Shun Dao Hsieh—Taichung, Taiwan

On March 25, 2017, Elder Hsieh, a veteran worker who started his full-time ministry in 1955, delivered an insightful and stirring message on the future of the True Jesus Church during a Sabbath service at the Centennial Commemoration and World Delegates’ Conference held by the Taiwan General Assembly. Below is an excerpt.

INTRODUCTION

Since my conversion in 1947, I have heard the declaration “the True Jesus Church shall prosper” repeated by many workers of the preceding generations. Do we continue to hold this same belief?

Let us consider this topic from three perspectives: the criteria of the true church; the gospel preached by the True Jesus Church; and the gospel to be preached to Israel.

CRITERIA OF THE TRUE CHURCH

First, let us review the three biblical requirements that define the true church.

Filled with the Spirit of Christ

            And He put all things under [Christ’s] feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Eph 1:22–23)

The church is Christ’s body, and His Spirit fills the church. Thus, the first requirement of the true church is that she must be filled with the Spirit of Christ. The abidance of His Spirit testifies that the church belongs to Christ.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (Rom 8:9)

One who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. This is true for both individual members as well as the church as a whole.

Proclaims the Words of Christ

The second requirement is that the church must proclaim the words of Christ. Her beliefs and her teachings must be in full accordance with the teachings of the Bible. She must correctly explain the word of God.

Knowing that the imparted truth might be lost over time, the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples, before His ascension, to: “[teach] them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). The truth taught by the Lord Jesus had to be passed down from generation to generation; only then would He abide with the church until the end of time.

True believers live according to the words of Jesus as recorded in the Bible. Such fidelity to God’s word characterizes the teachings of the true church. We must never equate our own opinions to biblical principles. Nor should we accept teachings that are based solely on human rationale. This is the attitude that the True Jesus Church has held from her establishment. If the teachings of Jesus are altered, the Holy Spirit will leave the church.

Over the last year or so, I have undertaken doctrinal comparisons of the True Jesus Church and other Christian denominations.[1]  I find that the beliefs of the True Jesus Church are more aligned to early Christian theology than to today’s wider Christianity. Clearly, over time, biblical exegesis has evolved and been twisted to the extent that the Christian world today generally does not abide by Jesus’ words. They embellish and re-interpret the Bible’s teachings to suit their own agendas. Many changes occurred after the fourth century, when Emperor Constantine I decriminalized Catholicism and made it the official religion of the Roman Empire. After the sixteenth-century Reformation, the range of Christian beliefs multiplied and deviated even further from the Bible as the number of denominations increased.

There is only one Jesus Christ and one Bible. If every church is observing the Scriptures faithfully—without alteration or additions—why are there so many different denominations? The interpretation of the Bible must have changed significantly for this to happen.

Manifests the Power of Christ

The third requirement of the body of Christ is that she must manifest the power of Christ.

            And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. (Lk 6:19)

Jesus was full of power. Those who were sick needed only to touch Him, and they would be healed by His power. But since Jesus has ascended to heaven, how can we touch His body today?

The church is the body of Christ. A century ago, the True Jesus Church was established through the power of the Holy Spirit. Within the church, we have seen His power manifested in signs and miracles. Many from different parts of the world have come to believe through experiencing miracles in the True Jesus Church. When these believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, after hearing and believing the true gospel, they willingly forsake their former beliefs and religions to join the true church. God’s power is in the True Jesus Church.

Some believers in developed countries lament that there are fewer miracles in the True Jesus Church today compared to yesteryear. But let us not overlook the different contexts. Many of our early believers did not have the advantages we now enjoy. For example, before Taiwan established its national health insurance system, seeing the doctor was expensive for our impoverished members. So they sought healing from the all-powerful Physician, the Lord Jesus. In His grace and mercy, He heeded their supplications, so signs and miracles abounded. Now, we turn to medical doctors instead of our Lord Jesus Christ for healing.

It is not contradictory to the truth to seek medical help from a doctor; after all, Jesus Himself said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick” (Mk 2:17b). However, there are some believers who choose not to see a doctor when they are sick. They believe that Jesus’ power to heal surpasses any earthly doctor. In fact, in seemingly hopeless situations where medicine cannot heal or may even harm, Jesus is the only answer. Such willingness to rely on Jesus is a gift; it cannot be forced upon a person. Seeing a doctor does not automatically signal a lack of faith. But we should also acknowledge that the Lord Jesus still performs miracles—big and small—in the true church today.

Manifesting Christ’s power through miracles is one factor that proves a church is Christ’s body. But this cannot be taken in isolation—it is only one of three interconnected and interdependent factors that together distinguish the true church. The True Jesus Church not only has miracles, but also the presence of the Holy Spirit, as proven by her believers’ speaking in tongues in prayer (Acts 2), and faithfulness towards the gospel of Christ. And it is this gospel of the kingdom that must be preached.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

            And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Mt 24:14)

According to biblical prophecy, we can see that the end is drawing near. Before the end comes, the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world.

