Jesus Christ: Head of the Church
Jesus Christ is the Head of the church (Col 1:18). The church (Gk. ekklesia) is a body (Gk. somatos) of members, who are called out from the world of darkness and into the marvelous light of the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Col 1:13; 1 Pet 2:9). The Gospel call goes out to all nations (Mt 24:14; Mk 16:15). It is the Word of God, preached by the man of God, in the wisdom and power of the Spirit of God that calls all men everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel (Acts 17:30).
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe (Rom 1:16–17). It is a message of foolishness to those who do not believe it, and who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18). The reason one person believes in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, and the reason another person does not believe in Him is the presence or the absence of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11). Simply put, faith in Christ does not exist apart from the Spirit of Christ.
The church is Christ’s church. The members belong to Him (1 Cor 3:23). Our Savior purchased His chosen people with His own precious blood (Acts 20:28; Col 3:12; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:19). Jesus promised to build His church (Mt 16:18); and then He laid down His life for her, His bride (Jn 10:11, 15; Eph 5:25), when He died on the cross to release His people from their entire debt of sin (Col 2:14; Rev 1:5).
The membership of this one holy nation of God’s chosen people is drawn by God the Father to God the Son (Jesus) from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Jn 6:44; 1 Pet 2:9; Rev 5:9; 7:9). It is the Holy Spirit who baptizes each one of God’s elect redeemed people into Christ’s church (Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16; 1 Cor 12:13), regardless of any identification ascribed to them by the world (Gal 3:28). The Israel of God is comprised of men, women, slave, free, Jews and Gentiles from every race and people group (Is 49:1–6; Gal 6:16).
As the Head of those whose citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20), the church on the earth is militant in every generation. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood; but it is spiritual (Eph 6:12). The church in heaven is comprised of the saints who have already died in Christ (Col 3:3; 1 Thess 4:13–5:11). This is the church victorious; and we give thanks to God who gives His beloved the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:57). Jesus Christ overcame the world at the cross (Jn 16:33); and now God is leading the victors in His triumphant parade (2 Cor 2:14).
It is the Holy Spirit who makes men of God overseers in every local church (Acts 14:23; 20:28; Titus 1:5). Elders in the local church must be apt to teach the Bible (1 Tim 3:2; 2 Tim 2:2, 24). The man of God must rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). He must speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine (Titus 2:1), which is doctrine conforming to godliness (1 Tim 6:3). The teacher/preacher must exhort the congregation in sound doctrine; and he must be able to refute those who contradict (Titus 1:9).
The Spirit-filled elder must guard the flock of God as a voluntary overseer (1 Pet 5:1–2). The pastor/presbyter/bishop must be an example to those allotted into his care by the Spirit (1 Pet 5:3). He, like the apostle Paul, suffers for the sake of the elect (2 Tim 2:10). Satan, the ruler of this world (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), has blinded the minds of Adam’s posterity (2 Cor 4:4). Men love the darkness because their deeds are evil (Jn 3:19). The elect must be reconciled, others rebuked.
Set in opposition to Christ and His church, the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 Jn 5:19). The Holy Spirit in the adopted children of God is greater than he who is in the world (1 Jn 4:4). It is the Spirit of Christ who is our Teacher and who guides us into all truth (Jn 14:26; 16:13). He is the One who testifies to Jesus Christ and cannot deny Him.
Christ Jesus is King of kings, the King of glory (Ps 24; 1 Tim 6:15). All authority in heaven and earth belong to Him (Mt 28:18). Our God reigns; and by His benevolent mercy and grace He transferred us from the domain of darkness, the dominion of Satan and into the kingdom of His beloved Son (Acts 26:18; Col 1:13).
Christ’s church is the kingdom of God on earth in the Spirit (Rom 14:17). His church is subject to her Head, as wives are subject to their husbands who love them (Eph 5:24–25). Christ’s love for His beloved bride was demonstrated at the cross. He died for her (Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3). All that Christ does is done with love for His beloved. He is love (1 Jn 4:8); and love never fails (1 Cor 13:8).
The minister’s motive in speaking the truth must be love from a pure heart (Eph 4:15; Phil 1:9; 1 Tim 1:5). This is the goal of his instruction. The blessed congregation has a love for the knowledge of the truth. They grow up in Christ to spiritual maturity by growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (Col 2:7; 1 Pet 2:5; 2 Pet 3:18).
By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus (Heb 12:2), who is seated at the center of the throne of God (Rev 7:17), at the right hand of Majesty (Heb 1:3; 8:1), we are conformed to His image (Rom 8:29), the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15).
The Christian’s life is hidden in Christ (Col 3:3), who lives in each one born again of His Spirit (Gal 2:20; 1 Pet 1:3). This mutual indwelling is our union with Christ, who is in perfect union with God the Father. They are one; and Jesus prayed that we, too, would be one in Him (Jn 10:30; 17:23). We serve the living God in the position of Christ’s meritorious righteousness (1 Thess 1:9; Heb 9:14). He is the Lord our righteousness (Jer 23:6; 33:16).
The truth of our right standing has set us free from the lies of the father of lies (Jn 8:32, 44), who has deceived the sons of Adam with the promises that they, too, shall become gods (Gen 3:5). Hence, the natural man, void of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17; 1 Cor 2:14), is always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim 3:7). He has no love for God (Jn 5:42), who is true (Rom 3:4), in his heart. He is always going astray from the truth (2 Tim 2:17), as it is in Jesus (Eph 4:21).
We remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. He is the living Word of God (Jn 1:1), who sent the Holy Spirit to inspire the written Word of God (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20–21), which is the seed of life implanted in our hearts (Mt 13:23; Jas 1:21) that gives God’s elect, redeemed new life (2 Cor 5:17). This life, in Christ, is abundant and eternal (Jn 10:10; 1 Jn 5:11–13).
The life of Christ’s church is the Spirit of God in us. The indwelling life of God in our souls manifests faith in Christ (Eph 2:8–9; Phil 1:29). The body of Christ trusts her living Head, who is willing and doing His good pleasure (Phil 2:13), which causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him because He first loved us (1 Jn 4:19), and who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).
My dear reader, examine yourself to see that you are in Christ and that He is living in you. Make your calling and election sure by testing the evidence presented by the Spirit and the Word. Press on in your study of the Scriptures, for in them your salvation is revealed to you. His name is Jesus Christ, the Israel of God (Is 49:1–6), who is gathering His church to Himself, and He will lose none of His own, but will raise them to resurrection life on the last day at His coming (Jn 5:28–29).
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
April 4, 2024
