The Foundation, the Spiritual Organism, and the Bride Being Made Ready

By Timothy Kitchen Jr.

There is something worth considering about a branch that has been pruned from a tree.

When it first falls, it does not necessarily appear dead. Its leaves may still be green. It may still resemble the branches above it. It may even remain beneath the shade of the very tree from which it was separated.

But something has changed.

It is no longer receiving life from the tree.

For a time, its outward appearance may conceal its true condition. Yet with each passing day, the separation becomes more evident.

Eventually, the branches are gathered together, bundled, and carried away to the place where they will be burned.

And here is something we ought to consider:

The farther those branches are carried from the tree, the closer they come to the burn pile.

They may be bundled together with other branches. They may be surrounded by many that look just like themselves. They may even form a rather impressive pile.

But gathering together does not restore their connection to the tree.

And the size of the bundle does not change its destination.

THE TREE GOD PLANTED

Jesus Christ said:

Matthew 15:13

“Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”

Notice that Christ identifies the determining factor.

Who planted it?

Not how large it became. Not how many people gathered around it. Not how impressive its physical organization appeared.

But whether His Father planted it.

Jesus Christ also said:

John 15:5-6

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

Christ is the source of life.

The Church belongs to Him.

And the branches must remain connected to Him.

Consider, then, the Worldwide Church of God.

We who were called into the Worldwide Church of God through the Work Jesus Christ accomplished through His Apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong, ought to seriously consider what God planted.

Was the Worldwide Church of God merely a corporation?

Was it merely a physical organization that existed for a few decades, accomplished a temporary purpose, and then ceased to exist when a man died?

Or was it the spiritual organism of Jesus Christ, established and nourished through the Work He was doing?

If it was the latter, then how could the death of a man bring an end to what Jesus Christ planted?

Did the Church belong to Herbert W. Armstrong, or did it belong to Jesus Christ?

If it belonged to Christ, then its existence was never dependent upon the continued life of His human servant.

Herbert W. Armstrong died.

But Jesus Christ did not.

And the Church of God is not sustained by the life of a physical man.

It is sustained by the living Jesus Christ!

THE FOUNDATION DOES NOT DISAPPEAR WHEN THE BUILDER DIES

The Apostle Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 3:11

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

And in Ephesians 2:20, he describes the household of God as:

“Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”

The foundation is not a corporation.

It is not a building.

It is not a headquarters address.

It is Jesus Christ, and the truth He established through His apostles and prophets.

When God works through a servant to restore understanding, establish government, preach the Gospel, and prepare a people, that work cannot simply be dismissed as something belonging to the servant.

The servant was an instrument.

God was the One doing the Work.

Consider Zerubbabel.

Zechariah 4:9

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.”

The emphasis is upon what God was accomplishing through His chosen servant.

The servant did not become the foundation.

Neither did the foundation become the property of the servant.

The Work belonged to God.

And the same principle must govern how we understand the Worldwide Church of God.

We must distinguish between the physical instruments used to perform God’s Work and the spiritual organism those instruments were intended to serve.

THE PHYSICAL ORGANIZATION WAS NEVER THE SPIRITUAL ORGANISM

Herbert W. Armstrong explained that the Church was a spiritual organism, not merely a physical corporation.

The Worldwide Church of God, Inc., and other corporate entities were physical instruments through which the Work could be administered.

Those organizations could hold property, employ personnel, publish literature, maintain facilities, and conduct the physical business necessary to support the Work.

But the corporation was not, in itself, the spiritual Body of Jesus Christ.

That distinction is enormously important.

Because if a corporation was established to assist the Church, then the corporation was the servant, not the master.

The physical organization existed for the benefit of the spiritual organism.

Not the other way around.

And that raises a question for us today.

What are our physical organizations assisting?

There are numerous groups today using the name Church of God.

Some preserve portions of the teachings restored through Herbert W. Armstrong.

Some refer frequently to the Worldwide Church of God.

Some maintain archives, publish literature, conduct services, and preach messages.

These things may be useful.

But the question reaches much deeper.

Are these physical organizations actually assisting the spiritual organism of the Worldwide Church of God?

Or are they attempting to establish themselves as separate replacements for it?

There is a difference.

And it is not a small difference.

WHY ARE WE BUNDLING INSTEAD OF RETURNING?

Consider again those branches.

Two bundles may be brought together.

Several bundles may be tied into one larger bundle.

They may appear more united than before.

But are they any closer to the tree?

A bundle is not made alive simply because it has joined another bundle.

Likewise, two organizations may unite administratively without necessarily restoring spiritual unity.

They may share ministers, combine resources, recognize one another, or adopt a common name.

But none of those things, by themselves, establish that they are being led by Jesus Christ.

True unity must begin with God.

Ephesians 4:4-6

“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

One Body.

Not many competing bodies.

One Spirit.

Not separate organizational spirits competing for recognition.

One Lord.

Not a collection of independent authorities each claiming ownership of God’s people.

The question is not whether brethren should assemble together. Scripture plainly commands that we must not forsake assembling ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25).

The question is whether our assembling is drawing us closer to Jesus Christ and His Body.

