UNDERSTANDING THE PERFECT CHURCH 2
(week 26/10)
OLUBI JOHNSON
In our article last week, we saw that God is at the moment preparing a perfect Church in the earth by using the filter of the Outer Court and the Holy Place to remove the imperfections of the present imperfect church. This week, we will see in more detail how this is being done, so we can choose to and become a part of the perfect church.
In a sense, God uses the Outer Court as a filter for the Holy Place and the Holy Place as a filter for the Holiest of all. So the perfect church is actually found in the Holiest of all, but saints are brought into it gradually through filter of the sufferings experienced in the Outer Court and the Holy Place.
These filters will maintain the perfect church once it has been made manifest.
Everybody who gets born-again will have to go through the filter of the Outer Court: if they do not, they will not be allowed to go into the Holy Place even though they may remain in the church:
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 MKJV: (10) According to the grace of God which is given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let every man be careful how he builds on it. (11) For any other foundation can no one lay than the one being laid, who is Jesus Christ. (12) And if anyone builds on this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, (13) each one’s work shall be revealed. For the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try each one’s work as to what kind it is. (14) If anyone’s work which he built remains, he shall receive a reward. (15) If anyone’s work shall be burned up, he shall suffer loss. But he shall be saved, yet so as by fire.
If they do not bring forth any fruit at all they can be totally cut-off or removed from the church:
John 15:2 NIV: He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
John 15:6 NIV: If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
Matthew 13:47-50 NIV: Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. (48) When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. (49) This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous (50) and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It is instructive to see that we are now in the 3rd day: the end of the age so the separation is being done now in the Church to allow a perfect church to come into manifestation.
Christians that enter into the Holy Place but who after some time, do not bring forth the fruit of the revelation knowledge of perfection (they may have revelation of other things like healing, prosperity and the gifts of the Spirit but should go on to the revelation of perfection (Heb. 6:1-3)), symbolized by a wedding garment will be taken back into the spiritual darkness of the Outer Court:
Matthew 22:10-14 MKJV: So the servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. And the wedding was filled with reclining guests. (11) And the king coming in to look over the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. (12) And he said to him, Friend, how did you come in here without having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. (13) Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few chosen.
The wedding feast spoken of here is symbolic of the feast of the revelation of knowledge of perfection in feast of Tabernacles that enables to have a ‘wedding garment’ and so become a part of the bride of Christ: the perfect church.
So by the filters of the Outer-Court and the Holy Place, God will maintain the purity of the perfect church in the Holiest of all, fulfilling:
Ephesians 5:26-27 MKJV: that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, (27) that He might present it to Himself as the glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So, to be a part of the perfect church we must be perfected by the blood (Heb. 13:20-21), the Word (1 Jn. 2:5) and the Spirit (1 Jn. 4:12-18) through the sufferings of self-denial, temptations and afflictions.
1 Peter 5:10 MKJV: But the God of all grace, He calling us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, He will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
We overcome the sufferings of self-denial and afflictions by the blood, the Word and the Spirit and so we are gradually being perfected:
James 1:2-4 MKJV: My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into different kinds of temptations, (3) knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. (4) But let patience have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.
It is vital to understand that it is NOT the sufferings that perfect us, but the application of the Word and the power of the Spirit to overcome the sufferings that perfect us; like the Lord Jesus too was perfected by the Word and the Spirit through the sufferings of temptations and afflictions:
Hebrews 2:10 MKJV: For it became Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons into glory, to perfect the Captain of their salvation through sufferings.
Hebrews 5:7-9 MKJV: For Jesus, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared, (8) though being a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. (9) And being perfected, He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him,
Hebrews 4:15 MKJV: For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin.
To be made perfect through sufferings, practice the following as a daily habit:
(1) Humility (Phil.2:8)
(2) the 7 spirits of God (Is.11:2) including the spirit of wisdom and revelation;
(3) the life of God through the promises in the Word (2 Peter 1:4);
(4) Praying with all kinds of prayer in the Spirit including travail (Eph. 6:18, Col 4:12 and Gal. 4:19);
(5) Washing of feet (Jn. 13:14, 34) at least 4 times daily (Dt. 6:7, Mk. 13:35, 2 Sam. 6:13);
(6) Balanced bible reading and study (2 Tim. 2:15, 3:15-16);
(7) Frequent (once every hour Mt. 24:42) asking the Lord for mercy (1 Cor. 7:25) to triumph in all things (2 Cor. 2:14) and praying in tongues to commune with God (1 Cor. 14:18) especially during afflictions and temptations (Rm. 12:12, Jam. 1:2-4).
So, the perfect church is being formed even as these words are being written and you can and should choose to be a part of it by using the blood, the Word and the Spirit as shown above to grow into the perfection and fullness of Christ!