The Gospel will Spread Rapidly

As the end of days approaches, the gospel will be spread more quickly.

            Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” (Rev 14:6–7)

In a vision, John saw an angel preaching the everlasting gospel. An angel is a messenger of God, so this angel refers to the servants of God who preach the gospel—preachers, elders, deacons, brothers and sisters. The Holy Spirit is upon the church, and we are the messengers sent by the Holy Spirit. The angel’s flight through the air indicates the rapid speed at which the gospel is preached.

Today, the reach of the internet is worldwide. Hence the True Jesus Church has put in much effort to develop the internet ministry. This allows us to share the gospel online so that those who visit our websites can come to understand our doctrines. In fact, quite a few truth-seekers have contacted our church through the internet. If the church can become even more active in this ministry, she will indeed be like an angel flying through the air, quickly spreading the gospel throughout the world “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev 14:6).

Why does the gospel have to be preached with such urgency? Because “the hour of His judgment has come.” At the age of eighty-nine, I may not live to see the day that the gospel reaches every corner of the world, but I have every conviction that the True Jesus Church will prosper and fulfill this commission.

The Gospel of the Kingdom Preached by the True Jesus Church

Many Christians suggest that the gospel has already reached the whole world, as the Bible has been translated into more than a hundred languages and Christianity can be found in the remotest places. But that is not what the Bible means.

Jesus said that the gospel of the kingdom is the gospel that leads man to heaven (Mt 24:14). Only the pure and unadulterated gospel that the True Jesus Church preaches can lead man to heaven. The evidence of this is the abidance of the Holy Spirit with the church.

            In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. (Eph 1:13)

Members of the True Jesus Church have received the promised Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues. This seal of the Holy Spirit testifies that the church believes and preaches the gospel of truth and salvation—the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Importantly, the Lord Jesus has entrusted the work of global evangelism to us in the True Jesus Church. We must recognize and take up this noble and sacred commission. 

THE GOSPEL WILL BE PREACHED TO ISRAEL

            For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

            “The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

            And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Rom 11:25–26)

This is a profound prophecy: not only will the gospel be preached to the ends of the earth, it will also reach the whole of Israel. As Paul writes, this was a mystery to the believers at the time. But just as an open box hides no secret, the revealed mystery cannot be denied.

There are two parts to Paul’s statement. First, the number of Gentiles must be fulfilled—i.e., God’s chosen Gentiles will first come into the true church. Second, the house of Israel will then be saved.

The Number of Gentiles will be Full

Now when the Gentiles heard [that salvation had been sent to them], they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)

When Paul and Barnabas preached at Antioch, the Jews rejected the gospel because they were hard-hearted. This opened the way for the Gentiles to receive salvation. From this point onwards, Paul continued to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, establishing churches in Europe and Asia Minor. Every Gentile who was “appointed to eternal life” believed, meaning that none was left behind. This will continue “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Rom 11:25). We who are believers today have also been appointed on account of our faith in the Lord Jesus.

The House of Israel will be Saved

Romans 11 records that when the full number of Gentiles has been reached, the house of Israel will be saved. This house of Israel is not the same Israel that existed at the time of the apostles. Nor does it refer to the modern nation of Israel. It refers to the remnant of Israel remaining after the great war (Rev 16:12–14; 20:1–10). When the time comes, only a remnant will be saved (Rom 9:27, 29).

A careful reading of biblical prophecy suggests that, in the future, Israel will be involved in a great war, where two-thirds of Israel will perish (Zech 13:7–9). The prophecy speaks of a great conflict among the nations of the Middle East. The small state of Israel is surrounded by much larger Arab nations, all of whom have strong military forces and are developing advanced weapons programs.

Future warfare will likely involve biological, nuclear and technologically advanced weapons. This is how two-thirds will be killed. The remaining third, the surviving remnant, will undergo great suffering and, through this difficult process, be refined as silver and tested as gold (Zech 13:9). 

By that time, the True Jesus Church would have preached to every nation, including Israel. During this tribulation, the gospel of Christ will be shared with them, and they will believe with conviction that the Messiah for whom their forefathers had waited is indeed Jesus Christ. They will understand that the “word of truth, the gospel of…salvation” preached by the True Jesus Church enables humankind to receive God’s promised Holy Spirit as the seal (Eph 1:13). Just like at Pentecost, when a simple message led three thousand to be saved, the Holy Spirit will descend mightily. Hearers will be filled with the Holy Spirit and their sufferings will be healed. They will repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. As God promised, “They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God’ ” (Zech 13:9).