Are we returning to what God established?

Or are we becoming increasingly comfortable with our separation?

Why are we so occupied with building bundles when we ought to be seeking the tree?

ASSISTING THE CHURCH IN WORD, DEED, AND TRUTH

The Apostle John wrote:

1 John 3:18

“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

This principle applies directly to how we treat the Church of God.

It is one thing to say we love the Worldwide Church of God.

It is another thing to demonstrate that love.

It is one thing to mention Herbert W. Armstrong occasionally.

It is another thing to hold fast to the truth Jesus Christ restored through His ministry.

It is one thing to claim continuity with the Worldwide Church of God.

It is another thing to serve the brethren who make up that spiritual organism.

Not merely by name.

Not merely by hearsay.

Not merely through historical association.

But in word, in deed, and in truth.

During the past three years, I have personally witnessed how some individuals treat the Worldwide Church of God.

Not merely through online conversations.

But face to face.

I have observed different attitudes, different understandings, and different approaches to what it means to assist the Church.

Some appear to understand the distinction between the Church and the physical organization serving it.

Others appear to be approaching that understanding.

And some, perhaps, have not yet considered the distinction at all.

But I am not writing this to judge the hearts of those individuals.

God knows their hearts.

The question I am asking is one that must be directed toward ourselves.

Do we understand what we are supposed to be assisting?

Gerald Waterhouse frequently emphasized the importance of understanding the point of what God was doing.

And that is something we ought not overlook.

A person may become so occupied with the physical means of accomplishing a task that he loses sight of the very purpose for which the task was given.

Consider a crew hired to construct a building.

They may possess the equipment, the materials, the plans, and the necessary workers.

But if they begin constructing something other than what the owner commissioned, are they accomplishing the owner’s purpose?

No matter how impressive their workmanship may be, they have missed the point.

And so we must ask:

Are we building what Jesus Christ has commissioned?

Or are we building something of our own while using His name?

THE CREW IS NOT THE HOUSE

The Apostle Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 3:9

“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

Notice the distinction.

We are laborers together with God.

And we are also God’s building.

The physical labor required to serve the Church is important.

Someone must organize.

Someone must provide.

Someone must publish.

Someone must teach.

Someone must administer the physical responsibilities associated with serving the brethren.

But the workers must never forget whom they are serving.

Jesus Christ is building His Church.

Matthew 16:18

“I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

He did not say that He would build a temporary corporation that would cease to represent His Church upon the death of a human servant.

He said He would build His Church.

And He promised that the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

Therefore, our concern should not be merely whether an organization can survive.

Our concern should be whether we are assisting what Christ is building.

There is a great deal yet to accomplish.

And time is growing short.

But the urgency of the hour must not cause us to substitute activity for spiritual preparation.

A crew may be very busy.

Yet still be working on the wrong building.

THE OUTER COURT AND THE INNER COURT

Consider the temple.

There was an outer court.

There were physical structures, physical arrangements, and outward responsibilities.

But the purpose of the temple was not merely its outward appearance.

It concerned the presence of God.

And that distinction is especially important when we consider the spiritual temple being prepared today.

Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 3:16

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”

The true preparation of God’s people is taking place within.

The outward organization cannot substitute for the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit.

Neither can a corporate name.

Neither can physical proximity to brethren.

Neither can historical association with the Worldwide Church of God.

These things may have their proper places, but none can replace a living relationship with God.

Revelation 11:1-2 distinguishes between the temple being measured and the outer court left unmeasured.

There is a spiritual lesson worth considering in that distinction.

Are we merely concerned with the outward court?

The outward appearance?

The physical structure?

The visible organization?

Or are we concerned with what God is measuring within His people?

The flesh is temporary.

The physical organizations are temporary instruments.

But the spiritual character being formed through God’s Holy Spirit is what matters for eternity.

We must not confuse the outer garments with the inward preparation.

Christ instructed the Laodiceans:

Revelation 3:18

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

They needed something that outward possessions could not provide.

They needed spiritual riches.

Spiritual clothing.

Spiritual sight.

And these could come only from Jesus Christ.

THE BRIDE WILL MAKE HERSELF READY

There is something wonderful about the promise concerning the Bride of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 19:7

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”

Notice the certainty.

His wife hath made herself ready.

The Bride will be ready.

That is not the question.

Jesus Christ will have a Bride prepared for Him.

The question is whether we, individually, will be among those who have made themselves ready.

Will we be allowing God to prepare us?

Will we be following where He leads?

Will we be overcoming?

Will we be holding fast?

Or will we be so occupied with the outward organization that we neglect the inward preparation?

Consider the relationship between Adam and Eve.

God said:

Genesis 2:18

“It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Eve was formed from Adam’s side.

She was not a separate creation intended to compete with him.

She was brought to him as his wife.

And Paul reveals the spiritual significance of marriage:

Ephesians 5:32

“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

The Church is being prepared to become the Bride of Jesus Christ.

His help meet.

His wife.

One with Him.

Consider the closeness represented by the rib taken from Adam’s side.

It speaks of a relationship far deeper than membership in a physical organization.

