Christ spoke of the body as the church. He asks to not forsake

the assembly of ourselves together. This assembly of the

body is the foundation to help the believer nurture, support, and aid

in the prayer for one another.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as

the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so

much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I

have loved you.

For where two or three are gathered together in my

name, there am I in the midst of them. (KJV)Heb 10:25;

Jn 15:12; Mt 18:20

The body, as the church, is not to be confused with any certain

ritual patterns, but for an assembly for the glory of the Lord. God

says you can receive his gift of Christ through faith.

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any

thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by

love.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have

fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus

Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (KJV)Gal 5:6;

1Jn 1:7
Paul writes to the Galatians about his concern that they have

been fooled into believing that without these certain rituals and

religious patterns, a believer can lose the grace of God. Paul, in his

letter to the Galatian church, asked them, "Who bewitched you to

think salvation is Christ, plus works, or else you have fallen from

grace?" This is wrong, for it is Christ alone that gives grace. Faith

performs miracles and puts out the Holy Spirit among you. There

is no other way to fall from God's grace unless you try to perform

your own works alone.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye

should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ

hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

(KJV)Gal 3:1
If you try to force grace into a series of rituals the only outcome

will be failure.

But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and

things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

(KJV)Heb 6:9

In the true body of Christ there is no church membership or rituals,

just the commitment of the individual to Christ alone.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,

and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him

from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (KJV)Ro 10:9

Creeds that are kept, assenting to certain doctrines, performing

certain rituals, beating yourself, denying the flesh will in no way

bring about the grace of God. The grace of God comes from

the life of the Holy Spirit from within you. The Holy Spirit is

reproducing Christ in your life once you have asked him into your

life.

There was, in Christ's day, a Jewish Rabbi who was a member of

the Sanhedrin who was one of the three richest men in Jerusalem.

His name was Nicodemus. He showed the upmost respect to Jesus.

He knew Christ was sent from God. In humbling himself by night,

he visited Christ to try to understand his mission.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a

ruler of the Jews:

The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him,

Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God:

for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except

God be with him. (KJV)Jn 3:1-2

Christ answered what his mission on earth was for.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say

unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the

kingdom of God. (KJV)Jn 3:3

Nicodemus, being of the religious mind, could not comprehend the

answer Christ gave him.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when

he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's

womb, and be born? (KJV)Jn 3:4

Christ illustrates the necessity of the new birth to enter the

kingdom of God.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a

man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter

into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is

born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the

sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and

whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

(KJV)Jn 3:5-8

Christ explains how God speaks to the believer who has been

born again, through the Spirit. Christ said, as a natural man hears

the wind, so the man born again hears the voice of the Spirit.

Nicodemus, being of the religious mind set, had been hoping for

the coming of the Messiah's kingdom in power and glory, visible

to the eyes of all men. Nicodemus questioned, what led the Lord

to change His plans?

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these

things be? (KJV)Jn 3:9

Christ answered him saying surely he should know this, because he

was one of those who taught the people. Christ explained to him,

that we must be born anew. Nicodemus should have taught the

people this, but he taught them the contrary, only to know when the

wind comes and whither it goes. They only concerned themselves

about the winds blowing and other useless things. Christ said the

things most necessary Nicodemus had disregarded.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of

Israel, and knowest not these things?

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,

even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but

have eternal life. (KJV)Jn 3:10, 14-15

Joseph of Arimathaea was also a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin

in Christ's day who was a very wealthy man in Jerusalem. He also

showed the upmost respect to Jesus for he knew Christ was sent

from God. The word of God calls Joseph of Arimathaea a disciple

of Jesus for his act of asking Pilate for Christ's body to bury him in

Joseph's personal tomb.

When the even was come, there came a rich man of

Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus'

disciple:

Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which

also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in

boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out

in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the

sepulchre, and departed.

And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came

to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and

aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen

clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to

bury. (KJV) Mt 27:57;Mk 15:43; Mt 27:60; Jn 19:39-40

Joseph of Arimathaea secretly followed Christ, as Nicodemus met

with Jesus by night, for both wealthy men being members of the

Sanhedrin were caught up in Israel's bondage of the religious mind

set.

And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of

Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews… (KJV)Jn 19:8

God exposes how bondage will have a strong hold on Israel, by the

marriage of Hosea.

Hosea the prophet was commanded by God to marry Gomer,

who was a harlot; his marriage provides a close resemblance to

Israel, who was guilty of spiritual adultery.

Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman

beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the

love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look

to other gods, and love flagons of wine. (KJV)Hos 3:1

Hosea took Gomer in as his wife, in private he always referred to

her as Gomer. To the public, she was known as "the harlot".

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim;

which conceived, and bare him a son. (KJV)Hos 1:3

Hosea's marriage to the unfaithful Gomer illustrates God's

covenant relationship with unfaithful Israel. Israel, like Gomer,

was unfaithful and went to practice prostitution. God is applying

Gomer's sin to the nation. The unfaithful, depraved wife of the

prophet went deeper into sin. She seems to have left him and

become the slave of her lover. Just as the children of Israel had

adopted part of the heathen worship of idols.

God shows to Hosea now you know how I can feel with Israel.

God wants Hosea to go and take Gomer back again from her

present life of prostitution. She's been unfaithful to him, but he is

to love her and take her back in. God says, this is what I do with

my people Israel. Israel has been unfaithful to God, and God is

going to punish Israel, but the Lord is going to bring her back to

Him.

For their mother hath played the harlot: she that

conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will

go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water,

my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. (KJV)Hos

2:5
Neither Gomer nor Israel could find satisfaction in infidelity.

Hosea married a girl who had become a harlot, and, even after

they had been married for some time and had three children, she

went to prostitution. And through it all, this man Hosea loved her!

