The Non-Entity Church of Jesus Christ

Anybody who hasn't noticed that Christianity is on a direct collision course with the rest of the world has not been paying attention. But while there has always been a spiritual war going on between God and His adversaries a new "theatre of battle" is rapidly emerging as nations are increasingly being deceived. A virulent battle is emerging in the corridors of power and of courtrooms around the world. Churches are being sued, pursued, and reviewed relentlessly in the legal and government circles of all nations, egged on by a rampant media industry that has noticeably not been church or God friendly for a very long time.

But this current battle is only possible because while the world cannot "see" or "touch" the church of which Christ Jesus alone is the head, a church that is in the world but not of the world, all these other churches and religious institutions are both in the world - and of the world.  This is because they exist as part of the world system.. They are LEGAL entities that can be taxed, sued, legislated about, fined, audited, and pretty much anything that can be done to a flesh and blood person can be done to a legal entity. Indeed in the eyes of the law they ARE, a for all legal intents and purposes, a single flesh and blood person. They are a corporate - body.

By stark contrast the Church of Jesus Christ is not a legal entity, it is a SPIRITUAL entity. It is the body of Christ that is not defined or operated by a single legal entity but by a single Spiritual entity, the Holy Spirit of God Himself. The Church of which Jesus Christ is the only "CEO" cannot be sued, it cannot be legislated against, it cannot be taxed, it cannot be deregistered, it cannot be stripped of assets, etc., because ... It does not legally exist and never has. They cannot even arrest or fine its CEO because - He was declared legally dead nearly 2,000 years ago.

The Church of Jesus Christ does not require a building, it IS its own spiritual building, indeed it is a temple made of living stones. It does not require a constitution, it already has the word of God to guide it and prescribe how it is to conduct itself. It does not possess physical or financial assets, it possesses the spiritual gifts and power of the Holy Spirit by which it has the power to do anything the Lord requires of it, both the possible - and the impossible.

Legal entity churches, denominations, and religious institutions are creatures of the Earth, they are children born of its legal and financial systems, and just as those legal and financial systems gave them life they can also dramatically alter it or take it away - with the stroke of a judge's or legislator's pen. But the non-entity church of Jesus Christ cannot be touched by either for in the eyes of the law the Church of Jesus Christ does not exist. It is nothing more than a foolish belief by some people who seem to share an invisible and untouchable bond of unity as if motivated and compelled by a single spirit of heart and mind whether they are together or on opposite sides of the world. Whether they are fellowshipping and gathered in one place or isolated in solitary confinement. Whether they are in sickness or health, richer or poorer, male or female, master or slave, Jew or Gentile of any nation, race, or colour., the bond and spirit remains undaunted, undiminished and undivided.

They do not come together to run an organisation, they come together to support and encourage one another in serving a common master who was declared dead and no longer existent by THIS world's legal system nearly 2,000 years ago. Who, in the eyes of the world, is nothing more than an annoyingly persistent and troublesome memory. A person who is both nowhere and yet at the same time everywhere, as He lives and works, even now, in the individual lives of millions around the world be they by themselves or with others.

Legal corporate entities have their practical uses but there is great danger when they become the ends and not the means. When the corporate church is no longer there to serve the needs of its members but the members are there to serve the needs of the corporate church. Corporate idolatry has already happened to many churches where serving the corporate body of the church has been equated with serving Christ thereby making the corporate church equal to Christ and eventually in the place of Christ in the lives of its members. A corporate church must never be allowed to stand between its members and Christ or interfere in or replace, the individual servant / master relationship between a believer and Christ. Jesus, not a church, is our personal Saviour, Lord and King. A follower of Christ follows none but Christ, belongs to none but Christ. They have but one master, Christ Jesus, and one Father in Heaven. A corporate church is not something they belong to, it is but one of a number of tools they use. It is not a body corporate they gather to, but fellow believers they fellowship with and work with as fellow servants who likewise also belong to their Master. A legal corporate entity is a tool they use only when it is needed and readily set aside when it is not.

The world cannot kill a fellowship of the non-entity church of Christ Jesus by deregistering or annulling a legal corporate entity it may be using because that is not where its life is. The heart of a fellowship of the non-entity church of Christ Jesus is not its corporate identity, it is Christ Jesus Himself and its lifeblood is the Holy Spirit of God pumped through the veins of ..... Fellowship.

This bunch of "foolish" people will STILL stand with, fellowship with and serve Christ either together or alone. Whether together or alone they will still dare to stand before the whole world and boldly declare we are the children of but ONE Father in Heaven, live by only ONE word of God, the 66 books of the Bible, are in-dwelt by the ONE and the SAME Holy Spirit, and have but ONE Saviour, Lord and sovereign King, Christ Jesus.

Even without their legal corporate identity you will know them by the love they have for one another and for others. By the fruit of the Spirit within, that is beyond the reach of the world, you will know them. For they will be caring and loving, joyful, peaceful, very patient, gentle and kind, good, faithful, of humble demeanor, and self-controlled, as together and individually they live in obedience and service to their one master, Christ Jesus.

If you really want to know how well your church will fare in the coming times ask yourself where its heart is? If the world steps in tomorrow seizes all your church assets and liquidates them, deregisters your corporate identity and winds you up legally and financially will you survive as a fellowship of the non-entity church of Jesus Christ? Or is everything about your church tied up in its worldly corporate identity, worldly corporate structure, and worldly corporate assets?

Author

D.J. Ludlow

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."  (1Peter 2:9-10 / AV)

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