The One who spoke to those who would be among His Very Elect in the New Testament Church (Mat. 10:26,27–see previous posting) had spoken the same message many generations earlier through the Prophet Ezekiel using different Words. Ezekiel recorded the Lord’s Words  in 43:10,11: “Thou son of man, show the house of Israel–the ancestor of the New Testament Church–that they may be ashamed of their iniquities (Law-breaking), and let them MEASURE THE PATTERN. And if they are ashamed of what they have done … WRITE IT IN THEIR SIGHT so that they will KEEP (GUARD) THE WHOLE FORM (of the pattern) thereof and ALL THE ORDINANCES (IN THE PATTERN) THEREOF and DO THEM.” The PATTERN is the WORD OF GOD.

Today’s true Body of Christ, not to be confused with Catholicism/Protestantism, is the descendant of the true believers found within the “church in the wilderness” (of the Sinai Desert) spoken of in Acts 7:38. This miniscule group forms God’s “little flock,” His “remnant,” His “Very Elect.” Ezekiel and Christ’s statements apply to the present day Body of Christ just as they did to God’s chosen people in days of old. We are commanded to observe the Lord’s written “pattern,” believe it and obey it. The Almighty warns that to qualify to join Him in His kingdom we must measure ourselves by comparing our “walk” to His pattern. Because Jesus of Nazareth was the pattern in human form, we must walk as Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2:6), purify ourselves as He purified Himself (1 Jn. 3:3) and overcome Satan as He overcame him. In this way Jesus qualified to join the Father in His kingdom (Rev. 3:21). For true God-seekers, this self-judgment process is continually ongoing as we are told in 1 Peter 4:18. Here the apostle warns the people to continually judge themselves for only the truly righteous will make the cut, and they just “scarcely.” Or as we would say, “… by the skin of their (spiritual) teeth.” The Lord tells us that if we will judge ourselves (by comparing our walk to the pattern) He will not need to be judged along with the rest of mankind. In his warning to the church, Peter points out that though there are many in God’s true church–the elect–only a few–the Very Elect–will join Him in His kingdom. All that glitters is not gold. L.J.

For God’s true church–the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16)–the words “write it in their sight” means to publish God’s Word in every way possible so that His people will know how to keep His Law–His Word, and thereby qualify to rule and reign with Him throughout eternity. Today, through the printed page, radio, television, the internet, etc., we who serve Him in ministry indeed do “… shout if from the housetops.” L.J.