The book of Hosea resembles the consequences of Israel's lack of

faithlessness, lack of kindness, and no knowledge of God in the

land.

Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for

the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the

land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge

of God in the land. (KJV)Hos 4:1

Hosea's book is to show God's people that He never gives up on

us. It also teaches us that love cannot be bought, for it must be

received as a gift.

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for

mine anger is turned away from him.

And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not

overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find

them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first

husband; for then was it better with me than now.

For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine,

and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they

prepared for Baal. (KJV)Hos 14:4; 2:7-8

Israel was a wealthy nation at this time, and Gomer may have

accumulated silver and gold. But Gomer didn't realize that Hosea

had given her all she owned, just as Israel did not recognize God

as the main source of their blessings. Even though God was richly

supplying Israel with her grain, fine flour, oil, and honey, Israel

was like the adulterous Gomer. She insisted on running after her

lovers, not realizing that God had been the source of those gifts.

Both Gomer and Israel used their possessions irresponsibly as they

ran after other lovers and other gods. Hosea is now commanded by

God to buy her back, paying the price of the ordinary slave with

the required amount which was pitifully small. Hosea goes ahead

and buys back his adulterous wife, Gomer, as a symbol of God's

redemption of Israel. Gomer was no longer worth much to anyone

except Hosea, but he loved her just as God loved Israel.

He took money with him to buy her back again and made a

contract with her to abide with him many days and not to play the

harlot.
He simply made a cold contract with his wife to keep herself only

to him for the price of $75.00.

So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for

an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: (KJV)Hos 3:2

She was not to go into confinement with any other man, and was

to keep herself for Hosea. This experience of the prophet was an

image of Israel's unfaithfulness, exile without being a nation, and

of God bringing Israel back after the punishment of the exile.

And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days;

thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for

another man: so will I also be for thee.

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without

a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and

without an image, and without an ephod, and without

teraphim: (KJV)Hos 3:3-4

Afterward Israel was to return to God and become His wife again,

as Gomer had become the wife of Hosea a second time, after

being away from him for some time. The children of Gomer are

specifically named in the book of Hosea for a reason. The name of

the boy, Jezreel, was given to the first child of Gomer, as a symbol

of the evil nature of the dynasty of Jehu, which began with much

bloodshed in Jezreel. The name also symbolized that God will sow

seeds of prosperity after the destruction. The name of the girl, Lo-

ruhamah, was given to the second child of Gomer, to symbolize the

change in Israel's status before God following His judgment. The

name of the boy, Lo-ammi, was given to the third and final child of

Gomer, to pronounce God's rejection of Israel. The name "Ammi"

was the new name to be given to the restored Israel in the day of

redemption.

The Lord warned Israel multiple times to turn from their

sins. God allowed them to be led captive so promptly by their

enemy; they were not even allowed to bury their deceased love

ones. Ezekiel, the prophet, shows this illustration when he was

commanded by God not to mourn that his wife was taken by God.

During the night, God told Ezekiel that in the evening his wife

would suffer a stroke and be taken by God. Ezekiel was told by

God not to mourn for her death.

Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of

thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor

weep, neither shall thy tears run down. (KJV)Eze 24:15-

16
God told Ezekiel not to prepare her body after death, or mourn for

her, only go about with his daily tasks as a priest.

Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the

tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon

thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of

men.

So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at

even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was

commanded. (KJV)Eze 24:17-18

The people of Israel said to Ezekiel, why are you not preparing a

proper funeral ceremony for your deceased wife's body?

And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what

these things are to us, that thou doest so? (KJV)Eze

24:19

Ezekiel tells the people if they do not repent of their sins; their

city, loved ones, and temple would be destroyed instantly, and the

living among Israel will be taken captive and they will not even be

allowed to bury any deceased loved ones just as Ezekiel wasn't.

God says when this occurs you will know that I am your God.

Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto

me, saying,

Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD;

Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the

excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and

that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your

daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.

And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your

lips, nor eat the bread of men.

And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes

upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall

pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward

another.

Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he

hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall

know that I am the Lord GOD.

Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I

take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the

desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their

minds, their sons and their daughters (KJV)Eze 24:20-

25

God says a survivor of the ruined city Jerusalem will appear to the

captives being held in a foreign city and tell them that destruction

has occurred.

That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to

cause thee to hear it with thine ears?

In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is

escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb:

and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know

that I am the LORD. And it came to pass in the twelfth

year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day

of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem

came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. (KJV)Eze

24:26-27; 33:21

The New Testament early elders and apostles showed that

obvious confession to receive salvation was for a sinner to ask

Christ into his life to be born again.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none

other name under heaven given among men, whereby we

must be saved. (KJV)Ac 4:12

This shows that a person was educated enough to comprehend

through observation and listening that it takes a mature act of faith

to believe in the death and resurrection of Christ. The elders and

apostles of the New Testament would then perform a baptism on

the believer. Baptism is a symbol of the believer portraying a

public confession of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection to be

born again. Denominations have fought over proper procedures

of baptism since they were established. Paul's testimony is an

example of this.

I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and

Gaius;
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the

gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ

should be made of none effect. (KJV)1Co 1:14, 17

True salvation comes through accepting Christ in your heart. No

rituals can be performed for the proper acceptance to salvation.

Christ proved salvation when he was crucified on the cross and

spoke these words to the thief who accepted Christ as the Messiah

and was crucified with him.

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day

shalt thou be with me in paradise. (KJV)Lk 23:43

The thief that was crucified next to Christ was accepted into the

kingdom of God without any formal baptism, but all he offered

was a true belief in Christ as the Messiah.

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with

the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh

the law of sin. (KJV)Ro 7:25