Page 57 - The Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2009

Paul has another great revelation pertaining to the Bride of
Christ. This time it is a prophetic revelation of what is going to

happen in the Body of Christ:

“…I AM JEALOUS FOR YOU WITH GODLY JEALOUSY. FOR I HAVE
BETROTHED YOU TO ONE HUSBAND, THAT I MAY PRESENT YOU

AS A CHASTE VIRGIN TO CHRIST.
BUT I FEAR, LEST SOMEHOW, AS THE SERPENT DECEIVED EVE BY HIS CRAFTINESS,
SO YOUR MINDS MAY BE CORRUPTED FROM THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST.

(“CORRUPTED AND SEDUCED FROM WHOLEHEARTED AND SINCERE AND PURE
DEVOTION TO CHRIST” AMP.) FOR IF HE WHO COMES PREACHES ANOTHER JESUS
WHOM WE HAVE NOT PREACHED, OR IF YOU RECEIVE A DIFFERENT SPIRIT WHICH

YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED, OR A DIFFERENT GOSPEL WHICH YOU HAVE NOT
ACCEPTED (I FEAR) YOU MAY WELL PUT UP WITH IT! 2ND Cor. 11:1-4

Paul reveals that the Body of Christ is betrothed or engaged to Christ. However, he goes on to express
a genuine fear that Satan might deceive and corrupt the espoused Bride by the preaching of “another
Jesus…a different Spirit…a different gospel.” I think it is important to realize that Paul believed it was
possible for those who were betrothed to Christ to be found other than as chaste virgins. Much of our
modern-day grace theology denies that this possibility exists. The “once-saved-always saved” and the
“I got it all when I got saved” theologies permeate the Body of Christ with delusion. We indeed suffer
from the preaching of another Jesus, a different Spirit and a different gospel than what Paul presented.

Let us consider yet another of Paul’s doctrinal exhortations that has become lost theology over

the centuries:

“…THAT I MAY KNOW HIM AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE
FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS, BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH, IF, BY ANY
MEANS, I MAY ATTAIN TO THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. NOT THAT I HAVE
ALREADY ATTAINED, OR AM ALREADY PERFECTED; BUT I PRESS ON, THAT I MAY LAY
HOLD OF THAT FOR WHICH CHRIST JESUS HAS ALSO LAID HOLD OF ME. BRETHREN, I DO
NOT COUNT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED; BUT ONE THING I DO, FORGETTING
THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND AND REACHING FORWARD TO THOSE THINGS
WHICH ARE AHEAD, I PRESS TOWARD THE GOAL FOR THE PRIZE OF THE UPWARD CALL

OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS.

THEREFORE LET US, AS MANY AS ARE MATURE, HAVE THIS MIND; AND IF IN
ANYTHING YOU THINK OTHERWISE, GOD WILL REVEAL EVEN THIS TO YOU.
NEVERTHELESS, TO THE DEGREE THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ATTAINED, LET US WALK
BY THE SAME RULE, LET US BE OF THE SAME MIND. BRETHREN, JOIN IN FOLLOWING
MY EXAMPLE, AND NOTE THOSE WHO SO WALK, AS YOU HAVE US FOR A PATTERN.
FOR MANY WALK, OF WHOM I HAVE TOLD YOU OFTEN, AND NOW TELL YOU EVEN
WEEPING, THAT THEY ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST: WHOSE END IS
DESTRUCTION, WHOSE GOD IS THEIR BELLY, AND WHOSE GLORY IS IN THEIR SHAME
-- WHO SET THEIR MIND ON EARTHLY THINGS. FOR OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN,
FROM WHICH WE ALSO EAGERLY WAIT FOR THE SAVIOR, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST…”

Phil 3:10-20

What Paul sets as a pattern for all believers is missing in today’s
presentation of the gospel. The above teaching of Paul stands in opposition
to the “I got it all when I got saved” way of thinking. Paul states that he has
not already attained, nor is already perfected. He states that there is a prize
set before the believer which he calls the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus. Lacking space to elaborate, I would like to recommend this little
booklet that I wrote on this subject.

We need to answer the question as to what is the “that” for which Christ $7.95 ea.
Jesus has laid hold of us. It is my conviction that ultimately it is the Bride.
Paul laments over the carnal believers in his day who were enemies of the
cross of Jesus, whose god was their belly, and who set their mind on
earthly things.