God's Servant Is Created in the Church
Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. (Isaiah 44:2)
To note the actual creation of the Servant of the Lord we must go to the New Testament writings.
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (Revelation 12:1,2)
The "great wonder in heaven" is the Church of Christ, the Wife of the Lamb, the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26). Church-attending people, believers in Christ, worship and work on the earth. But the true Church of Christ is a heavenly institution - a wonder in Heaven. The life of each believer in Christ is now at the right hand of God, far above every other authority and power (Ephesians 2:6).
The Church is clothed with the "sun" (the Glory of Christ). All the created works of God (the moon) are under the feet of the Church because of the dominion given to the Church through her marriage to Christ.
It is our point of view that the twelve stars of the woman's tiara are the saints of God of all ages who have been true to God: Moses, Job, Daniel, Jeremiah, Peter, John, Paul, John Wesley, Watchman Nee, Oswald Chambers - those who have lighted the long night and have been a guide to the multitudes of pilgrims who have made, and yet are making, their way toward the city "which hath foundations."
Such are the Lord's own who remained true to His Word, both the written Word, and the Word revealed to them personally. God's stars reach out to us across the years and help us remain in the righteous ways of the Lord.
The woman (the Church) is not at rest but is in travail. So it is today that all the ministries and gifts of the Church of Christ are laboring to bring forth Christ in the Christian believers. Sometimes the travail results in pain for those who are bearing the burden!
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (Galatians 4:19)
We who love the Lord can feel the call of the Spirit in these days. We can hear the sound of the trumpet. God is drawing us to a deeper, stronger place in Himself. Christ is being formed in us. However, the fullness of the glory that God is seeking has not as yet been created in the Church.
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads. (Revelation 12:3)
We can notice that there are two wonders in the heaven. The Church of Christ is a wonder in the heaven. Also, the great red dragon is a wonder in the heaven. It is the destiny of the Christian Church to bring forth Christ. Christ will cast the dragon out of the heavenlies. The battle of which we are a part is being waged in the heavens.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (Revelation 12:4)
When Jesus was born of Mary, King Herod was "exceeding wroth" (Matthew 2:16). Herod was not concerned about Mary or Joseph, he was concerned about Christ. Herod was a king. Christ is the King chosen by God. Herod did everything in his power to destroy Christ. King Herod was being motivated and guided by the great red dragon.
Satan still is attempting to resist the birth of Christ. Satan is not afraid of the Christian believers. It is Christ who is the threat. It is Christ who is the Destroyer of the works of the devil. Satan is terrified of Christ, of the Holy Spirit, of God the Father.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5)
The "man child" (Greek, male son) represents Christ who is being formed in the saints through the travail of the Church.
Notice that the Son, although portraying the members of the Body of Christ, is singular in number. In other passages of Scripture the "many sons" are emphasized, but not in Revelation, Chapter 12. The male Heir is singular because this chapter is emphasizing the formation of Christ, the Seed of Abraham, in the Church.
The Son is singular in number. The Seed of Abraham is singular in number. It is important we keep in mind that Christ, and Christ alone, is the Word of God. The battle is His alone (in the ultimate sense) and the victory is His alone.
We Christians do not overcome the world and Satan. It is Christ in us who is the Conqueror. We overcome because of the Overcomer who is in us. We conquer because of the Conqueror who is in us. We emerge victorious because the Victor is in us.
We Christians do not enter merely into our own death, our own resurrection; we enter Christ's death, Christ's resurrection, Christ's rest in God.
The Church is bringing forth Christ. It is Christ who is being formed in us; not merely Christ-likeness or the image of Christ, as important as our change into Christ's image is. The central truth on which everything in the Kingdom of God depends is that Christ is being formed in the Church. We are the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
It is Christ who is the Servant of the Lord.
There are two principal ways in which we can err concerning the truth of our identification with the Glory of Christ. We can lean too heavily on the identification or we can lean too lightly on it. Either error can weaken our spiritual strength.
The first error, leaning too heavily on our identification with Christ, is produced by an extreme emphasis on "grace." This attitude reveals itself in such expressions as: "There is nothing good in me. He did it all. I know I am sinning but He saves me by His grace. Jesus suffered so I shall not have to suffer."
