It is in that rich unfathomable epistle to the Ephesians, where we read
God's gracious purpose towards everyone who believes in Christ,
accepted in Him, blest with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies
in Christ. We would have to go through all the precious words in the
opening chapters, where we learn more fully than elsewhere that _it is
all the gift of God_, not of works, lest any man should boast. "Even
when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ (by
grace ye are saved). And hath raised us up together and made us sit
together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come He
might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us
through Christ Jesus." Now we are there by grace. God see us there in
Christ and bye and bye we shall be there actually. It is clear from a
number of passages that when the Lord comes for His Saints _all_
believers without any distinction, whether they are full grown in
knowledge, fathers, young men or babes in Christ, will be taken
_because_ they are Christ's and God's grace has put them there. This
is not only clearly seen in 1 Thess. iv:13-18, but also elsewhere.
"For our commonwealth is in heaven, from whence also we look for the
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change our body of
humiliation, that it might be fashioned like unto His glorious body,
according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things
unto Himself" (Phil. iii:20, 21). But every man in his own order:
Christ the first fruits; afterwards _they that are Christ's_ at His
coming, * * * Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but
we shall _all_ be changed (1 Cor. xv:23, 51). It is clear that _all_
means the whole company of believers.
But there are other scriptural proofs that all believers will be taken
up when the Lord comes. One is the unity of the body. "For as the
body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one Spirit
are we _all_ baptised into _one_ body" (1 Cor. xii:12 and 13). It is
clear then that all believers are members of the one body. The
teaching in the above cited paragraphs is an open denial of the truth
revealed of the church as the one body. "There is _one_ body and _one_
Spirit even as ye are called in _one_ hope of your calling" (Ephes.
iv:4). This one body, of which every believer is a member, will be
joined to the glorified Head, it will be _one_ joining and one
presentation of the assembly. Now, if only certain believers are
caught up and another number passeth through a part of the tribulation,
and still another company is taken later and other believers will not
be raised at all till the great white Throne is set up, the revealed
truth of the one body, its organic unity and vital connection with Him
in glory is completely set aside.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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