The Principles Of A People Of God (2)

by J.D. Terrell, Carlisle | Category: The Principles Of A People Of God | Aug 1979

We reflected last month on the matter of REDEMPTION as affecting God's people in Old Testament times, and today. We saw how fundamental this is to the completely changed spiritual status of those who put faith in Christ. Not only so, but it also contains the seed of God's purpose for the redeemed - that they should be for His POSSESSION, as a people.

The Lord's 'possessiveness' of His own is a theme of Scripture to delight the Christian's heart, at both the individual and collective levels. Particularly precious is the presentation of this in John's Gospel. In John 10 we have 'My sheep' (v.27); in chapter 15 'My disciples', and 'My friends' (vv. 8,14); in chapter 20 (see the amazing grace of the risen Christ!) 'My brethren' (v.17). Moreover Hebrews 2 shows us that the Lord used the latter designation in the context of 'the congregation' - "I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I sing Thy praise" (v.12). So it comes as no surprise when we find that Paul, writing to Titus (2:11-14) speaks of the Lord who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works". It is surely evident that in this passage the apostle's thought reaches away beyond the truth of salvation from the penalty of sin, to progressive spiritual victory through the Spirit's power, over 'all iniquity'. The purification of daily sanctification is what will enhance the preciousness to God of "a people for His own possession". This in no way detracts - only the reverse from the truth of Eph. 1:13,14. Here the Holy Spirit's sealing of believers is seen as the "earnest of our inheritance" and points forward to the "redemption of God's own possession" - the final grand eternal claiming of all who were bought at Calvary. Praise God, this purpose can never be frustrated! But Titus 2 concentrates our thoughts on God's purpose for today in His treasured possession, His people. To this 1 Peter 2:9 again corresponds- "a people for God's own possession, that ye may shew forth the excellencies of Him ...". This, in 1 Peter 2 is what is called 'royal priesthood' service, as distinct from the 'holy priesthood' service touched on earlier in the same passage, a very special ministry of the sanctuary of God.

But the Scriptures present God's idea of priests and priesthoods in a very possessive light. The priests and Levites of Israel were men set apart and readily identifiable as a group. They lived their lives and gave their varied service to God according to laws and statutes which they had been given. They were not permitted to deviate from these, and they incurred divine displeasure and judgement when they failed. "Can such an image of ordered priesthood service be applied to all believers today?" we ask, without questioning that God regards priestly service as the heritage of all believers. But are all who are in the Body of Christ in the dual priesthood as presented in 1 Peter 2? Are all the living stones "built up a spiritual house"? We say no, though they should be, and could be. And until they are, we submit that a most important dimension of the possession of His own which the Lord cherishes so much, will be missing. Can believers, scattered in a whole range of denominations, be truly regarded as "a people for His own possession" in the sense of Titus 2 and 1 Peter 2?

It was to saints in the church of God in Corinth that Paul wrote "For ye were bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6:20). And the same words recur in 7:23 followed by, "become not bondservants of men". Now readers of Scripture know well the contexts of these quotations, namely the sanctity of the believer's body, and the regulation of marriage matters for disciples. But these very things in the individual affected deeply the collective testimony of the churches of God, as the epistle makes so plain. The people of God as seen in churches of God in that day, and in this, must measure up to the purpose of Titus 2. What a rigorous challenge to godly living is laid before God's people! Its basis is the infinite love of the self-giving of our Lord Jesus Christ. To both individual and people comes the requirement of the demanding words, 'soberly', 'righteously', 'godly'. It is just as it was with Israel in their collective testimony, "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God" (Deut. 7:6).

Thus we have glimpsed again the glorious truth of the eternal security of each believer - part of the wonder of being HIS.

Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me.

Not for the years of time alone,

But for eternity.

But we have also seen the Lord's desire that a collective people, in the witness of godly living before the world, should be "for His own possession". So let us go back for a moment to Exod. 19:5 and remind ourselves of the conditions laid down that Israel might be "a peculiar treasure unto Me from among all peoples". "If ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant...". This leads us to our third principle associated with a people, namely AUTHORITY; for obedience is rendered to the word of authority.

The vista stretching before the Lord and His eleven disciples on the Galilean mountainside was not only natural and scenic (Mat. 28:18-20). Much more important was the spiritual prospect to which the Master there introduced His men. "All authority", He declared, "hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world". This was an early 'post-resurrection' appearance to His disciples. And some, we read, still doubted. But there was no time to be lost, and a vital forty days period of instruction and preparation must start straight away. It was to be about "the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3); and it required a sound foundation. That foundation was the Lord's universal authority. It was disciple-making that the Lord laid before these still rather unpromising men; not something they could accomplish in their own strength, as must have been painfully evident. Nor yet something which required only a single act of faith or commitment, vital as that must be for a start. No, disciples were to be baptized; and they were to receive and be obedient to the comprehensive body of the Lord's teaching (later to be known as "the apostles' doctrine" - Acts 2:42) in which He would instruct His apostles. How do some Christians read such words as Mat. 28:18-20 and just look away from the requirement of believers' baptism? Must not the words be laid alongside, "if ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments" (John 14:15)?

Now His authority, and the 'great commission' which flowed from it, surely link to Acts 2:41,42 where a tightly knit body of people who had "received His word", were baptized, had many more added to them, and "continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers". Is not this a picture of a people belonging together, and belonging to the Lord collectively as well as individually? As we see from Acts 3:1 and other passages, the apostle Peter led in this early movement. Many years later he confirmed this truth as he developed the theme we have been looking at particularly closely in 1 Pet. 2. Peter and his fellows followed their Lord's commission of Mat.28 and saw a united community of Christian churches - churches of God - grow in the power of the Holy Spirit. How could this have happened

apart from obedient subjection to the Lord's authoritative teaching through His apostles? Christian men and women were no less ready then than now each to develop his or her own ideas on how best to please God or order Christian worship and service; and some to gather a following under their personal or denominational banner. Paul was deeply concerned to nip that in the bud in Corinth (1 Cor. 3:4-9). So, too, Peter reminded the dispersed disciples in the scattered Asian churches that they had purified their souls in their obedience to the truth (1 Pet. 1:22); and instructed them about a spiritual house, a priesthood, nation, people.

And so divine authority, and the believer's response to this in observance of Bible teaching, leads inescapably to issues of collective service. Does then the New Testament teach us about this authority administered in the government of the people of God today? Indeed, we believe it does, and this brings us to our fourth principle for consideration - LEADERSHIP - about which a little more next month, God willing.

J.D. Terrell, Carlisle | Aug 1979
The Principles Of A People Of God