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Where In The Bible Will I Find...
Things God Has Joined Together? (No. 2) Gary Colley |
Last month we noticed two things God has joined together that no man is to put asunder — man and woman in marriage (Matt. 19:6) and faith and the Bible (Rom. 10:17). However, there are several other things God has joined with which no man should tamper. Individuals are often heard to say, "I want Christ, but not the church." Or, "I believe one can go to heaven without being a member of the church." If these thoughts are from the Bible, we should all receive and defend them. But, are they? In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised to build His church. Paul made the comparison of not putting asunder (dividing) the marriage to not putting asunder Christ and His church. God has joined them both. Notice Paul’s inspired words: "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church" (Eph. 5:31-32). Paul further stated, "And (God) hath put all things under his (Christ’s) feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22-23). Since the church is the fulness of Christ, if one is in Christ, he must of necessity be in Christ’s church (Acts 2:41, 47). Therefore, God hath joined together Christ and the church. "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." In every age of the world, God has required the offering of blood as a sacrifice for sins. "And without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9:22). Jesus, "the Lamb of God for the sin offering (John 1:29), said He shed His blood "for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:28). His blood was shed in His death on Calvary (John 19:34). Therefore, for man to receive the benefits of Jesus’ blood, he must, in some way, come into contact with the death of Christ. Paul describes how man does this: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death" (Rom. 6:3-4). God hath joined together the blood and baptism. Have you been baptized? "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." |