The Bride is not being prepared merely to attend a wedding.

She is being prepared for an eternal relationship with her Husband.

And that preparation must take place within us.

Are we becoming the help meet Jesus Christ is preparing?

Or are we simply becoming more accomplished at maintaining physical organizations?

PHILADELPHIA: HOLD FAST

Jesus Christ gave the Church in Philadelphia a remarkable instruction.

Revelation 3:11

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

Notice that He did not instruct them to invent something new.

He told them to hold fast.

To retain what they had been given.

To remain faithful.

And to overcome.

Then He gave this promise:

Revelation 3:12

“Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

He shall go no more out.

What a remarkable promise.

No more wandering.

No more separation.

No more being carried away.

A permanent place in the temple of God.

Consider how this relates to the branches.

The branch separated from the source of life withers.

But the overcomer is promised a permanent place with God.

One is removed.

The other shall go no more out.

And the difference is not determined by the size of the physical group to which a person belongs.

It is determined by that person’s relationship with Jesus Christ.

THERE IS STILL TIME TO RETURN

This article is not written to pronounce judgment upon those attending different Church of God groups.

Neither is it written to accuse every organization of deliberately separating people from God.

Some brethren may be faithfully seeking God while attending such organizations.

Some may be serving others with sincere hearts.

Some may understand more than we realize.

And some may still be learning.

God knows those who are His.

2 Timothy 2:19

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

Our responsibility is not to appoint ourselves judges over the eternal destiny of others.

Our responsibility is to examine ourselves.

And to help one another return to God.

There is a vital distinction between a person who is wandering and a person who is deliberately leading others away.

We must be careful not to confuse the two.

Galatians 6:1

“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”

Restore.

Not discard.

Not condemn.

Not drive farther away.

Restore.

And restoration must always be toward Jesus Christ.

For the tree in our illustration is not ultimately a human leader, a corporate entity, or even an earthly institution.

Jesus Christ is the true vine.

And the Worldwide Church of God, as the spiritual organism we understand Him to have raised up and nourished through His Work, must remain subject to Him.

Returning to the Church must never mean placing an organization between ourselves and Christ.

It must mean returning to Christ, His truth, His government, His Spirit, and the Body He is preparing.

ARE WE READY TO ASSIST THE WHOLE CHURCH?

There is one final question that weighs heavily upon my mind.

Are we ready to assist the Worldwide Church of God as a whole?

Not merely those attending our particular congregation.

Not merely those belonging to our organization.

Not merely those who agree with us on every point.

But the spiritual organism of Jesus Christ.

His people.

His brethren.

His Body.

When the time comes for God’s people to be made ready for what lies ahead, will we be prepared to serve?

Will we recognize the responsibility?

Will we understand the purpose?

Will we be spiritually equipped to assist?

Or will we be so occupied defending our own bundles that we fail to recognize the needs of the Church?

Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians 12:25-27

“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”

That is the Church.

One Body.

Members caring for one another.

Not competing to become the greatest bundle.

Not attempting to replace the whole Body with a physical organization.

But assisting one another as members of the same spiritual organism.

The individuals whom God prepares will be ready when the time comes.

And the preparation is taking place now.

Not merely through organizational arrangements.

But through repentance, obedience, overcoming, brotherly love, and the continual leading of God’s Holy Spirit.

ARE WE STANDING AT THE TREE?

Return once more to that picture.

A tree stands firmly planted.

Beneath its shade lie branches that have been separated from it.

Some are still green.

Some are beginning to wither.

Others have already been gathered into bundles.

And some bundles are being carried farther away.

But the question is not how attractive the bundles appear.

Nor how many branches they contain.

Nor how effectively they have been tied together.

The question is whether those branches possess the life that comes from the vine.

Jesus Christ said:

John 15:4

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”

There is no substitute for abiding in Christ.

There is no organizational arrangement that can replace His Spirit.

There is no physical corporation that can manufacture spiritual life.

And there is no bundle large enough to become the vine.

We must return to the source.

We must hold fast to what God has given.

We must seek the welfare of the whole Body.

And we must allow Jesus Christ to prepare us for the purpose for which we were called.

There is much yet to be done.

And the time before us is precious.

But let us not become so occupied with organizing the branches that we forget the tree.

Let us not become so attached to the physical instruments that we forget whom those instruments were intended to serve.

And let us not become so concerned with belonging to a group that we neglect belonging to Jesus Christ.

The Bride will be ready.

The Church will be prepared.

Jesus Christ will finish what He has begun.

But each of us must examine whether we are allowing Him to accomplish that preparation within us.

For the final question is not merely which group we attend.

It is whether we are abiding in the One who gives life.

Whether we are holding fast to the foundation.

Whether we are assisting His Body.

And whether we are being made ready to stand beside our Husband, Jesus Christ, forever.

So where are we standing?

Are we standing at the tree, drawing life from the true vine?

Or are we standing among the bundles, growing comfortable with separation while being carried farther away?

The invitation to return remains.

And Jesus Christ is still calling:

Revelation 3:11

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.”

Hold fast.

Return to the foundation.

Assist the Body.

And prepare to become the Bride.