Walking in the Light, March 1, 2009

Walking in the Light

     In 1 Corinthians 12:14-18 Paul writes, “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” God designed the physical body and He made many parts for the purpose of helping it to function properly. There are different parts, but there is one body. If there were not different parts to the body then the body would be deformed; it would not be able to function.

     The church functions the same way. Every member has different abilities, and each member with his or her ability is important to the church. Every member needs the other members of the body in order to function properly. EVERY MEMBER IS IMPORTANT because each member makes up a successful team. Therefore, if you are a part of the body and not fulfilling your role, your part of the body is dead. If you’re not doing something then someone else is having to pull your weight.

     Each one in the church has a task to do. Again we go to Paul’s words in Ephesians chapter 4, this time in verse 16, “…from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” There are different functions among the members, but all unite to form one body. There is a diversity contributing to unity, and we are all united to the head, which is Christ.

     Christ is the head of this body; this describes the basic character and nature of the church. The church consists of individuals who are in Christ. The church derives its life and being from Him, and in so doing becomes His “body,” the organ of His life in the world. The body of Christ is more than a figure of speech, it describes a real relationship. The body finds wholeness and oneness in Christ, and being united to the head means we are united to Him and to each other.

     Each member of the Lord’s Church must understand that they are an integral part of something that is bigger than themselves. As a part of the Lord’s body, we must realize that we all have a role, and that role must be carried out effectively in order for us to be the church that God intended for us to be. Ask yourself a couple of questions: “Am I contributing to the life of this body, or is my part of the body dead? What can I do, personally, to contribute to the success of this body?”

Chris McCurley