Christ’s Authority in the New Community

MEMORY SELECTION: “[He] hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His body.” —Ephesians 1:22,23

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 1:11-23

THROUGHOUT the Gospel Age, since the days of our Lord’s first advent, the invitation has gone out to those who would respond to present their lives in consecration to God. The faithful ones of this little flock will, in due time, share the glory of their Lord in the millennial kingdom of Christ. This entire work has gone largely unnoticed by the world of mankind for nearly two thousand years.

The Apostle Paul says (Heb. 5:4), No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God.” It is indeed a great privilege to hear the call during the present age and to be prospective members of that future body of Christ. In this connection Jesus explained (John 6:44,45) that “no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets [Isa. 54:13], And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”

Our Lord, together with the 144,000 members of his glorified church, will be the undisputed authority of truth and righteousness in that future age of restitution blessing. The Master will rightfully maintain the honored position of headship over his church, and together they will instruct the people in the ways of truth. All, therefore, will be enabled to earn a standing before the Father through the merit of the shed blood of Jesus—which will be testified to all in due time.

In the selected scripture reading for this lesson we note (vs. 11) that “we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” Due to the word “predestinate,” some Christians have been misled as to the true meaning of this passage. The Emphatic Diaglott translates this as “having been previously marked out.” The correct thought is that a class of faithful followers has been arranged for by God as the bride of Christ. Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find evidence that individual members of that bride class have been predestinated for that position of glory, honor, and immortality. That privilege must be earned by each individual in his own Christian walk. There is nothing arbitrary in connection with the call that has gone out during the Gospel Age.

One of the blessed assurances that comes to the followers of Christ concerns the “sealing with the Holy Spirit of promise.” The sealing of this Spirit is a special gift from God and attests to the promise of his power to sustain and assist the child of God.

Paul then says (vs. 14) that this is “the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The Diaglott translates this as being the “pledge of our inheritance.” We may have complete confidence in God, his power, and his Word. “So shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isa. 55:11) Again, he tells us that “I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.”—Isa. 46:11

The apostle was particularly interested in the welfare of the Lord’s people. He tells us that he would “cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in [his] prayers.” (vs. 16) Furthermore that “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.”—vss. 18,19

The whole plan of God for the recovery of mankind from sin and death centers in the redemptive work of Jesus. As the apostle assures us, he is now raised to a position of glory, even at the right hand of God, “far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.”—vss. 20,21

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