This salvation of the house of Israel will be the outcome of our evangelism.

BUILDING THE WALLS OF THE TRUE JESUS CHURCH 

This conviction of our status as the true church must motivate us to preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to all nations. However, besides evangelism, we must also guard against complacency over the state of walls of the church. As Micah prophesies:

            In the day when your walls are to be built,

            In that day the decree shall go far and wide. (Mic 7:11)

An alternative translation to the second line of this verse, offered in the footnotes of the NKJV Holy Bible,[2]  is “the boundary shall be extended.” This speaks of the nation of Israel expanding her territory. Her preparation for this expansion is to build her walls. Both Israel and the true church are the nation of God. This is why the Bible often uses Israel to represent the true church. God’s command to Israel to rebuild the walls is also a reminder for us in the true church. 

The walls have two functions: to separate the holy from the unholy; and to exercise control over our own spirits.

Separate Holy from Unholy

            He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common. (Ezek 42:20)

Ezekiel, in his vision, saw a man measuring the temple’s walls with a measuring rod. Each wall was five hundred rods in length. One rod is a cubit, equivalent to 1.5 feet. The walls were long, thick and impenetrable. Their purpose was to separate the holy areas from the common. That which is within the walls is holy, that which is outside is common.

 

The height and length of the walls illustrate the importance God places on holiness. The message for us is clear: we must maintain our holiness and sanctify ourselves from the world. There is even a distinction between ourselves and any unbelieving family members—while they are still family, we are different. Some values and activities which are acceptable in the world must be rejected because they are anathema to our faith. We must vigilantly stay away from these and remain sanctified.

Rule over our own Spirit

The second function of the wall is to teach us to rule over our own spirits.

            Whoever has no rule over his own spirit

            Is like a city broken down, without walls. (Prov 25:28)

“[Having] no rule over his own spirit” implies the lack of spiritual discipline. “A city broken down” needs to be rebuilt. A city without walls needs to construct its walls; otherwise, this city is open to attack. Spiritually speaking, our enemy is the devil, and the city we must protect is our heart. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Prov 4:23). The Lord Jesus also said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” (Mt 12:35). We must rule over our own hearts if we want to step up our spiritual cultivation. If we do not bring our spirit under control and spiritually cultivate ourselves, then we leave room for the devil to tempt and deceive.

In conclusion, the True Jesus Church shall surely prosper, with the gospel reaching Israel in God’s time. Meanwhile, we must embark on our own journey of building the walls of the church, through living a life of holiness and persistent spiritual cultivation.

Appendix: Appointed to Eternal Life

God appoints His believers to the faith in two ways. The first is when a person is born into a believing family; he or she has the opportunity to be baptized from young and brought up in the faith. We cannot choose which family we are born into; it is God who chooses.

Ephesians 1:4–5 tells us that we have been chosen to be children of God before the foundation of the world. Humans experience time as past, present and future, but for God there is only the eternal present. In the eternal past, before the heavens, earth, and humankind existed, God had foreordained us as His chosen in Christ. Great indeed is this grace of election which has been conferred on us from so long ago.

The second way that God elects a believer is by giving him an opportunity to hear the gospel, opening his heart to understand the mystery of the gospel and accept baptism.

In Acts 16, we read that Paul and his companions went to the riverside in Philippi to pray on the Sabbath. A group of Gentile women who worshipped the God of heaven was there. Of all the women, the Bible only mentions one who believed in Paul’s words: Lydia. This was because God opened her heart and allowed her to understand the gospel. Lydia and her household were baptized, which was the beginning of the church in Philippi, the first church in Europe.

In other words, Lydia was foreordained because she not only had the faith to accept the gospel, but she also had the opportunity to hear and understand it. Some people will hear, but not understand. Some may never even have the opportunity to hear the true gospel. Does that mean God is unfair? Not at all.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (1 Cor 15:22)

According to this verse, the entire human race, descended from Adam, is already dead from birth. We are born spiritually dead from our mother’s womb—we do not have the life of God in us. We are conceived in sin, i.e., original sin (Ps 51), and the result of sin is death (Rom 5:12). But all shall be made alive in Christ. These refer to the souls who have been pulled out of Adam and placed in Christ, being born again through baptism. This is grace. Those who are not chosen simply remain in their prior state.

One analogy of this is if a wealthy philanthropist visits an orphanage to adopt some children. He has enough money to adopt all the orphans, but only chooses one or two. To be adopted is to receive a generous act of charity. But the orphans left behind cannot argue that this is unjust—the philanthropist does not owe them anything. He has the right to adopt whom he chooses.  

In Adam, we were once spiritually dead in sin. Now, by God’s grace, we have been chosen and placed in Christ. Whether we were born into a Christian family or were converted, God’s grace put us in these circumstances and gave us the faith and opportunity to believe.