Part 3 - What about “the Body of Christ”?

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called ‘Born Again’ - It is Not What Most Christians Think.

Part 3 - What about the Gentile “Body of Christ” today?

As we’ve proven in this study series, Jesus’ words to Nicodemus concerning being “born again refers to the future hope of the Nation Israel. What abo about saved individuals members of the church, “the body of Christ” today, haven’t they experienced the same new birth as Israel, or does God have something else for them?

Remember what we’ve explained so far in Parts 1 and 2;

  • The believing remnant ‘Nation of IsraelWill Ultimately be ‘reborn’ When Jesus Appears on earth a 2nd time at the close of the Tribulation period. For Israel it will be a regeneration or re-birth of the Nation Israel when they see and “look upon Him who they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10).

And, since only the Nation of Israel was originally “begotten” or “born of God” as a Nation a ‘first time,’ in the wilderness after leaving Egypt’s bondage, then only the Nation Israel can be born-AGAIN. Being “born again,” as seen by Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus, refers to the ‘regeneration’ of ‘re-birth’ of the Nation Israel which will occur with Christ’s Millennial Kingdom on earth.

  • By contrast, the members of “the Church, the Body of Christ” today have ALREADY been regenerated” in their “spirit of man” by having received the resurrected “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” For the believing Gentiles members of “the body of Christ” it was a regeneration” of their indwelling spirit by His Spirit. “… he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:17 (KJV) Our human “spirit of man” (Zech. 12:1) that was “dead in trespasses and sins” has been regenerated” by having received the very life of Christ in and with His resurrected “Spirit of life” that was dispensed into us the moment we first “believed.”

There can be no doubt that today, during “the dispensation of the grace of God” …  when a person places their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior … when one relies exclusively on what Jesus Christ did for them at Calvary’s Cross where He died to pay for our sins and was raised as the author of eternal live, for those who trust Him, we are regenerated” in our spirit that before was dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).

When we first trust in Christ as Savior, in that very moment God the Holy Spirit imparts Christ’s very own resurrected “Spirit of life” (Rom. 8:2a) into us and we are thereby regenerated.”

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the Washing of REGENERATION, and RENEWING of the Holy Ghost [Spirit]” (Titus 3:4-5).

Thus, Paul declares:

“… You Hath He Quickened [made alive], Who Were Dead In Trespasses and Sins”

“… When We Were Dead In Sins, [God] Hath Quickened Us Together With [by the resurrected Spirit of] Christ (by grace are ye saved) (Eph 2:1, 5 KJV).

We are therefore said to be “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:10). But just what is it that God creating today in this age of “the grace of God,” while Israel is fallen and set aside until the 2nd coming of Jesus?

Here in Eph. 2:15-16 Paul spells out clearly that He is building His joint-body that consist of all believers of all races, including Jews who are now seen as ‘lost Gentiles.’

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2  If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6  That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” (Ephesians 3:1-9 (KJV)

“Having abolished in his [Christ’s] flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for [in order] To Make In Himself of Twain [of two, both Gentiles and Jews alike] ONE NEW MAN, so making peace;
“And that he might Reconcile Both [Jews and Gentiles alike] Unto God In ONE BODY [the body of Christ] by the Cross, having slain the enmity thereby.”

This this is the Gentile “body of Christ.”

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,” (Ephesians 3:1 (KJV)
“That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body [of Christ], and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” (Ephesians 3:6 (KJV)
“Unto me Paul], who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;” (Ephesians 3:8 (KJV)

This is the new creation,” the body of Christwhich God is forming during today’s “the dispensation of the grace of God.”

For today God has temporarily set aside the Nation Israel and His kingdom program for her (cf. Rom. 11:11-15, 25) until He completes “the body of Christ” and takes it to heaven at the Rapture.

“I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in [at the Rapture].” (Rom. 11:25)

God set Israel aside in order to form a new agency of God (Eph. 2:11-16). God’s new agency is “the body of Christ,” through whom He will accomplish a purpose which He planned from before the world began.” This other purpose is what Paul calls “the mystery [the God-planned secret] because God had kept it secret, it was hid in God” (Eph. 3:9) until Jesus from heaven ‘revealed; it to that other apostle, the Apostle Paul.

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my [Paul’s] gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, According To The Revelation Of The Mystery [secret], which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest…” (Romans 16:25-26 (KJV)

This “mystery [secret]” is summed up in the words of Paul in Eph. 2:7:

“[So] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

Today God is creating a new species of humanity which is neither Jew nor Gentile,” thus having no racial distinction. Just as Adam was not born but was rather created, so we go from the old creation into the new creation as we go from Adam Into Christ’s body!

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

Summing it up:

“Rebirth” and “Regeneration” are associated with God’s two programs; one for the Nations Israel and one for the church, called “the body of Christ.”

  1. Regeneration for a Jew in the Kingdom program made him a part of a born-again Nation of Israel
  1. Regeneration for a grace-believer during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph 3:2) makes him a part of “the Body of Christ, an entirelynew creation.’ This new creation consists of;

“…  neither Jew nor Greek [Gk., ethnos, Gentile], there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 (KJV)

“Where there is neither Greek [Gk. ethnos, Gentile] nor Jew, [neither] circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but CHRIST IS ALL, AND IN ALL [on an equal basis since Israel has fallen to that of the Gentiles]. Colossians 3:11 (KJV)

A Concluding Question:

Every person reading this article was born a first time physically into this world and spiritually dead in sins, “alienated from the life of God.”

So, the question is; have you been regenerated” with Christ’s “Spirit of life”?

Have you passed from spiritual death to spiritual life by placing your faith in the finished Cross-work of Christ?

If not, do so now!

“But God Commendeth His Love Toward Us, In That, While We Were Yet Sinners, Christ Died For Us (Rom. 5:8).

You can simply Believe On [trust in] The Lord Jesus Christ and Thou Shalt Be Saved (Acts 16:31).

(By Arthur J Licursi with portions adapted from Richard Jordan, with emphasis added)