and also for those appointed to positions of authority in the church, as they will be required to give an account for how they have led God’s people [Heb. 13:17].

Relationship to the Christian and Missionary Alliance 

What we have in the Christian and Missionary Alliance is a movement of churches that have come together around a shared set of beliefs to accomplish a shared vision for ministry, which is the fulfillment of the Great Commission [Mt. 28:19].  All of Jesus for all the world.  Towards that end, these churches have put in place a broader organizational structure that helps this Alliance unite around these shared beliefs and generate synergy in pursuit of these ministry objectives.  This involves electing leaders and contributing finances that are needed in order to effectively further these ends.  Each local church that desires to be an accredited part of this Alliance agrees to support this effort by coming under this organizational leadership and by supporting the movement both with their finances and by participating at both the national and the district levels.  Leaders at these national and district levels in turn help to guide and resource each local church, appointing new leaders and workers, coming alongside churches in matters of discipline as well as training and mobilization, as well as assisting in the planting of new churches.

Relationship between members of the local church

Jesus gave His disciples what He called a new command: Love one another, He said. By this, everyone will know you are My disciples, if you love one another [Jn. 13.34-35]. In this command, we see both the end and the means to the end. This great end which we pursue in the Alliance (as well as in the broader body of Christ), this Great Commission, making disciples of all the nations, taking the Good News about Jesus to the ends of the earth so that people everywhere will believe and trust in Him as Savior - this end is expressly furthered by His followers, the members of His body, loving one another. Jesus thus gives us the big picture of how we are to relate to one another in the body: Love. More than any of the so-called spiritual gifts, love never fails [1Cor. 13:8]. The greatest of these is love [1Cor. 13:13]. Paul puts it in rather straightforward form: the goal of our instruction is love [1Tim. 1:5].

In our world we find the principle that the members, the parts of any living body - the body of Christ being no exception - naturally care for one another. They need one another, and they need one another to be healthy if the body is to function in a healthy manner [cf 1Cor. 12:22-25]. It is in their best interests to work for the good of that body to which they belong, to help preserve and build up their body and to help it accomplish whatever tasks or objectives are set before it. And we see that the New Testament writers repeatedly speak into how the members of Christ’s body should relate to one another, how they can foster these caring relationships of love with one another. And as much as anything, we understand that all healthy relationships take time. They require spending time together. For this reason, the writer to the Hebrews exhorted those believers to NOT forsake spending time with one another [Heb. 10:25]. The busy-ness and the brokenness of life surely does conspire to pull people apart and put them at odds with one another. But the mission of the church is carried forth in the hearts and lives of those followers of Christ who truly leverage their Spirit-powered unity and love to build one another up [Eph. 4:1-3]. Let all things be done to build one another up, Paul said repeatedly [1Cor. 14:26; Rom. 15:2; 1Thess. 5:11; Eph. 4:16] - and this surely means time spent together, helping one another, encouraging one another, serving with one another. We see that at the outset the early church did not need to be told to do this - they eagerly spent a lot of time with one another. They shared a lot of life and ministry together [Acts 2:42-46]. May we in our church(es) today find a similar grace and resolve to love one another well and thus show all men the everlasting love that is only found in Jesus.

Christ Our Coming King

The Promised Return

   Imagine you were those early disciples, on that hill far away, and your Rabbi, your Teacher and Leader, your Messiah - the One you saw executed and have now seen risen from the grave - is getting ready to ascend back to heaven. He is about to leave you, AND leave you in charge. What are you feeling? What are you thinking? No doubt those yet-to-be-Spirit-filled Christ-followers were feeling somewhat uncertain. Unsteady. In-TIMID-ated. Somewhat daunted by the daunting prospect of taking over this Gospel enterprise which had been launched by the very Son of God. No doubt in part they desired greatly to go with Him, wherever He was about to go.

“Where I am going, you cannot come…”, Jesus had said to them (Jn. 8.21, Jn. 13.33). But He had also left them with a promise - multiple mind-boggling yet comforting promises, in fact. “I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (Jn. 16.7). “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever…And He will be IN you” (Jn. 14.16-17). Christ would be absent bodily, but His Spirit would always be with them, helping them to follow in His steps and build His church.  He had also promised them, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28.20). Through His in-dwelling Spirit, Christ would be more than just with them - He would be IN them, closer than any ordinary companion. And that, forever. But there was more.

“I will come again…” (Jn. 14.3, Jn. 14.18). “The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels…coming in His kingdom…” (Mt. 16.27-28). They could look forward to the glorious prospect of a promised reunion! Messiah would be coming back to reign as King, and set everything right.

All too soon, their Savior and Lord ascended into heaven - and as they stood there still gazing, angels themselves showed up and repeated this promise: …“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go…” (Acts 1:11).

