Some claim that Christ came to establish an earthly kingdom,
but that the Jews rejected Him as king. Therefore, as an afterthought,
He set up the church until He could establish an earthly kingdom
at a later date. But the truth of the matter is that Jehovah
God planned the church before the physical universe came into
existence. The scripture states, “And to make all men
see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning
of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by
Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities
and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the
manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which
he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” (Ephesians 3:9-11).
Rather than being an afterthought, the church is in separately
related to our redemption through Jesus Christ. The Apostle
Paul reveals this truth in his letter to the church at Ephesus
(Ephesians 1:3-14). The inspired Word of God reveals that redemption
through the blood of Christ was foreordained before the foundation
of the world (1 Peter 1:18-20). Spiritually we come in contact
with the saving blood of Christ when we obey His gospel in being
baptized and are added by the Lord to His church (Acts 22:16;
Revelation 1:5; Acts 20:28; Acts 2:47).
Instead of the Jews rejecting Christ to be a king over an
earthly-type kingdom, He rejected their effort to make Him such
a king (John 6:14-15). Actually, the church is that spiritual
kingdom established on the first Pentecost after the resurrection
of Christ (Acts 2; Colossians 1:12-14). Jesus Christ now reigns
as head of the church and is therefore king over that institution
which is made-up of the redeemed (Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy
6:15).
--Dub Mowery
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