The Holy Spirit adorns the Church so she may be acceptable to her Lord. But all through the Christian Era the Church has sought to obtain blessings from God so that through these blessings she might buy the favor of the world. This is spiritual prostitution-in-reverse and it is taking place today.

The Christian churches seek to be involved with the world. They desire to be accepted by worldly people, particularly by those of wealth and influence. The churches hope thereby to gain security, popularity, prestige. All such spiritual fornication with the world is an abomination to God.

God has not called to Himself the secular nobility of the present age. God has chosen those who are not important in the opinion of the influential people of the world.

The poor of the world whom God has selected are more exalted than any earthly rulers. If the elect will turn from the world and keep their spiritual adornments for their Husband, Christ, they will be the head and not the tail. But if they attempt to offer their Divine endowments to the world, hoping to gain the approval and assistance of the world, they will be as salt that has lost its savor. They will be of no use to God or man and will be persecuted and slain by those people from whom they withheld the pure light of holy testimony.

Our spiritual graces, our wisdom and understanding, the gifts and ministries we have, the revelations that come to us, the knowledge and Presence of God we enjoy, the power in prayer we have, are to be kept for the Lord's use alone. They never are to serve as a means of buying the blessing and help of the world.

God shows us when we are to lend a helping hand to the world or otherwise minister to the needs of the world. The teachings and example of the Lord Jesus have been of extraordinary help to the world. But the Lord Jesus served the God of Heaven alone. He never used His Glory to gain the approval of the world.

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)

We have seen that the eternal purpose of God is to establish a holy kingdom on the earth, a kingdom that will rule, guide, and bless the nations of the earth.

We have noticed also that the Kingdom of God, while it has an outer, visible structure, essentially is an inner kingdom, a kingdom of the heart. The Kingdom of God is the rule of God in Christ in people, beginning with the saints whom God has called to be a royal priesthood. The tabernacle, or dwelling place of God, is the throne of the Kingdom.

To be continued.