The Glory That Makes The Church as GLORIOUS As GOD Himself

I’ve said this to Chicago, but I want to repeat it: there’s a brother there who’s just got one eye—his older brother knocked an eye out. There’s a sister there whose fingers are curled up because of malnutrition. There’s a woman present who has given birth to nine children, and only one of them has lived. There are those who’ve got tattoos around their mouth. Women 30 years old look 70. They can just squeak by with food, eating mostly grain, and it’s not a well-balanced diet. They have not been an immoral people; they have been an amoral people because they’re Gentiles; they don’t understand morality. And this letter gets read. Now, Brother Mike, Sister Christy, you would be here, and you would be here. I just want you to know that when Jesus Christ, when God chose you inside Jesus Christ, God announced to Himself and to a universe not yet created, these five people are without blame.

Well, there was a time though when you walked after the course of this world and after the prince of the powers of the air, and there was a time when you were uncircumcised in heart, and there was a time when you were dead because your trespasses had killed you, and your sins had killed you, and you had a father named wrath and a mother named disobedience. But you also had a God who has seen the beginning from the end. In fact, He has been at the end and seen the beginning, and He’s been at the beginning and seen the end, and He has finished His works through all generations. They are completed.

I don’t understand this, but it’s true. When you were dead in your trespasses and your sins and you walked according to the principality of the power of the air and walked as the world walks, and you were an alien, and you were not part of the household of God, you were blameless based on His grace, based on His knowledge, that is, based on the fact He’s been there. You were without blame. Nobody could blame you because you can only be blamed if it reaches the ears of God, and the ears of God cannot hear your second state, for your second estate has already been dealt with and put away. He only sees you in your first state and your last state. You are without blemish, and you are without blame. You can’t be blamed.

Now here’s the amazing part. Brother Michael, Sister Kirstie, Regina, whatever your name is, and Daniel, Gary, or Gerhardt, you are holy. You were holy. Do you know what can unholy you? You know what can cause you to be blamed? You don’t know? Well, I’m going to tell you. When Jesus Christ becomes unholy, you become unholy, and when you can put a charge against Jesus Christ and blame Him, then they can blame you. Saint, to get to you with blame and unholiness, they’ve got to get all the way through God. They’ve got to get all the way through Jesus Christ before they can come to you, for you were blameless and holy in Him from the foundation of the world. Now, Regina, that should pretty well help you get over your headache of guilt.

I’ve got a nickel that says, all this time, everybody in this room has been thinking individually. Yes or no? No? Alright, doctor. Have you not been thinking individually? Well, stop. This must be what ties you together through all that you’re going to pass through. This is what must tie you together: that you are holy. That’s a singular you. You are holy. And you cannot be blamed.

There is going to come a time when, in the course of the events of the brothers and sisters who are in Constance and who are going to be, there is going to be a sense that she can be blamed. She cannot be blamed. There’s going to be a sense that she is not as holy as she ought to be. She is holy. This has been established according to His kind intention, which He intended in Christ Jesus when He chose you in Him before the foundation of the world. Sister, don’t ever forget that. Come the blackest day you folks will ever live, you have been predetermined to be here as one blameless person, as one holy person. Is that not wonderful? Alright, that is your first state. A girl chosen in Christ because God fell in love with you. Not the individual, but the girl. Predetermined that you would be here.

Now, if there’s anything that bothers me, and if you want to know where my Christian faith runs out, it’s when you start telling me that before the foundations of the world, God loved me. I must confess to you that there are times I feel I am the most unlovable. Unlovable. Unjustifiably lovable. Have you ever felt that way, Ida? You have. Well, Ida, I don’t understand. Not now. Well, Ida, I want you to know something. I cannot fathom why God loves you. I cannot, but it is established that he chose you because he loved you. He chose you as his beloved…and I don’t understand this. But I’m not going to argue the point; He called me just as he called his Son.

Now, then, I want you to hold on to one thing: you have been chosen to fulfill the calling of Jesus Christ. We have looked at your state in the past. We have looked at your second state, and tomorrow we’re going to begin to look at your final state…your next-to-the-last state. Your final state. The only problem is we just can’t quite see that final part of that final as clearly as we can see other things. Sister, do you know that God has given you a name? Do you know that God has given you a name? Yes, that’s true, but let me talk to you as a body of believers. Do you know that… stop right there.

You have an assignment, and you will begin it tonight. Before you go to bed, you’re going to take Ephesians 1, and you’re going to read it, and you’re going to just mark out everything there that you don’t like, okay? Like anything that’s negative, okay? Anything that’s negative. The whole chapter? Okay, if you wish to do that, Abel. Abel is always marching to another drummer.

I want you tonight alone to get inside that girl and read this passage, and without opening your mouth, I want you to offer it as a prayer to Jesus Christ. Turn Ephesians 1 into a prayer book. And I want to tell you something: it’s better than the Church of England’s Book of Prayers, and it is better than any other prayer book that I’ve ever seen. It is better than any prayer you’ve ever prayed, other than, Lord, save me.

Tomorrow morning… decide tonight… get together with one other believer and just do a section. Leave this behind. I’m going to take this section, you’re going to take this section, and you’re going to sit down, and you’re going to talk to Jesus Christ, not as an individual, but as the bride. Now, if at any time you’re speaking this to the Lord with your own mouth open tomorrow morning, if the person sitting next to you sees something or feels something, or, you know what I mean, just something wells up…interrupt your friend. After all, you’re both part of the body of Christ.

Tomorrow morning, divide up chapter 1 into four pieces. I’ll take piece one, you take two, I’ll take three, you take four. Sit down somewhere with your sister or your brother and turn Ephesians 1 into a speaking bride. Lord Jesus, I thank you that you… No, don’t say thank you. My Lord and my husband, you have given me the spiritual realm which is in you, and I’m in you. That was your love for me. You chose me in you long, long ago, that I’d be holy and blameless. Lord Jesus, I’m as holy as you are. Lord Jesus, I am as blameless as you are. To the glory, to the praise of the glory of your grace.