Dispensational Teaching for the Body of Christ

Let us look at the main dispensational divisions as found in the Bible. The following dividings are a must to be fully understood. Each dividing, rightly viewed, has a vital impact on the believes life today. Below is an introduction to the teachings and a more detailed study will follow on this website. Sadly church history is a record of what bad things happen when the divisions are not understood.

Earth and Heaven

See Genesis 1:1-10. God since creation has been operating in two spheres. Heaven and earth are designed to bring glory to God. We see following the fall of mankind an usurping of these spheres by Satan. Reading our bibles, we find in the end God will fully reclaim heaven and earth to put His glory on display. Earth as a kingdom for Israel to show God is a promise keeper. Heavenly places will be emptied of evil and become the reside of the body of Christ membership. Believers will show the riches of God’s grace in that day (Eph. 2:7). What is important for us is we see clearly this distinction and we serve as ambassadors who represent and belong in heavenly places.

The bible is a record of the forming, forfeiting and reclaiming of the two spheres. The death of Christ on the cross was central in the victory against evil and repossessing of God’s real estate (Col. 2:15, Rev. 12:9-10).

Israel and the Church, the body of Christ

God has two agencies through which He operates and works out His will. God called Abram (Abraham) to be the father of a great nation (Israel). God’s plan is that Israel will be a kingdom of priests, the head of the nations, dispensing God’s teachings to the Gentile nations (Ex. 19:4). Through this people, Messiah and Saviour of the world would come.

The other agency is called the church, the body of Christ. This entity is unique, being formed to represent God during the dispensation of the grace of God on earth, and beyond in ages to come. It is wholly new in origin, being called “a new creature” (2 Cor. 5:17, Gal. 6:15) and “the one new man” (Eph. 2:15). It consists of saved Jews and Gentiles but the entity does not recognise “neither Jew nor Greek”. Everything about it exhibits the truth, “old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). It’s purpose is to glorify God, to this end Jesus Christ is it’s head.

Israel has her covenants, laws and promises – leave them to her. The church, the body of Christ as God’s grace in abundance – let us learn of and appropriate this. Keep both entities separate.

Law and Grace

Law and grace are operating systems in which mankind has been governed by under God. The first law was given to Adam and Eve, under Moses 600+ laws were given. The keeping of all of them would bring God’s righteousness to the keeper. Alas the law actually revealed the gap between God and man as Israel could not keep it. Although God’s grace has always been operating throughout the ages, the expression and volume of it meant that God actually named the current dispensation, the dispensation of the grace of God (Eph. 3:2). Grace is the main principle at work. God’s undeserved, unmerited favour has been directed at humanity. Salvation today is “by grace through faith” (Eph. 2:8). Grace is the key driver in our sanctification (Rom. 6:14), bringing us into maturity.

Both systems glorify God. The key is to know when they are and are not in operation – today we stand in grace.