Spring 1991

The True Church
Edited from an article by
Seeley D. Kinne.

There is a God-made Ecclesia with its true head, Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High. He has established within His Church a God-ordained order and said concerning this: "I will build My Church" Matt 16:18.

This heavenly Church is not an organization that comes forth by the effort of man; it is a supernatural organism. It is the Body of Christ, a Body knit together in the Spirit. It is pervaded by the power of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit. He brings the things of Christ and imparts them to His people.

As in a human body, the intelligent man who dwells therein, pervades, moves, and controls that body; so Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, dwells in the members of His Body, directing and uniting them into one compact body, the Body of Christ. It is so-called because the members are united by an invisible spiritual dynamic which makes them one heart, one soul, and one mind. This Church is called the Body of Christ. "And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all ... for we are members of His Body, of His flesh, and of His bones" Eph 1:22-23; 5:30.

The Church, the Body of Christ, is also called by several other names. It is God's building; for it is His design. He builds it for a habitation. It is the Household of God, His great family. It is the Temple of God, since within it is conducted divine worship, and here are the various vessels of His service, symbolized by the appurtenances of the ancient temple.

Christ, the Head of His Body, the Church, is a miraculous being. He is both Deity and human. The supernatural and the miraculous were continually appearing in His ministry. He routed demons, confounded the wise, subdued nature into obedience to His command, healed the sick and afflicted, and spake s never man spake. His days were Heaven upon earth. See Luke 1:35; Matthew1:18, 21-23).

Christ is Himself the builder of His Church. No man-built Church is acceptable to God. Jesus said "I will build My Church." "God hath set the members everyone in the Body, as it hath pleased Him." "Whose names are written in Heaven." Such texts clearly teach that no effort of man can put members into the Body of Christ, nor bring forth the true Church. See Matt 16:18; I Cor12:18; Heb 12:23.

Christ is the Head of the true Church, and since He is miraculous and supernatural, the Church which is His body must be supernatural and miraculous in formation, nature, and growth. The early Church was the most extraordinary institution ever seen on earth. It was endowed with a series of the most wonderful and unusual powers, gifts, and abilities; enabling it to accomplish a great revolution wherever its Apostles and Ministers operated. It was, in a powerful manner, the reproduction of the ministry of Christ within the various ministers. It was Christ working in and by them. "And gave Him to be the Head over all the Church which is His Body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all" Eph 1:22b-23.

Membership in the true Ecclesia must, therefore, be so by a supernatural act of God. No act of man by water, vote, resolution, or any means whatever, can put one into this Church, or remove one from it; else it is not built by Christ, but by man. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit ... But now hath God set the members every one of them in the Body, as it hath pleased Him" I Cor 12:13, 18.

The Body of Christ is of Divine construction. Its members being many are set in their places and sustained there by the power of God, through the motions of the Holy Spirit, who fashions them into one Body. The Church is a Temple of God. Here is conducted services of praise, worship, prayer, and communion. Here is manifest the glory of God, and the cloud of Divine presence.

God's Church is His divine workshop. Within is carried on His various works. Here, is His Divine oracle: The Word, the spirit of revelation, and the washing of water by the Word. Here are the works of recreating, refining, purifying, purging, polishing, perfecting, transfiguring, and all His varied workings by bestowing gifts and graces; so making ready for the station and company to which each belongs in the heavenly world.

A marvelous workshop, equipped with the finest tools and machinery: prophecy, wisdom, revelation, knowledge, and every necessary device for preparing those who are going on to full maturity. Alas! For the great loss to the people of God; that for so much of the time of this age, this Divine workshop has not been in proper shape to accomplish God's work.

But now it must be set into divine order, that those who are to be used in the purpose of God will be fully prepared. You who would be overcomers, present yourselves for preparation.