The Parenthetic Ecclesia - A New Creation
The apostles and elders gathered together, forming the first Hebrew believers Council, to hear Paul and Barnabus give an account concerning God's work through them among the nations. James, the physical brother of Jesus, who took over the leadership of the believers said, "Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name." Acts 15:13-15
The reason for this dispensation of God's calling out a people, is not the conversion of the world, but a CALLING-OUT of all nations to be a body of Christ. While Israel was a called out body, it is a National Body, composed exclusively of the physical descendants of Abraham. This new called out , ecclesia of grace is a spiritual body. "…….Christ Jesus, in whom the entire building, being connected together, IS GROWING into a Holy temple in the Lord: in whom you also, are being built together FOR God's dwelling place, IN SPIRIT" EPHESIANS 2:19-22.
Therefore it is a New Creation, invisible to the world, being spiritual.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
This ecclesia is "who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..."
"For we (the called-out ones) are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
"Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
"All is of God", is the key to real evangelism.
The keynote is CONCILIATION. God conciliating the sinner, not the sinner conciliating God by penance and prayers.
The sinner may be most offensive and insulting, but God does not reckon these offences against Him. God is not charging men with their sins, for Christ died for the sins.
God is beseeching the SINNER to receive the conciliation, and be at peace with Him, receiving the Spirit of life because of His righteousness. Romans 8: 1-4
Salvation from Sin, Death, and
Suffering
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in (Messiah) Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit.
2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from
the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do in that it
was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who
do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.