Who could deny the truth of such statements? To the repentant sinner they are the light shining across the rocks on a dark and stormy night. We do not minimize the greatness of the grace of Christ in saving us sinners.
But if this attitude is carried throughout the Christian pilgrimage, if it is extended past its proper scope, it can prove to be a means of avoiding the demands for personal growth and discipleship made on each of us daily by the Holy Spirit. It runs dangerously close to calling Jesus "Lord" and then not doing what He says. The doctrine of grace can become error if it is not kept in perspective with the remainder of the Word of God. A bloated justification destroys the need for righteous behavior.
The second error, leaning too lightly on our identification with Christ, can be made by fervent disciples. In some cases we may become preoccupied with our death, our resurrection, our spiritual power, our victories. Such zeal is scriptural and it will bear fruit to a point. But if we are not careful we may lose sight of the fact that the Church is in travail to bring forth Christ, not to bring forth expert Christians.
Also, the struggling overcomer may become discouraged if He does not learn to lean more heavily on who Christ is and on what Christ has done, is doing, and yet will do. In this case the believer may be attempting to hold up the Rock instead of trusting in the Rock to support him. Indeed, one of the keys to the life of victory is knowing when to emphasize our identification with Christ and when to emphasize our own diligence and zeal.
Today there are many who are emphasizing grace to the point of error. The concept of humanism, of man-centeredness, finds merit in the idea that God suffered so man does not have to suffer; Christ became poor so men may become rich. The humanist will endorse a religion that is man-centered and brings happiness and security to the adamic nature of people.
Another great error of our day is that of stressing the power God wants people to have. In the current "prosperity" and "faith" messages we may be witnessing that which will culminate in the False Prophet.
Christ is seen as a spiritual power whose desire is to help the believer get what he wants. One would think the idea of making Jesus our butler would never be received by any blood-washed saint. But the error of attempting to use Christ to assist men in the attaining of their goals is widespread in the various Christian movements.
The way to overcome the deceptions of the last days is to seek union with Christ. Strictly speaking, God is not multiplying believers. God is multiplying Christ. The Seed is One. Our willingness and ability to fall back on Christ and on the victory of Christ over Satan can make the difference between victory and paralyzing discouragement in the rugged trials that lie ahead.
The battle is the Lord's. Christ in us is coming against God's enemies. The judgment we exercise is the judgment of God working through Christ. We can become a vehicle for the exercise of that judgment if we will allow Christ to have His way in and with us. Apart from the Divine judgment there can be no deliverance, truth, or justice for mankind.
The correct concept of the oneness of Christ, of the Seed, of the Victor, must fill the whole Servant of the Lord. Each member must identify totally with Christ and view himself as an integral part of Christ. Yet, the believer is not to allow this identification to become an excuse for an undisciplined, lawless life.
That we are complete in Christ does not mean God has done away with the many New Testament statements that warn us of the fatal consequences of continuing in sin as a Christian.
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (II Timothy 2:19)
When the male Heir is born he is "caught up unto God, and to his throne." As soon as Christ is formed in us He is caught up to the Throne of God Almighty.
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 2:6)
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:21)
Today the Servant of the Lord is in Heaven at the right hand of God. Although each of us is busily engaged in learning the lessons being taught to us by the Holy Spirit, and in ministering to the Body of Christ as the Lord leads, yet that part of us that is Christ, that is the Servant of the Lord, has ascended already. Our eternal life is in Heaven with Christ, far above the principalities and powers with which we are wrestling.
Very soon the whole Servant of the Lord - Head and Body - will appear from Heaven. He will bring justice and truth to the nations of the earth. In that Day all who are rebellious will be destroyed out of the earth by the judgment of God.
The Day of the Lord, the day of redemption, is a great day, a terrible day. Although the Lord God will use the members of the Body of Christ to judge men and angels in that Day, in actual fact it will be the Lord Himself working through Christ - Head and Body. The Lord God will be performing the work of judgment and redemption (Joel 2:11; 3:16).
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:3,4)