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WEEKLY
Volume 1 Number 10
6 August 2006
Ye Are the Body of Christ
(Message delivered by Pr Hien Nguyen at the Sunday Worship Service, 2
pm, July 30, 06)
Text: 1 Cor
12:12-31
Many atheistic people even scientists in
this world want to put God their Creator and His Word, the Holy Bible,
aside from their mind and their lives, accepting the evolutionary
theory. However, the Bible says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There
is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is
none that doeth good” (Ps 14:1). Through God’s Word and the illumination
of the Holy Spirit, we know for sure that God is our Creator and Maker.
David says, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well” (Ps
139:14).
Truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully
made. When we spend some time studying any part of our body and its
systems, e.g. our brain, heart, eyes, ears, nervous system, immune
system, even the tiny structures of DNA, we will be amazed at the wisdom
and power of God, our Creator.
The apostle Paul uses the human body to
illustrate the living and tight relation, connection, and unity of the
church members with one another as well as with the Head, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Then what does it mean when the Bible says, “Ye are the body of
Christ”? May the Holy Spirit graciously help us understand and be
comforted by this precious truth.
The Body of Christ
We know from God’s Word, the Bible, that
our Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% Man (1 Tim 2:5, 3:16; Heb
1:8, 10:12). He humbled Himself, came into this world, was born of the
virgin Mary, and had a real human body like yours and mine. With a human
body, our Lord was also tired, hungry, and thirsty. He was painful to be
nailed on the cross. He died and was buried and resurrected with a
glorious body that we will have when He comes back again.
However, when the Bible says, “ye are the
body of Christ,” the body here refers to the Church while Christ is the
Head, “Christ is the head of the church: and he is the
saviour of the body”
(Eph 5:23; cf. Col 1:24). The living and vital connection between the
Church and the Lord Jesus Christ is “a great mystery” (Eph 5:32). The
“Church” here consists of truly born-again Christians, redeemed by the
Lord Jesus’ blood, “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and
nation” (Rev 5:9).
Truly, there are great blessings to be
members of Christ’s Body in spiritual sense: to enjoy His guidance, His
provision and His protection exactly as from the Good Shepherd.
Christ’s Guidance:
The Head controls and directs the body to act properly according to the
divine mind and will. It is a great blessing to enjoy the guidance and
direction from our Divine Head, our Lord, our King and our Good
Shepherd. “He calleth his own sheep by name,
and leadeth them out … he goeth before
them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice” (John
10:3-4). Our Lord still guides us by the Holy Spirit and His Perfect
Word the Bible, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are
the sons of God” (Rom 8:14), and “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path” (Ps 119:105). Many professing Christians do not hold
fast on to the Head (Col 2:19) but just do what they like regardless of
God’s will and God’s Word, and surely they miss the blessed guidance of
the Head. My dear friends, hearing our Shepherd’s voice (God’s Word)
alone and walking after Him step by step, we shall never go astray as He
always goes before us and His way is always good and perfect. Shall we
not wisely subject to our Head the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word?
Christ’s Provision and Loving Care:
The Bible says, “Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself for it;” and “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but
nourisheth and cherisheth it,
even as the Lord the church”
(Eph 5:25,29). It is a great blessing to be loved, nourished and
cherished by our Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, He comes so that we may have
life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10) and His grace is
sufficient for us and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2
Cor 12:9). As members of Christ’s body and sheep of His care, we can
sing Psalm 23 like David, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
My dear friends, shall we not trust in our Lord and His loving care more
and more?
Christ’s Protection:
Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “And I give unto them eternal life; and
they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out
of my hand … out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). It is a great
comfort to know that once we are saved and born again, we shall never
perish, but are kept safe in our Lord’s mighty hand. Moreover, the Lord
says, “for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye”
(Zec 2:8; cf Ps 17:8), and “In all their affliction he was afflicted” (Isa
63:9). Truly, as members of Christ’s body, everything happening to us
does affect our Lord Himself. When Saul, later the apostle Paul, was on
his way to Damascus persecuting the church, the Lord Jesus Christ
appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts
9:4) Then in all things we may give thanks to the Lord and commit
everything to Him, knowing that He is able to make everything work
together for our good and able to keep that which we have committed unto
Him against that day (Rom 8:28; 2 Tim 1:12).