Coming back, coming again in glory, in His Kingdom - as King. The prophets had long foretold of this (second) coming. The promised Son of David, first laying down His life as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, and finally coming to reign as King. “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land’” (Jer. 23:5). “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore” (Is. 9.7).

One passage of Scripture - Revelation chapter 20 - talks specifically about a period of one thousand years, when Satan is bound and thrown into the abyss, and when Christ will rule as king (Rev. 20.2-6). A millennium (from the Latin words, mille, meaning 1000 and annus, meaning year) - the word is used six times in that passage. After this millennium, Satan will be released for one last battle and will be defeated and thrown into the lake of fire forever and ever (Rev. 20.7-10), where he will be joined by all those whose names are not in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 20.15). Those whose names ARE in the book of life will be brought into a new Jerusalem, part of a new heaven and a new earth, and there they will reign with the Lord forever and ever (Rev. 21.1-2, 27, 22.5).  There is some disagreement among sincere Christians over whether this 1000 year reign is literal or more figurative, whether is precedes the eternal reign of Christ, or perhaps is already in play somehow?  Regardless, the Bible and Jesus make it crystal clear - He IS coming back, and He is coming back as King!

The Rapture of the church

   Revelation portrays two significant events which immediately precede this return, this second coming of Christ.  First, in Rev. 19.6-9, we see the marriage supper of the Lamb. The New Testament repeatedly presents Christ as a bridegroom - and His bride is the church (cf Mt. 9.15, Jn. 3.29, Eph. 5.23,32).  In antiquity a groom would lead a procession to the bride’s house, whence he would escort her back to his home for a wonderful marriage supper. We understand this scene in Revelation as being that time just before Christ returns as King when He comes to gather the church, His bride, and escort her back to a marriage supper in heaven.  Somehow all those who have truly trusted in Christ’s death on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins will be translated and caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air in that moment (1Th. 4.16-17). These will be gathered from the four corners of the earth, all those who have put their faith in Christ as Savior, both those saints who are alive when Christ comes for His bride as well as all those Christ-followers who had died prior to His return (1Th. 4.14-15, Mt. 24.31). This event has come to be called the rapture, which comes from the Latin word, rapturo, meaning “caught up”.

The exact timing of this rapture and the associated events is mostly uncertain, and that by design. Christ Himself specifically stated that even He didn’t know the exact day or hour - only His Father knew (Mt. 24.36). This return is repeatedly described as being like the coming of a thief in the night. Which means three things - you don’t know when he is coming, but he will come suddenly, and so you better be prepared for his coming (Mt. 24.27).

Having said that, Scripture gives us signs which will let us know that His coming is close at hand. The earth will be in great distress - wars, famines, earthquakes, plagues (Mt. 24.7). Covidemic, anyone? There will also be a time of great persecution for God’s people (Mt. 24.9). Many will fall away and false prophets will arise (Mt. 24.10-11). The good news is that in the midst of all this the Good News of the Kingdom of Christ will finally be preached in the whole world to all the nations (Mt. 24.14). 

Then on the heels of the rapture comes a second significant event. In Rev. 19.11-21 we see a great battle, where the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gather to make war against Christ and the armies of heaven. Christ will of course vanquish these foes and usher in His kingly reign.

Christ’s Return and World Missions

   

The early church was so convinced of the imminence of Christ’s return, they sincerely believed they would see Christ return as King during their lifetime. They longed for His return with eager anticipation - they even talked about trying to hasten His return (1Cor. 1.7, 1Th. 4.15, Jam. 5.8, 1Pet. 4.7, 2Pet. 3.12, 1Jn. 2.18, Rev. 22.20). From the vantage point of 2000 years hence, it is perhaps not unreasonable for some today to question just how imminent Christ’s return really is. For all we know, we could be waiting another 1000 years. And yet, that is entirely not the point. In this season, in this day, as He did at the first, Christ still asks believers to live like He IS coming back soon. Any day now.

Christ is coming back as King. Any day now. He said, be ready. Hang in there and be faithful - and preach the Gospel to all the nations, make disciples of all the nations. And be ready. Be on the alert.  He asks us to live faithfully, as faithful and sensible servants who are all about their Master’s business until such time as He returns (Mt. 24.45-46). While we wait for Him to return we are urged to live soberly and to conduct the Lord’s business - which is helping our neighbors and the nations learn about Him. It’s daytime, business hours - now is the time for working, not for sleeping or frivolous living (1Th. 5.4-7). We are urged to live our lives with an urgency that is informed by both the seriousness and the scope of the task - He is coming back really soon, and only those who have believed the Good News about Him will spend eternity in paradise with Him. 

The whole world needs to hear - and this works on two levels.  People need to hear, because they are lost without Christ and they are running out of time, AND it looks like Christ will in fact NOT return until the Gospel has been preached in all nations. And the church needs to tell them - we are the custodians of this Good News. Now is not the time to be wasting time. It’s harvest time - the fields are white and ready to be harvested, people are ready to believe if only someone will tell them (Mt. 9.37, Jn. 4.35). 

