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CHAPTER X

Glorification of the Church

HE "church" means a called out class, separate

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and distinct from all others. The church of Christ consists of Jesus Christ the head and the 144,000 members of his body. (Col. 1:18; Revelation 7:4) Those composing this special class are otherwise designated "saints". A saint is one who is pure, holy, blameless. The followers of Christ Jesus are not holy or blameless within themselves, but their holiness is by virtue of his imputed merit. This same class of Christians is otherwise designated in the Bible as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a purpose". (1 Pet. 2: 9, Diaglott) They are also designated 'new creatures' (2 Cor. 5:17); therefore they constitute the new creation. This new creation when completed will be of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) Nature is determined by organism. The nature of the church, then, will be like unto Jehovah God. It pleased God that Jesus Christ, his beloved Son, should have preeminence in his great plan; hence he is made the head of the new creation.

469 This new creation had its beginning with Jesus Christ at the time of his baptism in Jordan when he was begotten to the divine nature and anointed with the holy spirit without limitation. As a man, he was pure, blameless, holy. At the age of thirty years, he was qualified under the law to be a priest, and there he consecrated himself and at that time was baptized and begotten to the divine nature; hence he became

a new creature there from the divine standpoint. As a new creature he was made perfect by the things which he suffered.-Hebrews 5:8.

470 From the time of his baptism he was opposed by Satan the Devil, who sought to destroy him. The reason for this opposition lay in the fact that when God sentenced Adam to death he had said unto Satan: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3: 15) The woman here symbolized or typified the Abrahamic covenant, from which the seed of promise springs. As Isaac was the son of promise, so the church was typified by Isaac. (Galatians 4:25-29) The seed of promise is therefore the new creation. The seed of the serpent consists of those agencies visible and invisible which are his offspring, and which are used by him for his wicked work. In Jesus' day the scribes and Pharisees and doctors of the law were classed as the offspring of Satan, his seed (John 8:44); and it has been true at all times that many who have pretended to be Christians are really the seed of Satan and engage in persecuting others who love the Lord.

471 Immediately after the baptism of Jesus he went up into a mountain in the wilderness to study God's plan and to meditate upon it, that he might be instructed in the way that Jehovah would have him go; and when this season of forty days was ended and he came forth, he was subjected to great temptation by the Devil. Jesus resisted all of these efforts of Satan. (Luke 4:1-13) Jesus, the head of the seed of promise, was the target of Satan's instruments. For three and a half years he suffered daily at the hands of Satan and those who represented him, namely, those

human beings who possessed the devilish spirit. During that period of three and a half years he was indeed a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; but all this suffering was necessary for his perfection as a new creature. (Hebrews 5:8, 9) Because of his faithfulness, his fidelity and loyalty to God even unto death, he won the great victory, became an overcomer. Hence we read: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) The members of the body of Christ, the members of the church, must follow in his footsteps.-1 Pet. 2:21.

PREDESTINATED

472 While the selection of the new creation began with the baptism of Jesus, God had foreordained long in advance that there should be a church, of which Jesus Christ is the head. Paul wrote: "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: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself."-Ephesians 1:4-9.