Oneness, Diversity and Unity
There is one God and Father of all, one
Lord, one Holy Spirit, one Faith, one Baptism, one Hope and one Body
(Eph 4:4-6). In the sight of God, there is only one Body,
one invisible and universal Church composed of truly born-again
Christians regardless of their races, sexes or social positions (1 Cor
12:13; Gal 3:28).
However, there are many members.
The apostle Paul repeats the truth of one body and many members again
and again (vv 12, 14, 18, 20). Truly, there are many members with
different gifts and functions to serve the Lord and edify one another.
Moreover, “God has tempered/joined
the body together … that there should be no
schism/division in the body” (vv 24-25). God desires and is able
to join all members together in unity as long as they are all submissive
to Him and His Word. The apostle Paul prays, “Now the God of patience
and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward
another according to Christ Jesus” (Rom 15:5). My dear
friends, shall we not be submissive to our Lord and His Word to maintain
our unity?
God’s Sovereignty
We can see that God is sovereign not only
over the universe and human history but also over the church and each
individual, and that no one or nothing can hinder what He is doing
according to His own will, His plan, and His purpose (Isa 45:7, 23; Dan
4:3, 25, 35).
In the church, “God has set/designed
the members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him”
(v 18). The verb “has set” (second aorist middle indicative) denotes
that God did it and of Himself (Robertson, Word Pictures). “All
these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,
dividing/distributing to every man severally/individually as He will”
(v 11). God’s purpose in giving different gifts to His children is for
the edifying of the body of Christ until they all come in the unity of
the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect/mature
man, unto the measure of the statute of the fullness of Christ and grow
up into Him in all things (Eph 4:12-15).
Having been given different gifts/talents
according to God’s own will and pleasure, and according to His grace and
the proportion of faith (Rom 12:6), let us do our part faithfully to
edify one another. We ought not to be like many who love to be church
leaders to preach or teach without God’s calling and ordination. Such
are trouble makers and do much harm to the church.
Believers’ Responsibility
Subject to the Head:
The body has only one Head. Christ is the Head of the church, and
“therefore as the church is subject unto Christ” (Eph
5:23-24). Sadly, there is schism/division in many churches nowadays like
the church in Corinth (1 Cor 1:10-13). This division is caused by the
church leaders and members who are not fully submissive to the Head, the
Lord Jesus Christ and God’s Perfect Word, neither apply Biblical
Separation in their lives and ministry (from wrong doctrines, sins, and
worldliness).
Do One’s Part Faithfully:
God does not count how much we have done for Him but how faithfully we
do our part according to His will. The faithful servants with five
talents or two talents receive the same reward from our Lord, “Well
done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou
into the joy of thy lord” (Matt 25:21, 23). We should do our part
faithfully (Rom 12:7-8). In God’s sight, a faithful prayer, worshipper
or helper is much better than an unfaithful leader, preacher or teacher
who is not fully submissive to His Word to preach and teach
accordingly. Then, are we faithfully doing our part to glorify God and
edify one another?
Belong to One Another and Need One Another:
“Ye are the body of Christ.” “Ye” here in plural denotes many members.
The body cannot have only one member, and one member cannot establish
the church, but at least two or three gathering in Jesus’ Name (Matt
18:20). In some cases, we are to walk alone with God to do His will
against the majority, but we still need the faithful brethren to fulfill
God’s purpose, “If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am
not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? … and the eye cannot
say unto the hand, I have no need of thee” (vv 15, 21). My dear friends,
do you and I realize that we belong to Christ our Head as well as to one
another, and we need Christ our Head as well as one another?
Care for One Another:
We can feel the pain when we have a toothache or a sore eye or a
stomachache. I remember when I had a bad cough, it was so uncomfortable
and I could not pray nor sing properly, nor sleep well. My dear friends,
all the parts in our body are related to one another and affect one
another. Each member of the church does affect the Lord Jesus Christ,
our Head, as well as other members. When every member is strong and
faithful in the Lord, the church is also strong and our Lord is pleased
and glorified. May God help us care for one another, help one another,
and pray for one another.
Conclusion
It is a great blessing and comfort to be
members of Christ’s Body enjoying His guidance, loving care and
protection. May God help us be fully submissive to the Lord our Divine
Head and to His Word to maintain the unity in the church and to glorify
Him. May God help us do our part faithfully, care for one another and
encourage one another to be faithful to our Lord and to His Word even
unto death. Amen.
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