Every farming family knows that when the harvest is ready, it’s all hands on deck. Time to move out. The Lord hasn’t given us a set of pajamas or some cushy bath robe - He’s given us a suit of armor, by which we can build and advance His kingdom not only in our own hearts and families but to all the families of the earth. Now is the time to be loving our neighbors well - with the life-changing Good News about Jesus (Rom. 13.10-11).

And let’s be honest, there ARE these signs, everywhere, increasingly so, aren't there? The earth is teetering on the edge - all these things Christ said would increase are on the rise.  Famines, plagues, earthquakes, persecution - and the Gospel of the Kingdom is spreading. The good news is that the nations are hearing the Good News!  

Now, when A.B. Simpson launched the Alliance, we were in what was the second phase of Protestant world missions - inland missions. William Carey helped to inaugurate the first phase - going out, going to the coastlands. Hudson Taylor helped pioneer the transition to interior/inland missions - but the focus was still very much on borders. The “nations” were understood to be the 200 or so geopolitical entities of the earth - vis a vis the Great Commission, the sense was that the church "simply” needed to get the Gospel into these nations. And so at the turn of the 19th century, every new country opened for the Gospel meant one step closer to the return of Christ - a great cause for celebration (which I believe accounts in part for the fascination with country flags in the Alliance)! This eschatology definitely informed the missiology.

But then Donald McGavran and Cameron Townsend ushered in a third phase in the mid-20th century, where we began to focus on more socio-economic borders within nations, such as language and caste, where we realized that the Gospel needs to penetrate into dozens and even hundreds of different languages and classes of people within every country.  “Pan ta ethne” (“all the nations” in the Greek) literally means, all ethnicities. Every tribe AND tongue will (is intended to) be represented around the throne in heaven. I wonder if perhaps those early disciples who were convinced that Christ would return in their lifetime had any inkling as to just how many ethnic peoples still had yet to be reached with the Good News? There were and still are many many peoples who have yet to hear about Jesus. Hundreds, thousands even. They have gone centuries without a hint of the Gospel in their tribe or village. And how will they hear unless someone tells them? “Who will go for us?”, asks the Lord. The task is as urgent today as it was for the early church. Even as Christ’s return draws ever nearer.

My personal understanding of Christ our Coming King

   There are mind-numbing multiple interpretations as to when and how all these things will take place. Sincere, intelligent believers lined up all over the place, at odds even with one another. Amillennial. Postmillennial. Promillennial. Premillennial. Pretrib. Midtrib. Posttrib. My marked preference is to try to keep my ball out of the weeds and focus on the essentials. Here’s what I see in Scripture:

Jesus is coming back. Of this, there can be no doubt. He said He would. The angels said He would. His disciples said He would. It’s only a question of when, not if.  But His return is more than just a jovial reunion. He is coming back as King. The King of kings. And as Judge. Final judgment. For some, there will be great reward. For others, there will be great mourning (Mt. 24.30, Rev. 1.7). All the nations of the earth will see Him - somehow, at some point. At some point, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and King (Phil. 2.10).

I see that as the end draws near, there will be these "labor pains", signs that Christ is getting ready to return. Signs in the sky, in the sun and the stars. Signs on the earth, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and plagues and famines, perplexity and dismay (Lk. 21.10-11, 25). I see the Gospel going forth and being preached to all the nations (Mt. 24.14). Many people will name the name of Christ, increasingly so as the end draws near - but not all will truly trust in Him as their Savior and Lord. Some will think they are Christians because they did some ritual or some great thing. I see that some - many - sadly will fall away. And I see hatred. Hatred of Christians - “you will be hated by all because of My Name,” Jesus said (Mt. 10.22). Parents and brothers and relatives and friends - turning against one another (Lk. 21.16). God’s people will need great perseverance to endure great persecution (Mt. 24.13, Lk. 21.19, Lk. 21.36). Perseverance, faith which endures to the end, of course, is the defining characteristic of all born-again believers in Christ (Rom. 2.7, Rom. 5.3, Heb. 10.36, Jam. 1.3, 2Pet. 1.6).

I see that the Church needs to never forget that we have a mission. We are the light of the world, a city on a hill.  We have been entrusted with the Good News. While we wait in eager anticipation for the return of our King, we must be about His business.  Spreading the Good News of the Kingdom. Making disciples of all the nations.

But still, many will not be ready for His return, in spite of the signs, in spite of repeated warnings. “I am coming quickly…” (Rev. 2.15, 3.11), “like a thief…” (Rev. 3.3, 16.15). The time is short, and the Lord is near, Paul said (1Cor. 7.29, Phil. 4.5). Jesus said, “You too, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at a time when you do not expect” (Lk. 12.40). “Be watching and be on the alert” (Mk. 13.33).

