The Passion of Purpose - Part 4

Well, since it’s been quite a while since our last gazette, I think it would be fitting to recap some of the prior articles of this series.

First, we saw that God has an eternal purpose. Most Christians don’t know or understand what this purpose is. This purpose cannot be evangelism, salvation, healing, deliverance, or prosperity because it is an eternal purpose. This means that this purpose existed in God before creation!

This purpose is something that your Lord is very passionate about. We saw that He displayed some of that passion when he cleansed the temple. It was said that, “zeal for the Father’s House had consumed Him.” All this passion was not over a building called “the Temple”! He had something much deeper and higher in mind.

Paul’s Revelation

Actually the house is referred to by Paul as “the body of Christ.” In fact, Paul goes so far as to say that we are the body of Christ, not that we are like a
body of Christ! This is tremendous! We believers are actually the body, the expression of Jesus Christ!

In fact Paul even takes it one incredible step further! He makes to of the most radical statements ever in the letter to the church at Corinth. These declarations are probably the most over looked statements in all of scripture!

He said, “Just as your human body has many parts and yet is one body, so also is Christ.” (I Cor. 12:12)

and…

“each of you says, ‘I am of Paul”, or “I am of Apollos”, or “I am of Cephas” or “I am of Christ” Is Christ divided? (I Cor. 1:12, 13)

and…

“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” “For we, though many, are on bread and one body; for we all partake of that on bread.”

Brothers and sisters; who is the Bread of Life? We are all partakers of that one Bread. Do you see what Paul is saying here? Many members, yet one body. So also is Christ.

Not the body of Christ.So also is Christ!

The Oneness of the Body

So who is this Person that Paul called Christ? He is a Person made up of the Head and a body. This Person has one head and a many membered body. The Head and
the body make up the complete (whole) Person. You cannot separate the Head from the body or the body from the Head. Together, as one, the Head and the body make up this one Person called Christ!

Ar you beginning to get a clearer picture now of just Who the church is? Can you see now who the Father is so passionate about this House, this Body, this Person? This Person is no one less than His very own Son! And the Father is obsessed with His Son!

A Square Peg into a Round Hole

Now, let me ask all of you a question. Considering all that we have seen of the
Lord’s purpose; the House, the Temple, the Body, and the Person (man), how does our 21^st century concept of “church” fit into all of this? In other words, in light of all that we have seen of the picture of a living, breathing, organic body of believers who together make up and express the oneness of Jesus Christ and His Father, where does our modern concept of the building, church service, organization, rituals, clergy, and “sit and listen, mentality fit in?

It just plain doesn’t

You just can’t force our present day “church” mindset into that picture of the body.  It just won’t fit!

The Christ Life

So what is all this fuss about God’s eternal purpose anyway?  As we said earlier, God is obsessed with His Son. His purpose revolves and is wrapped around and in His Son. He is extremely passionate about His Son. He so longs to have an expression (body) of His Son on the earth. Not a “part-time” expression on Sunday mornings, but rather a true expression of His Son. The Sons’ Life flows continually, naturally and eternally within His body. His life flows through His body in love, acceptance, grace and freedom. His life must flow through His body unhindered! The Father has gone to great lengths to make this possible. He has even gone to the extreme of sacrificing His only begotten Son to make this possible. In other words, the Father
has sacrificed and given all He has to open the way for His purpose to be fulfilled.  He has prepared all, suffered all, sacrificed all and given all for the sake of His purpose. You could say that He is committed. You could also say that He is really
into this!

The Pearl of Great Price

Now, my brothers and sisters, we need to get personal. This isn’t just some high and lofty revelation of Christ that cannot be made practical. Remember, God wants an expression on the earth! Now, let’s get down to earth!

After seeing how committed and passionate your Father is about the establishment and birthing of His House, His Temple, His Son (Head& Body), how does this effect you? I mean, does this impact you at all? Do you call yourself on of His sons/daughters? Does this same passion for His purpose rush through the blood in your veins as well? Do you want what He
wants? Do you want it (even though not as intensely as Him) in any measure? If you say that you want Christ, then you must also want what He wants.

If you want this, then I must as you this most piercing question:

 What are you prepared to do to get it? 

Do you see what I am saying?

Do you really want the Lord?

What are you prepared to do?

Are you ready to give up all to get Him?

Are you ready to go anywhere, do anything and forsake all for His holy purpose?

You see His purpose is a Pearl; a pearl of great price. Are you willing to sell all to purchase this pearl? Remember, “you get what you pay for.”Only those things for which you have paid a great price will have great value to you.

Written by Milt Rodriguez