The church of Christ consists of Jesus Christ the head and the
144,000 members of his body. (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 7:4) Those
composing this special class are otherwise designated saints. A saint is
one who is pure, holy, blameless. The followers of Christ Jesus are not
holy or blameless within themselves, but their holiness is by virtue of
his imputed merit. This same class of Christians is otherwise designated
in the Bible as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for a purpose". (1 Peter 2:9) They are also designated new
creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17); therefore they constitute the new
creation. This new creation when completed will be of the divine nature.
(2 Peter 1:4) Nature is determined by organism. The nature of the
church, then, will be like unto Jehovah God. It pleased God that Jesus
Christ, his beloved Son, should have preeminence in his great plan;
hence he is made the head of the new creation.--Colossians 1:18.
[469]This new creation had its beginning with Jesus Christ at the time
of his baptism in Jordan when he was begotten to the divine nature and
anointed with the holy spirit without limitation. As a man, he was pure,
blameless, holy. At the age of thirty years, he was qualified under the
law to be a priest, and there he consecrated himself and at that time
was baptized and begotten to the divine nature; hence became a new
creature there from the divine standpoint.
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