Blessed are the reader and hearers of the words of this prophecy, provided they obey the things written it!
For the time is near!
Revelation 1:3
Introduction
While on the Greek Island of Patmos, Christ Jesus instructs John to “write on a scroll” what you see and send it to the seven beloved communities in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Christ identifies Himself to John, [who was in a state of total worship at Christ’s feet,] defining to him that He knows about each community in question.
After this, a challenge or reproach is given and communicated following a promise toward each community. In all seven cases, the admonition is included, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the beloved communities.
The object of this blog post is to communicate to the modern-day Ekklesia, the called-out ones from the world and into Christ, what are His expected seven marks of the Body of Christ during this current age.
Grace and Peace
What Christ thinks about the Body of Christ
In my analysis of the seven messages to the communities in Revelation, I wish to share with the community of believers, important wisdom as we are slowly beginning to “Reopen” in a post-COVID movement. It is very clear what Christ’s seven desires are for the Body to look like as well as practice in our reopenings.
These seven realities are spiritual marks of the beloved communities worldwide, that are done out of faithfulness, and fearlessness, in devotion to He who is the First and the Last, the Living One…, who holds the keys to Death and the Grave. Amen.
Agape
Agape is the challenge from God for us today! The love of God is the very essence of who and what the Beloved Community is. This love is a spiritually infused unconditional love that is targeted toward God and not the world. 1 John 2:15
Within all of the Holy Scriptures, the greatest commandment(s) is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with your entire mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:25-28
The beloved communities collective and individual “heart” are purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit and the result enables the beloved community to obey the living Word of Truth. 2 Timothy 3:16
Our reproach as the Body of Christ is our hatred we practice one to another, our treachery and indifference that is practiced in the community and socially.
Suffering
Our Master has challenged us to permit, to allow, to leave to us all as His disciples, to bearing pain, inconveniences, loss, distress, sorrow, by want or by wrongs. Suffering belong to the disciple’s calling as a follower of Christ. See: Romans 8:17; 2 Cor. 1:7, Gal. 3:4, Phil. 3:10, 1 Thess. 2:2, 2 Thess. 1:5, 2 Tim. 2:12, 2 Tim. 3:12, James 5:10, 1 Peter 2:20, 1 Peter 3:14, 17.
The Lord’s reproach toward us today as His Body is when we are motivated by sensuality, pleasure, extreme enjoyment, and comfort.
Truth
Christ is challenging the beloved community to be fully established in Truth, which without question is the Holy Word of God. The Holy Scriptures is a living Book, a divine Book, a perfect Book. We who are called into fellowship with God are commanded to search, study, and implant the living Word of God within the heart. Via the leading of the Holy Spirit, wisdom applied to one’s function is to incline your ear to its voice unto wisdom, while taking hold of its instructions while bowing one’s entire soul-life to its discipline. see: 2 Timothy 3:16
Our disgrace within the Body of Christ is we entertain and practice any falsehood, dishonesty, inaccuracy, disloyalty, or misrepresentation of our calling and commission as image-bearers of God in our lives and witness.
Holiness
As the “called out Ones” covered by heavenly grace, God separates His people unto Christ in an effort at sanctification which end result is spiritual transformation. This spiritual action is ongoing throughout the life of each follower and the entire Body of Christ whereas our natural worldly affections as men/women are purified from internalized sin, and the externalized sin in the culture. During this ongoing transformation, one’s worldview and affection are toward God, His Kingdom, and purpose.
Christ will blame His called out Ones whenever it is guilty of willful condemnation, disrespect, filthy thoughts actions, or deeds, and a heart of dishonor or degrading of human lives.
Authenticity
The Body of Christ is organically constructed to become confirm or established by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, a contrite heart, and a willing spirit to become conformed into the image of Christ internally, while publicly bearing witness, Christlike virtue and acts throughout the life travel of the faithful follower of Christ.
Christ, the Kingdom and the Body of Christ are disgraced when unchecked or habitual falsehoods, impurity run amok, while the words of the mouth of the follower are illegitimate in corresponding to one’s actions.
Mission
Biblically, authentic spiritual driven “Body Life” roles and function works in an uniformed capacity without any distinction between the “laymen/women”, or the “professional clergy” in responsibility and service unto the Lord our God.
The Body of Christ is at its best when each redeemed follower of Christ daily commit toward learning to follow, trust, and obey the Master’s requirement in everyday real life situations. The “called out ones are called/commissioned to make others disciples unto Christ in three ways.
- Through God’s grace and agape, we are encouraged by the Master’s example to live up and close, visible and accessible to other fellow believers while learning to become transparent and real as each learns just how to work out one’s soul salvation daily.
- Next, each is to live out our faith, not in isolation but a spiritually vibrate community which plays a crucial function in equipping and encouraging each other to maturity.
- Last, following the Master’s example, His command to ‘follow Him’ implied that each disciple learns to model the very lifestyle and practices that Jesus introduced. They modeled discipleship by being on “the Mission field of Life!”
We will be reproach the Lord when His Body is operating or conditioned toward seeing the mission of Christ as a pastime, entertainment, recreation, or fun. The war within the Body of Christ is disinterest, half-heartedness, insincerity, and complacency.
Wholeheartedness
Our Lord expects His Body of believers to be completely and sincerely devoted, determined, and committed. We are not to have any divided alliances or loyalty but to God and His Kingdom. Below are three ways in which this is possible:
- Seek while maintaining a deep awareness of one’s great ignorance of the entirety of God’s will is, and of one’s lack of obtaining the full measure of His ultimate will in this lifetime.
- Learn, practice, and cultivate a strong inner faith that while remaining yoked to Christ, the Heavenly Father will make known practical wisdom in your fellowship within your heart.
- As this current age progressively grows darker, become increasingly alert to the deceitfulness of one’s undisciplined flesh and worldview. Constantly appeal to God to reveal the truth to your heart via the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Those who are truly regenerated by the “Water and Spirit” should never be operating in uncertainty, or having a divided heart toward commitment toward Christ and the Kingdom of God.
Final Sentiments
We are call and commissioned out of the world and into Christ to become His faithful witnesses in all of the earth. If we who are yoked to the Master as His life-long disciple, we must follow His example and be obedient to His words. The most dominant note in His Life was to do the will of His Father.
Whether our work is a success or a failure has nothing to do with us. Our call is not to successful service, but faithfulness. -Oswald Chambers. We are commanded to be God’s witnesses, not soul winners. We are commanded to make disciples, not win souls. We are the witnesses, but the Holy Spirit is the real soul winner! -Anonymous
Grace and Peace
Brother Alonzo
Study material used for this blog post: Reading Revelation Responsibly, Michael J. Gorman, Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard, Quotes taken from, Worth Repeating, Bob Kelly, Study of Churches in NT Book of Revelation: Seven Churches of Asia, Wikipedia, Church term described, Ekklesia, “How the Word ‘Church’ is used in the New Testament, by Tim Harris: chasingaloin.com. Thesaurus for definition and clarity for seven marks, and the Complete Jewish Bible, and the New American Standard Bible for scripture references.