Today the world is confused about the Person of Christ. There appears to be general agreement that He was a good man—probably a philosopher who died in order to demonstrate the sincerity of his beliefs.

The soldiers who guarded Christ and stood around the base of the cross were typical of the people of the world: some mocked; some gambled for His clothing; some offered Him vinegar to drink; one "glorified God, ‘saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.' "

Although the world is not certain concerning the Person of Christ, the Church is on its way to maturity, attempting to preach the good news to every creature while it itself is growing in God's Presence and Person.

As soon as the Church has reached maturity and has been made one in the Godhead, the world will know God Almighty has sent Christ. There will be no confusion, no uncertainty. Then the world of its own choice will go to the Church for instruction in righteousness (Isaiah 2:3).

"and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."

There is no limit to the love of God for the Church. God loves the Son, and God loves the Bride of the Lamb with the same love. Notice, in the context of the above passage, that God loves the Church when Christ is in it—when it has been made perfect in the Father and the Son. If God so loved the world while yet in its sinful state He was willing to give His only begotten Son for its redemption, how much more does God love the Church that the Holy Spirit has fashioned from the body and blood of God's Son?

There still is much of our personality that is hostile toward God. He therefore waits patiently while Christ works in the garden of our life, rooting out all that is displeasing to God and nourishing the new Plant that now is growing there.

The love of God abides on the Church because the Church has been born of Christ. The Church is loved with the same love with which the Father loves the Son.

When the world sees the Glory of the Father and the Son abiding on a Church that is completely one with the Father and the Son, the world will know the Father loves the Church with the same love with which He loves the Son.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)

Although it may be difficult for us to understand, and it may appear to conflict with our independence of thought and action (in actuality it does not conflict), the members of the Body of Christ were given to the Son by the Father. It is not a case of our choosing Christ, though from our point of view it seems we did it all ourselves. It is true, however, that it is the Father who brings us to Christ.

To be continued.