In Acts 1, right before Jesus leaves, the disciples ask, “Is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  

His response is basically, this other stuff is not what you need to be focused on. Focus on being about My business, telling people about Me - that’s why I am leaving and giving you My Spirit.  This then is our response.  May the Lord give us the grace and unity to be about His business until He comes.  Even so, come quickly, King Jesus...

Christ Our Healer

 The relationship of "divine healing" and the atonement

Divine healing can be understood on two levels. In one sense it can be seen as God providing supernatural healing for someone, most likely as a result of prayer alone apart from any natural means, apart from any form of medicine or medical treatment. “Divine healing” is also a term employed by some evangelicals over the years, used to refer to what is seen as a veritable guarantee of physical healing and vitality available to believers in Christ in order to allow them to further the work of the Gospel.  It is available to Christians, but not necessarily standard - not all believers automatically experience this.  They must come to a place of deeper trust in and surrender to the person and work of Christ in order to enter in to this deeper experience of the healing power of Christ for His children.

Before He was crucified, we see that Jesus’ earthly ministry consisted primarily of two things: teaching and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God, AND healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness [Mt. 4.23-24, Mt. 9.35].  The Gospels mention multiple occasions when Christ actually performs miracles of healing either before preaching the Gospel, or without even doing so [Mt. 14.14, Mt. 15.28, Mt. 15.30, Mt. 19.2, Mt. 21.14].  The point being, our Savior clearly placed significant emphasis on healing as an integral part of His ministry.

We see the integral role of healing in the advent of the Kingdom still further when Jesus sent out the twelve [Mt. 10.1, 5-8].  They were to go and preach the message of the kingdom - AND to heal.

Physical healing was a telltale sign of the advent of Messiah.  Jesus Himself said that this combination of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom along with healing meant that people should have no doubts as to who He was [Lk. 7.20-23].  His coming and His ministry - including this aspect of physical healing - were the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy [Is. 35.3-6].

"By His scourging we are healed.  He bore our sicknesses and carried our pains."  Thus declared the prophet Isaiah [Is. 53.4-5].  We understand this passage as looking ahead to the work of Messiah on the cross, where He was pierced through for our transgressions.  Some insist that the healing referred to here by Isaiah should be seen by New Testament believers as referring primarily to spiritual healing, the removal of our spiritual sickness (i.e. our sins) by the blood of Christ.  Yet Matthew specifically says that this passage finds its pre-crucifixion fulfillment in the (physical) healing ministry that we see Jesus carrying on in Capernaum [Mt. 8.1-17].  In one day we see Jesus heal a leper, heal a centurion’s servant, heal Peter’s mom, and that evening we read that He heals many who are demon-possessed and all who are ill.  God inspires Matthew to apply the passage in Isaiah to acts of physical healing. Thus we see a passage which many understand to refer to the work of Christ on the cross also being understood as predicting physical healing as being a part of the work of Christ.

It stands to reason that since we understand that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever [Heb. 13:8], that He would still be working acts of divine, supernatural healing through those He sends out.  In fact, we do read about gifts of healings in 1Corinthians 12. Strangely however, while it is clear that healing did play a significant role in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles, there are relatively few mentions of healing outside of the Gospels and Acts (in fact there are only three verses outside of 1Cor. 12 that mention healing).  So the question then becomes, not does God still work divine supernatural acts of healing today, not does He command elders to pray for the sick, but rather, is there a special provision, ostensibly a guaranteed one, of physical healing (and vitality) in the atonement available to those who have put their trust in the work of Christ on the cross, and does Scripture in fact teach this?

Now, concerning this idea of divine healing, A.B. Simpson taught that the subsequent atoning work of Christ on the cross provided not only a guarantee of spiritual healing for our transgressions but also a guarantee of physical healing and vitality.  In his view, this divine healing was made just as available to believers in the work of Christ on the cross as was salvation. However, Simpson maintained that divine healing was to be found only in a deeper level of absolute surrender to the will of God, of forsaking any and all sin, and of separation from any attachment to the things of the world.  It’s available - but you’ve got to go much “deeper” with Christ to access it.

Evangelical Christians understand that we are saved through faith alone and not through works [Eph. 2.8-9].  No ifs, ands, or buts. So I guess my question is, how is it that there could be one level of faith in what Christ did on the cross which is sufficient to access total, eternal spiritual healing and every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1.3], but there is some normative physical blessing provided by the same work of Christ yet which is only accessed by a deeper level of surrender? And where is this mentioned in Scripture?  I just don’t find a clear Scriptural basis for this secondary level of blessing.

No doubt there is anecdotal evidence. We read about how God did this for Simpson - and how He has done this for others. Can and does God use crises of spirit and mind and body in order to bring believers to greater levels of surrender?  Does He manifest His presence to some of His servants in remarkably indescribable ways?  Does He impart both vision and healing and a markedly greater level of spiritual vigor and ministry fruit subsequent to these visitations?  History is full of testimonies to this effect.  But not the New Testament.

