GOD’S PURPOSE OF SALVATION PART II

I. The church being God’s temple must be built on the proper ground.

A. Any construction work needs a strong foundation a proper location. Christ is the foundation of the church, which is God’s temple. However, to have only the foundation is not enough. We surely first need a lot before building a house. Without a ground no building work can be done.

B. A house could not be built in the air or at the middle of the street. It should be built on the proper ground. Likewise, the church, which is God’s temple, should also be built on the proper ground.

II. The guiding principle concerning the ground of the church.

A. A typology in the Old Testament (2 Chron. 6:5-6) – the building of the physical temple.

1. There was only one temple ordained by God to be built on the unique ground chosen by God.

2. The temple being a type of the church can only be built on the chosen ground. Jerusalem was the chosen ground. Thus, the Israelites could not build the same temple anywhere outside Jerusalem.

3. God appointed that only one temple be built on the chosen ground to preserved the oneness among God’s children. To build 12 temples for the 12 tribes of Israel will inevitably result to division.

B. The spiritual application of the typology in the New Testament (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:21-22) – The building of the church.

1. Today there are thousands f so-called churches. Hence, we need to realize that God only wants to build one church. The Bible speaks only of one Head who is Christ and His one Body, which is the church.

2. The church being the reality of the Old Testament typology should also be built on the chosen ground. The chosen ground of the church is the locality. Thus, in the Bible we only have the local churches; like for instance the CHURCH IN JERUSALEM (Acts 8:1), the CHURCH IN EPHESUS (Rev. 2:1), and the CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA (Rev. 3:7). God’s chosen ground, the local ground of the church preserves the oneness of Christ’s Body.

3. The church is a composition of all redeemed and regenerated believers. The locality or city where the believers live is the very ground of the church; the construction site where the believers are the living stones (1 Pet. 2:5) are being built together into God’s temple. Only by standing on the proper ground of oneness in the local church can the oneness of God’s children be preserved which Satan is trying to scatter and divide. In this way real believers are being practically built up together for God’s corporate expression and testimony.

III. Among the divided situation of the believers today only those who are standing on the proper ground are one with the heart’s desire of God.

A. A typology in the Old Testament. 2 Chronicles 6:5-6

1. There was a time when the Israelites sinned and became captives of Egypt, Syria, and Babylon. But they did not build any temple there because neither of those places were the chosen ground.

2. God commanded them to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem but only few returned. Even according to the 1972 statistics only about two million Israelites were in Israel and around twelve million were still scattered outside Israel. The returnees though few were the only ones that can be called the nation of Israel being on the proper ground. It is not a matter of number but o proper standing. That is why those outside Israel being not on the proper ground although more in number cannot be called the nation of Israel.

3. The Israelites are all God’s people yet they are divided because not all returned to the place appointed by God. Thus, among the divided Israelites only those who returned to the proper ground pleased God because they listened to His voice, they rebuilt the damage temple, and they stood on the proper ground of oneness. By returning to the right ground ordained by God the prophecy concerning Christ’s first coming that He would be born in Bethlehem was fulfilled.

B. The spiritual application of the typology in the New Testament.

1. Since we are talking about oneness some would say, "Why not all real Christians be members of the Alliance Church or perhaps the Baptist Church?" Well, in the Old Testament typology the Israelites would only be one on the proper ground of Jerusalem not in Egypt nor in Syria nor in Babylon. Likewise, today the proper ground of oneness is only in the local ground of the church . Any name of a denomination based on doctrine (e.g. Baptist Church) could never be the ground of the church.

2. Therefore, today we need to return to the proper ground of the church, which is the locality, and offer ourselves as living stones for the building of God’s spiritual temple, which is the church. We may be few but it is not a matter of number for us to be considered a local church. Just like the nation of Israel to be called the nation of Israel is altogether a matter of proper standing. We should reject any unbiblical and divisive ground or name and just stand as a church, taking the city or locality where we live as the ground of the church. Like for instance, if we live in the city of Philadelphia we should just simply stand as the CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA (Rev. 3:7).

3. All believers are God’s New Testament children yet we are divided because not everybody is willing to come out from denomination and return to the proper ground. Exactly the same as the condition of the Israelites. We need to hear God’s calling, return to the proper ground of oneness in the local church, and continually meet together for the practical building up of God’s temple. By standing on the right ground of the church the prophecy concerning the second coming of Christ to judge the unbelieving ones and bring the church to glory will soon be fulfilled!