Welcome to the Come to Jesus Daily Devotional as we continue in our series, God’s vision for the church. Today, we reflect on how the true church is already united by the Spirit but needs to work out this unity relationally.
To watch this devotional, follow the link below:
‘Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.’ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)
i. The body of Christ is one
God gives us this metaphor of the body to teach us a number of very important things. Firstly, we’ve seen that this is about being a living organism - as a body is alive so the church is alive because each of the members are joined to Christ and His life as His Spirit flows into each member. Added to this, today we see that this body metaphor speaks of our ‘oneness’; we read: ‘Just as a body, though one…’ It’s vital that we embrace this unity that is just as real as the unity of our physical bodies. The union between the members of the church is closer than any other relational, political, racial, ethnic… unity.
ii. Spiritual union needs to be displayed in relational unity
The church, fundamentally, is already perfectly united in Christ. However, she also needs to work on relational unity so as to glorify Christ to this world. Our spiritual unity needs to become relational unity where possible. However, this cannot be a unity with those who are ‘heretics’ - those who are in rebellion to Christ. Whether it’s those who follow false religions or those who claim to be Christians but are in error, we cannot be united with such people! Many, with a false understanding of love, may find this idea difficult to agree with. However, Paul is under no such confusion as He says:
‘Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”’ (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)
Christians, and a church, cannot be ‘yoked’ - we cannot be joined with, keep in step with, go in the same direction as anyone who is not yoked to Christ and going His way! Having said this, we are to strive for unity where we can with those who are genuinely united to Jesus by the Spirit. We read Jesus’ prayer:
‘“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”’ (John 17:20-23)
Response
Firstly, unity begins at home! What I mean is, whilst it’s good to encourage unity with other churches, are we actually devoted to our local church family? Firstly, then, let our unity with Christ by the Sprit be lived out in sacrificial devotion to our church family.
Secondly, understand that true unity is that which already exists between all true ‘born again’ believers.
Thirdly, let’s do all we can to be united in various ways with other Christians and churches. I, personally, have not always been very good at this but this is more about lack of organisation than any bad intention. May this truth - our being united in Christ and His love of unity - cause each of us, according to our gifts, roles and relationships to do what we can to glorify Jesus through unity. As we end, let’s endeavour to work out our unity as we read in Ephesians 4:
‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.’ (Ephesians 4:3-6)
Together meeting notes
At this week’s 'Together' evening, we will continue to reflect on our 'God's vision for the church' vision series. This week, we consider what it means for the church to be the body of Christ.
‘Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.’ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14)
Discuss:
What sorts of things does this metaphor of the body of Christ mean for how the church relates and operates?
What does it mean to be ‘baptised by one Spirit’? (Be careful to read the context of this phrase).
Read 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 and discuss: how have you grown in your gifts in the past? How are you or could you grow in your gifts in the present?
Pray together:
Pray for CCP to be a healthy body - united, diverse and submitted to Jesus our ‘head’.
Pray for your Community Group meetings to be places where we meet God in the Spirit and use our gifts to build one another up.
Pray for one another to be filled with the Spirit afresh so as to be empowered to use our gifts with greater effectiveness.
コメント