Paul does describe his experience of visions and revelations in 2Cor. 12, a time at which he says he was caught up to the third heaven.  He mentions a trip to Arabia after his encounter with Christ on the Damascene road [Gal. 1:17] which many understand as being a time when he received direct revelations from the Lord.  There are some other occasions of visions and revelations and of course supernatural healings in Acts.  But the New Testament is otherwise strangely silent on this idea of God providing healing and health and vitality for believers if they can arrive to this deeper level of surrender and consecration in their faith.  It frankly sounds all too much like the poorer cousin of the so-called “Health/Wealth Gospel” - only minus the wealth part.  Christ will heal you - if only you have enough faith.  He will give you health - if you go deeper.

Simpson calls this a second, or deeper, baptism of the Spirit.  Is this something to be sought by those who follow Christ?  This secondary experience?  This healing?  This power and fruitfulness in ministry?  I would suggest that what has been imparted (to others) and what is to be sought is not these gifts or blessings per se but rather the Giver Himself.  Christ.  We make it our goal with Paul to know Christ, to gain Him, to be found in Him [Phil. 3.7-9].  By all means, we must seek to know Christ and count all things as manure compared to knowing Him. We surely must lose our taste for anything else in the light of His surpassing excellence. We gladly choose Him over any earthly thing, surrender all to Him, in order to gain Him. To live is Christ, indeed [Phil 1:21].

I do think that this is what happened for A.B. Simpson, that this was part of the journey the Lord had planned for him, that the Lord by His grace allowed Simpson to experience a crisis of spirit and of body and in driving him to a place of deeper surrender and dependence opened up the storehouses of heaven and supernaturally blessed him to be used of Christ in singular ways in his generation.

Is this secondary experience guaranteed to every believer?  I frankly don’t see it.  We still see sickness and death even in the lives of those who claim to have had this experience.  My concern is that the surrender can become a work, a means to an end.  If I have enough faith, enough surrender, then I will get all this healing and power. It is like Simon in Acts 8:18-23 - he is more interested in gaining the gift of healing, the authority and power of being able to distribute it to others, than he is in gaining the Christ Who heals.  May we with Peter have the grace to discern the difference, and press on with Paul to gain Christ!

The significance of prayer and anointing by the elders

One of the more significant (and again, one of the glaringly few) mentions of healing in the epistles is found in the book of James.  James 5.14 gives us explicit instructions, that believers who are sick (the word is weak) are to call for the elders of the assembly (this is an imperative) to anoint them with oil and pray over them in the name of the Lord, and verse 15 then promises that the prayer of faith (i.e. this one offered by these elders) will heal (the word is save) the one who is sick, that the Lord will raise them up.  The tense of the verbs “will heal” and “will raise up” is future indicative - which means it is a future fact, what we understand as a promise.  This is a promise, a very powerful one at that.  Elders who are offering prayer for the sick in their congregation can take their stand of faith on this tremendous promise of Scripture.  James then reinforces this instruction with another incredible truth in verse 16: the empowered prayer of a righteous man is very strong. It accomplishes much. But the salient point here points us to the Lord as the Source of power - for both the prayer and the healing. We don’t trust in the elders or in the oil or in the prayer in and of themselves but rather in the Lord.  It is vitally important that we don’t put any stock in the means through which the Lord chooses to use to effect His work, but only in the Lord Himself.

It should not go without saying that James mentions in that same verse 16 the importance of confession of sin. The one who would have the elders pray for them must be willing to confess and forsake any area of their life in which they are knowingly disobedient to the Lord.

The ministry of healing in the local church

While James 5.14-16 is the only mention of this practice in the entire Bible, it gives God’s people a practical guide for what a ministry of healing can and should look like in a local assembly of believers.  Note that this passage presupposes of course that believers are part of such an assembly (which is not always the case), and that such an assembly actually is led by elders (also not always the case).

We all know there have been some charlatans throughout the years who have turned a ministry of healing into a show, into a cult of personality.  There have been ones who have pretended to heal but were nothing more than scam artists.  Unfortunately, these abuses and misuses have turned many into skeptics, wary of any overt public displays of prayer for healing.

There are other situations where times of prayer or of fielding prayer concerns can be dominated by seemingly endless requests of prayer for Aunt Sally’s sciatica and little Bobby’s toothache.  We care about all Sally’s and Bobby’s but sometimes we let these concerns distract us from the real point of what God is wanting to do in and through His people.  And that is the real point - that God is the main point in all of this.

