ng a member of the spiritual body of Christ is necessarily
a spiritual operation. Men may admit members to a formal church
relationship, but only the Spirit of God can make us members of
Christ. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized [or inducted] into one
body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and
have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13). This
text does not refer to literal water-baptism, but to the work of the
"Spirit," by whom we are inducted into Christ. "_God hath set the
members_ every one of them in the body" (verse 18). And since this
is the work of the Spirit, it is evident that none but the saved can
possibly find admittance into the spiritual body of Christ. Under a
different figure Jesus conveys the same truth. "I am the door: by me
if _any man_ enter in, _he shall be saved_" (John 10: 9). "And the
Lord added to them day by day those that _were being saved_" (Acts
2:47, R.V.). Salvation, then, is the condition of membership.

[Sidenote: Family relationship]

The members of Christ are members of God's family. How do we become
members of the divine family? "Except a man _be born again_, he can
not see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). "As many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the sons of God ... which were _born ...
of God_" (John 1:12, 13). "Beloved, now are we the sons of God" (1
John 3:2). Since this family, or church, is composed of the saved,
or those who are born again, and excludes all the unsaved, we can
understand Paul's reference to "a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing," but "_holy and without blemish_" (Eph.
5:27).

We have spoken of the union of all believers with Christ when he draws
them unto himself and becomes their spiritual life. But this unity of
all believers _with Christ_ is a spiritual relationship and experience
not to be confused with external things. The Bible speaks of
Christians as being "in Christ." What does this mean? It certainly
means to be "born again," for without that experience we "can not see
the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). "Therefore if any man be _in Christ_,
HE IS A NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). "Whosoever abideth _in him_ sinneth
not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him" (1 John
3:6).

[Sidenote: Unity of believers]

But our union with Christ, by which we become members of the divine
family, nec