Part of the Body of Christ

 1 Corinthians 12:12
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

How refreshing it is to meet a complete stranger and find out they also are Christians. Our hearts and spirits are seamlessly bonded together as one. We are part of the body of Christ. We may have different opinions on Bible interpretation and application, but this one thing we have in common, we belong to Christ, and are part of the family of God. As part of the body of Christ, we all have our part in building the kingdom of God. Eph. 4:11. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Everyone in the body is important. The work that God has called us to do may not seem like much when we compare it to others who have been recognized for their contributions to ministry. It is easy to think that the work we do is not significant and has little impact on the grand scheme of God’s plan. But little is much when God is in it! The little mustard seed that we plant in Jesus' name can bring glory to His name. Luke 13:19. “It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.” How important it is that we be all that God wants us to be. He has not called us to do this work alone. The body of Christ works together to accomplish His purpose. He desires that we be obedient to His will for our lives, whatever that may be. God calls everyone to do their part in the work of the kingdom. Are you willing to use the gifts and talents that God has given you to make the body of Christ functional? The work you do may not be seen by others, but all things done for Jesus is important work, and God sees your heart and will reward you according to your obedience. So find your niche in the body of Christ and do it with all your heart and might. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might”- Ecc. 9:10

Fellow Helper to the Truth

 3 John 1:8
We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow helpers to the truth.

God’s work is accomplished through the help of many in the body of Christ. It is easy to recognize the work done by those who are gifted at speaking and preaching and spreading the gospel from the pulpit or other media platforms. They are oracles of God that proclaim God’s word and deliver truth, regardless of what the world thinks or says.  But the gifts of God are not restricted to just the ability to speak or having the faith to heal the afflicted. Paul makes that clear in scripture. The body of Christ is made up of different members that play key roles in spreading the truth of God’s word. Gaius was commended by John for his contributions to the work of the kingdom. Gaius was a man who shared his home and food with those who were preaching the word. His hospitality was recognized as an important part of those who were going out letting others know about Jesus. Many of these were complete strangers, but he knew that they were being used by God to spread the good news. Gaius, a man who sacrifices his home and resources to give shelter and food so that he might be a fellow helper to the truth. You might not be able to open your home, but such as you have given to the Lord. The widow women gave two mites, and Jesus said, this woman gave more than everyone else, for she gave not of her abundance, but gave of herself and all she had.(Mark 12:44). It is not the quantity or quality of our gifts that are important, it is our willingness to use what we have for Jesus. Give it all, give it all to Jesus. We can all be a Guais, a fellow helper to the truth.

Edify the Church

 Eph.4:11,12
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

As Christians, we are charged to spread the gospel of Jesus, and to share the grace of God to a lost world. It is the great commission given to us by Jesus before He ascended back to the Father. But, we have also been charged with edifying the church, the body of Christ to grow and learn to be more like Jesus. It is given to each one of us to ask God what we can do to help edify the church. It is not enough to just go to church and sing the hymns, lift our hands in praise, and soak in God’s presence. God calls each one of us to be a part of the ministry of building each other in Christ. The old days of looking out for self have been put away. God’s Spirit now pushes us forward to be partakers of this ministry. I believe that is why it is so important to be a part of a body of believers who are like-minded in heart and desire to live according to God’s word. Yes, the church is more than just a building or an organization, and the label on the church door is not so important as the label that God has stamped on our hearts. Edification, or the building up of faith and love, is not done in isolation. The Lord may call some to make the world their mission field, and spend their life sharing the good news, but their call is no greater than those He has called to serve in the local church to edify believers to live holy and learn to love. What this will look like is different for each of us. Find that calling, ask God, “What will you have me to do to help edify the body of Christ, the church.” 

Burden Bearer

 Gal 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Called to be a burden bearer. The load of cares is heavy among all of us, but there are times that the load gets too heavy, causing our brothers and sisters in the Lord to crumble and break down physically and emotionally. The law of Christ teaches us to pray for each other, reach out to and give a helping hand to those that are burdened with the cares of life. It may be the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, broken relationships, physical and mental stress due to an unforeseen event. The list goes on. The burdens of life are real and it often takes the body of Christ pulling together, supporting each other in the faith. Christ is our burden bearer, but Christ uses the Church as his hands to help carry the load. Be a burden bearer.

Being a Saint

Ephesians 4:11, 12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The calling of God to ministry has more than one purpose. All are called to be a witness to a lost world without Christ, to let our light shine in a world that is full of darkness. But there is more to ministry than reaching the lost for Jesus. The ministry of edifying the body of Christ for the purpose of establish believers in the faith and sound doctrine. All that follow Christ are made saints of God. The ministry of perfecting the saints is to draw followers of Christ closer to God, to put their faith in Christ to practice, to live a life of holiness and godliness. Achieving the title of “Sainthood” in our day is reserved for those who have demonstrated a life set apart from the world and have manifested the love Christ in every aspect of their lives. In this sense, we all that are sanctified strive to be saints. Obtaining “Sainthood” is a life long process, but living a life of a saint is a daily choice to live a holy life.

The Comfort of God

2 Corinth 1:4 “who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God.”

God gives that we may pass on the blessings He gives us. In times of difficulties and hard places, God Comforts us extending His love and care. His love reaches us and give us peace in times of trails and sadness. Life is filled with things that go wrong and we find ourselves alone with our problems. But God, who sees our despair and our heart ache comes to us in ways that are beyond comprehension. His desire is that we would extent this comfort to others in their pain and suffering. As part of the body of Christ, we reach out to each other and also reach out to those who need the Lord. Those who are going trough trouble waters and difficult times. Showing comfort to others is just often a kind word, financial aid, being there to led a ear, and of coarse, praying for them. God cares when we hurt and He care when other hurt. We live in a hurting world that needs the comfort of God.

Workers Together

Roman 12:4 “For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office”-

Workers together to build the kingdom of God. God has given us particular gifts that make the body of Christ work effectively and as one. Each one of us have a part in the operation of advancing God’s work. Not everyone is gifted to speak, or to be a leader. We admire those who can speak and those who are able to lead. But, much of the work that is done is accomplished by those who are in the “trenches” where no one sees the hours of work that are spent doing what needs to be done. We refer to this as “behind the scenes”. Each one of us is called to a ministry. When Jesus saves us from sin and delivers us from the life of sin, He calls us to ministry. Depending on the gifts that He give us, He wants us to use our gifts to share the grace of God to others, to edify each other in the faith, and show love and compassion to a world that is hurting. God sees “behind the scene” and will someday say, “‘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.”