We come to God often under the mistaken assumption that it is all about us, all of us - pastors, ministry leaders even.  We come to Him to make us happy or healthy or comfy.  When in fact what God is after is making it all about Him.  And any ministry of healing in the local church must keep this front and center - Jesus must be front and center.  Pastoral prayers, in-home and hospital visits, elder-prayers for healing, both public and private prayers - these should all proceed under the banner of, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done [Mt. 6:10].  We are serving and following the almighty King of the universe, the One Who declares, “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images” [Is. 42:8].  Can and does God still heal today? Absolutely. Should God’s people pray for one another and ask God for healing and for strength? Most definitely. Should they invite elders to come and anoint them with oil and ask God to heal them? Most assuredly.  But in all these things, the church will do well to point out that God alone is the One Who can heal, He is the One Who determines the course of our lives, and whether or not He decides to heal, He is still supremely worthy of all our trust and adoration.

My personal experience of Christ as our Healer

What are some ways in which I have experienced Christ’s healing power in my life?  I honestly cannot point to any miraculous intervention.  I rarely get sick - whether this is an ongoing work of Christ or the fact that God designed me with a hearty constitution or tied to habits of diet and exercise or perhaps some combination of these, I cannot say.  I’ve dealt with times of illness and a few medical issues which have been healed, albeit more through time and use of “modern medicine”.  I have seen the Lord work healing in my heart as it relates to what was a not-insignificant level of insecurity and fear of failure.  He applied the biblical truths of grace and no condemnation for those who are in Christ to my heart and replaced that insecurity and fear with His peace.  I have prayed for healing for others - whether by myself or with others directly using anointing oil or as part of a broader response to a request for prayer regarding a health-related need.  Again, I have not seen what I could fairly describe as immediate supernatural intervention but many of these have recovered (whether this was through merely natural means or that the Lord saw fit to use these prayers, it is difficult to say, altho I choose to believe that my prayers and the prayers of others have and do make a difference).  But at the end of the day, I do believe what the Bible says when it shows us that Christ is our Healer and when it tells us to pray for healing, and I will continue to ask the Lord to heal for as long as He gives me the grace and strength to do so.

Christ Our Sanctifier

The crisis and progression of sanctification

Christ is our Savior! He has rescued us from so great a peril of death, of eternal separation from God. But to what end? Was the end He had in mind simply to get us out of hell and into heaven? Au contraire! He wants us to know Him AND to be like Him! “Be holy”, He says [Lev 11.45]. Our Creator God is holy, He is perfect, and He expects those He has made in His image to also be perfect. This indeed creates a crisis, because even after we come to know Christ as Savior, after we place our trust in His death on the cross as the all-sufficient payment for our sins, we can still struggle with sin. We are still living in these fallen bodies of flesh which war against what God wants. The good news is that Christ did much more than simply save us from sin’s penalty! His ongoing mission is not merely to give us eternal life, to get us into heaven at some unforeseen point in the future. He came to give us NEW life. Christ came not only to provide salvation - to save us from the penalty of sin, He also came to provide transformation - to save us from the power of sin. And we’re not talking about simply a fresh coat of paint on an old spiritual hovel. He didn’t come to merely slap some lipstick on a pig. This is a brand new quality of life. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come” [2Cor 5.17].

The Lord has always expected His people, His children, to bear His image well - to reflect what He is like to the world. To be like Him. “But like the Holy One Who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy” [1Pet 1.15 - where Peter references God’s original command to His people Israel]. And really, who doesn’t want to be like their Dad?  Assuming He is a good dad - which is definitely the case with our heavenly Father! He is perfect, glorious - breathtakingly good! And He has called us to be like Him, increasingly so. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” [2Cor 3.18]. 

For those who are beholding the Lord, who are fixing their eyes on Christ as Savior, this transformation, this extreme spiritual makeover, is a lifelong journey which is called sanctification. It is the process of becoming more holy, more like Christ. And this transformed life is the fruit, the natural and expected outcome, of a truly repentant and regenerate heart. “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance” [Luke 3.8]. Thankfully the foreman on this project is God Himself. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” [Phil 1.6]. Christ is our Sanctifier, and He will faithfully further this work in our lives as we continue to trust in Him. We look to Him for salvation - and we look to Him for sanctification. What we observe - or should expect to observe then - in the life of a believer is this growth of holiness, a lifelong progression of thoughts and words and deeds which increasingly resemble this One Who actually began this good work in us. 

Conversely, it is reasonable to assume that one who professes to believe in Jesus but who gives no evidence of this transformation very likely has not truly trusted in Christ.  He likely does not know Jesus as Savior.  There should be this God-given hunger for holiness and a progression of holiness in the life of each and every believer. “For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification” [1Thess 4.7]. And while there may be times of struggle, perhaps some temporary waywardness or even doubting, holiness should be generally trending up in the life of every true Christ-follower.

