An individual who is baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27) is at the same time baptized into the church/body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:41, 47). God’s intention is for those who have submitted to Christ’s Lordship to find their place among other Christians. When we join with other children of God in worship, service, benevolence, evangelism and fellowship all parties involved are benefited. This is God’s intention; He did not intend for a Christian to live in isolation.
A Christian’s character changes from the ways of the world to the ways of God. We may have an individualistic, pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps mentality regarding how we go about accomplishing various endeavors in life. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul appealed to members of the church to not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Paul then immediately moved to the explanation of regarding oneself in the right way and using one’s gifts to help the body of Christ (Rom. 12:3-8). While some of the gifts listed, (e. g. prophecy), are miraculous and had an expiration date, others, such as exhorting, giving, and showing mercy, seem to be a fixture of the church of Christ throughout the ages. Ultimately, the principle taught in this passage holds true for the church even today. Becoming more like Jesus involves using our gifts to serve the body of Christ. The gifts you possess were not earned, nor are they a mere luck of the draw (1 Cor. 4:7). They were dealt to you by God; thus, you should use what you have been given to glorify God in His church (Eph. 3:20-21).
The temptation to become conceited is a threat to maturing in Christ; the man who thinks of himself more highly than he ought to think (Rom. 12:3) forgets that the body is not one member but many (1 Cor. 12:14). On the other hand, some say they cannot contribute much to the church (1 Cor. 12:15-17). Whether it is because of wrongheaded priorities, laziness, or a lack of self-esteem, they excuse themselves from service. The devil is also delighted when an individual falls into this trap as much as the arrogance trap. The one-talent man—who was given the money according to his ability—was not expected to make five, or even two, more talents, but doing nothing was condemned as wicked (Mt. 25:14-30).
The spiritual reality God is communicating through the body-model for the church is that the whole is greater than merely a collection of individual parts. Automotive engineers design the numerous parts of a car to work together. A working car cannot be made by any random pile of parts from a junkyard. All the various parts are manufactured to be compatible as part of a particular model. The parts working together is a result of intention. Likewise, God has designed the church to work together (1 Cor. 12:18). The church is not a mistake (Mt. 16:17-19); it was eternally purposed by God (Eph. 3:11). The corporate body of Christ is not a dispensable facet of Christianity that one may take or leave. Working and worshiping together with fellow Christians is essential, not optional (Heb. 10:24-25).
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