Now there can also be these other points of crisis in this sanctification. “Therefore I urge you brethren by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” [Rom 12.1-2]. Paul is talking about a point, a simple action, a decisive dedication of one’s entire self to the Lord, one which is entirely reasonable in light of all the mercy God has shown us in Christ. This is sometimes called a “Lordship decision”.  It is a point in time, a time of grateful and total surrender to the rule of Christ in my heart and life, coming to the place where I want Christ and what He wants more than anything else in the world. I want more than His salvation - I want Him, to know Him [Phil 3.10]. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” [2Cor 7.1]. It is a crisis point, a time of going deeper with the Lord, an incremental leap if you will.

Some insist that there is no true salvation absent this level of surrender (what is referred to as “Lordship salvation”). Yet surely part of the journey of sanctification involves identifying areas of my life which are not yet surrendered to Christ. I have indeed trusted in Him as Savior, but I am constantly learning what surrender looks like in all the nooks and crannies of my life. Total surrender is a bit of a misnomer. Keep in mind that in Romans 12 Paul is writing to believers who have NOT made this decision. Nevertheless, it seems patently clear that all Christ-followers need and ought to be encouraged and urged to always pursue a deeper level of surrender to Christ as Lord.

Others suggest that there could be multiple such crises, times of surrender in the life of a sincere Christ-follower. Even Paul himself wrestled with a fickle heart, with the failings and weaknesses of his flesh. “For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind…” [Rom 7.22-23]. Whether in response to trials or infirmity, or to receiving new truth and understanding as to the breathtaking greatness of our infinite and blessed heavenly Father, it seems quite reasonable to maintain that there could be multiple crisis points of surrender, increasing levels of sanctification, multiple incremental leaps throughout the course of following Christ this side of heaven.

There are still others who give accounts of a critical inflection point subsequent to salvation, a deeper crisis of faith, which is accompanied by a deeper experience of Christ in connection with this surrender, even a tangible one. These times of personal crisis often (but not always) appear to be accompanied by various forms of healing or vision/setting apart for ministry. Often they appear to be followed by a new season of markedly more powerful and fruitful ministry. Some of these folks have concluded in turn that this kind of experience is universal, that it is to be sought by every believer.

I honestly believe there is a danger here, one of seeking and prioritizing an experience (one which in my opinion is not normative nor expressly mandated in Scripture), as opposed to seeking the Lord, of seeking to walk in increasing levels of surrender and devotion to Him - something which is definitely mandated throughout Scripture. “I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, that your minds should be led astray from the purity and simplicity of devotion to Christ” [2Cor 11.3]. We see that the assembly in Corinth was extremely zealous for the gifts and manifestation of the Spirit [1Cor 14.12], no doubt they were intoxicated by their experience(s) - but they lacked the fruit of the Spirit [1Cor 1.10-11, 3.1-4, 5.1-2, 6.7, 11.17-18, 11.21]. They lacked the basic love for one another, that which is the first mentioned of the fruits of the Spirit, that which is the greatest of these [1Cor 13.13], that which in fact is the goal of our instruction [1Tim 1.5]. Surely the greatest crisis of our day and in the church and in my own life is lack of love - for the Lord, as well as for one another. Surely we ought to seek and prioritize this! We must pursue and make progress in this! The Great Command AND the New Command. This is the mission! If I have gifts of tongues and prophecy and knowledge and faith to move mountains but do not have love, Paul says, I am nothing [1Cor 13.1-3].

Identification of the believer with Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension

It is vitally important in this regard that we understand just who we are as believers in Christ. We have a new identity. We ARE these new creations - this is how we should see ourselves - and seeing this should transform how we live. Paul tells us that when we trust in Christ we are placed IN Christ, literally hidden with Him in God [Col 3.3]. Not only is His righteousness credited to our account, but we become joined to Him, united with Him in the likeness of His death and resurrection [Rom 6.4-7]. We are dead to sin - freed not only from its penalty but also its power over us, and raised to new life. He IS our life [Col 3.4]. We can (and should) be like Him - which is precisely the point. Like Him, bearing His image - this is what we were always meant to be, and who we now are!

We no longer have to live the way we did before we trusted Christ (nor should we). We can say no to sin. We don’t need to live in it any longer like the rest of the unbelieving world. Nor should we. We have (or should have) laid aside the old corrupt self like a ragged old robe, and have put on these brand new righteous threads [Col 3.9-10]. We are in essence wearing Jesus - this same One Who has conquered death, this One Who was tempted in all things like we are but Who never sinned [Heb 4.15]. We can walk in newness of life, the life of the risen and glorified Christ manifested in and through us. We can and should keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, this same One Who ascended to glory and sat down at the right hand of the Father [Col 3.1].

The ministry of the Holy Spirit in sanctification

No doubt the actual ascension of Christ left those early disciples feeling a bit helpless and even abandoned.  But Christ Himself said, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” [Jn 16.7]. Of this Helper, the promised Holy Spirit - Christ said, “He will be IN you” [Jn 14.17b, emphasis mine]. We are in Christ, and His Spirit is in us - in each and every person who has trusted in Christ [Rom 8.9]. And Christ gave His disciples a promise right before His ascension: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”[Acts 1.8a].  You will receive power. This is a promise, and a caveat.

The thing is, the promised power to live a holy life, a life that is pleasing to God, does not reside in me. It doesn’t originate in my flesh. It comes from the Spirit of God Who indwells every Christ-follower. I am unable to make myself holy in my own strength, by my own efforts. “Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh” [Gal 5.16]. “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with Spirit” [Eph 5.18b]. That which fills us controls us and produces a change in our behavior. The imperative verb there is present tense, ongoing, meaning “keep on being filled". Rather than being filled with something like wine - or anger or selfishness or fear - we are to be ongoingly controlled and empowered and transformed in our behavior and every aspect of our lives with and by the Holy Spirit. 

This is not a one-time experience, but an imperative for each and every believer to in fact walk in dependence and surrender to the indwelling Spirit of Christ moment by moment, every minute of every hour of every day. We give control to Him. Again, the metamorphosis from spiritual caterpillar to glorious butterfly is “by the Spirit” [2Cor 3.18]. He is indeed our indwelling ever-present Helper, helping us to become increasingly more like Christ in all our thoughts and deeds. Usually this is a gradual process, and yes there are those who experience crises or points of significant leaps forward in their devotion to Christ - but it is the same Spirit at work in all cases. This is why Paul calls the qualities of a holy life the “fruit of the Spirit”. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” [Gal 5.22-23]. These characteristics of holiness, these unmistakeable traits of Christlikeness are the byproduct of His work in my life, a direct result of His help - such that they thus allow my life to truly rise to the level of the divine. The devil can actually counterfeit gifts of the Spirit, but he cannot counterfeit the fruit. There becomes no way to account for my life apart from the fact that it has been wrought by God’s Spirit.            

Christ Himself employed this metaphor of fruit bearing - “I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” [Jn 15.5]. Just as a branch of a grapevine cannot produce fruit unless it remains vitally connected to the primary Vine, tapping into the Vine for all that is needed in order to bear fruit, so each and every believer in Christ must be tapping into Him in order to manifest the expected fruit of a holy life.

Surely the default setting of humanity is that of self-effort. Works. We are that little engine who could, gutting it out up the hills of life as best we can in our own strength. Religion in its basest form is man trying to work his way up that steep incline towards that ever-elusive goal of right standing with God. Self-righteousness is an oxymoron if there ever was one! Thus we understand in coming to Christ as Savior that we are saved by grace through faith alone. Yet that nasty old self-effort setting is not automatically overridden when someone trusts in Christ as Savior. This is why Paul had to admonish the believers in Galatia, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” [Gal 3.3]. The history of the New Testament church ever since that time is littered with leaders and churches and denominations which have layered works of righteousness onto the backs of the faithful. In every place we see many Christ-followers faithfully working to try and maintain and advance their right standing with God, perfecting their holiness.  Attending services and reading books and all the various sundry disciplines which are good and even beneficial yet none of which are primary in producing fruit and godly character. Christ is Vine Dresser. He is the One Who sanctifies. We begin by His Spirit - and progress by the same Spirit. I surrender to Christ. I trust in Him - for salvation, AND for sanctification.

My personal experience of Christ as Sanctifier

I did not grow up in the church, yet I was blessed to come to Christ through a ministry which stressed the importance of walking in the Spirit, of being filled with the Spirit. From Day One I learned that salvation and sanctification is not an emotional experience but a personal relationship with Christ whereby I receive Him and walk in Him by faith, lived out each day in the guidance and power of His Spirit, in dependence upon Him. I put my trust in Him and His work and in the truth of His Word and not in my feelings or feeble efforts. And I would say this has been my consistent experience, beginning and then continuing each day (most days?) in reliance upon Him, albeit imperfectly, of gradually seeing more of the fruit of the Spirit in my life, becoming more like Christ, seeing victory over sin and fruit in ministry. And I try to be open to and seeking still more of Him, more of Christ in and through my life, living by Him and for Him, for His glory.

I cannot say that I have yet had a significant secondary “crisis” of surrender. For me, trusting in Christ was indeed a point of surrender. There was no easy believe-ism in play. There was much at stake - nobody I knew back home was a Christian. It was a crisis point. I experienced another crisis point in surrendering to a call to full-time ministry, when a speaker challenged his audience to be willing to go anywhere, do anything for the sake of Christ and His Great Commission. I cannot say what the Lord may have in store for me in the future, be it crises or the more mundane slopes of gradual progress further up and further in, but I trust, by God’s grace and by His Spirit, that with Paul my life and words will ever and always increasingly affirm, “For from Him and by Him and for Him are all things - to Him be the glory forever, Amen” [Rom 11.36].