Members Together

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Romans 12:4-5)

All believers have personal and doctrinal differences.  Yet, God sees us united in the one body of His Son.  God desires us to love each other as we love ourselves.

Paul’s Message – The Head of the Church and the Body of Christ

Paul is the only one that taught the unity of Christ and the Church.  This was very important to Paul, and he mentions it eight times: Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 12:12-27, Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:6, 4:12, 16, 5:23.  He was the only writer to teach Christ as the Head or us as the Body.

What Led to Saul’s Conversion?

“They (Jewish leaders) cast him (Stephen) out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his death.

At that time (Stephen’s death) a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house (in Jerusalem), and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.”  Acts 7:58-8:4

The Jewish leaders were confused by the rise of Christianity. They were extremely dangerous to the Jews.  But persecution only caused Christians to multiply.  They taught that a person is not saved by keeping the law and that no one needed to go to the Temple to sacrifice or observe days. They had the same Jesus Who performed miracles and healed the sick and they claimed Jesus was the Messiah.  Jewish leaders were very angry and sent Saul to kill them.  Saul fervently killed Christians because of his dedication to the Jewish religion of his father.

“And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:14).

“Traditions of my fathers” - what a wonderful description of the Jewish religion, or any religion for that matter.  Saul could not draw a line between the word of God and the traditions of Judaism.  In his thinking, both were from God.  Saul’s zealousness for Judaism blinded him to the reality that the Messiah had come to earth and gone back to heaven, and He had missed it.  The message of the Old Testament could be clearly seen in the scriptures but had been hidden by the traditions of the Law.

When Saul Met Jesus, He Realized Why They Were Unified

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? “And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”  (Acts 9:1-5)

Saul was confused over Jesus’ words.  He knew the voice had to be Jehovah but did not know that Jehovah was Jesus.  “Why am I persecuting YOU, Lord?  I am helping you.  I’m on Your side.  I oversaw the killing of a young man, a worker in a church.”  Jesus said, “NO, you killed ME.”  Saul believed that he killed the man named Stephen.  No, His name was Jesus!  Then the revelation hit Saul – Jesus is ONE with all Christians.

Jesus’ Prayer in the Garden

“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”  (John 17:21-23)

We are in Christ and Christ is in God.  Which means we are in God.  When one member suffers or rejoices, we all suffer or rejoice.  At salvation, we joined Christ.  He and we form the whole man.  We are as inseparable from Him as He is from the Father. Satan and the world will persecute us.  BUT to persecute us is to persecute Christ.  To persecute Christ is to persecute God.  The good news is we do not have to defend ourselves.  God will defend us.  “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).  By means of the cross we are inseparably joined by mingled blood (lives).  How do you unmingle blood?

Why Is Crucifixion the Main Message of the Four Gospels?

Jesus’ death marks the end of the historical, human Savior. It seems all four gospels tell the same story; Jesus came to die. More detail is given to the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ arrest, trial, beatings, and crucifixion, than His works, His healings, and miracles. More chapters deal with His miracles, but only give a short account of each one. You might say the whole purpose of His life was to die. No biography of any person would give greater detail to their means of death than their beliefs or accomplishments. Although Jesus later rose from the dead, still more detail is given to His sufferings and death than His resurrection. After resurrection, much is told of the forty days where Jesus encouraged His disciples and two men on the road to Emmeus. He was also seen by the women, small, and large groups of followers. Then He ascended into heaven to remain and finally He sat down.

Between His resurrection and ascension Jesus did not minister. He did not preach a sermon. He did not perform a miracle for anyone or heal anyone. He only showed Himself to individuals and groups (1 Corinthians 15:5-8).

What was the first sermon and healing after His resurrection? The first sermon was given by Peter at Pentecost. The first healing miracle was Peter and John, the man at the gate Beautiful. After such a dramatic end to Jesus’ life - WHY?

Jesus’ Death Was the Introduction to the Main Story

Jesus’ death and sudden departure set the stage for the main message – the coming of the Church - His Body.  Out of His death came our life as it says in Colossians 1:27, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  The Head had to go to Heaven so the Body could be formed.  We are given Jesus’ same eternal life and filled with the same Holy Spirit, power, and authority.  Jesus was God’s ambassador.  Now we are God’s ambassadors.  God desired to replace His only Son with a multitude of sons and daughters.

Jesus, Who said, “I am the light,” saw His light extinguished at His death.  His light has been reignited in us now.  Jesus now says, “you are the light of the world.”  The One Who said, “I am the life,” saw that life killed on the cross.  His eternal life has now been given to anyone who will believe - “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:26).  After His ascension, Jesus worked with them.  It was not them working with Him (Mark 16:19-20).

We Are Not Only Members With Christ – But With Each Other

If you are going blind, your nose cannot fill the place of the eye.  If the heart is failing, the stomach cannot fill in and pump blood.  Each part of our body plays a unique role as each of us do in the Body of Christ.  We are as much one with each other as we are one with Jesus and Jesus is one with God the Father.  If you are born again, you are a member of the Body of Christ.  You are one with the Father, one with Jesus, and one with all believers.  Without Jesus in our life, we have no relationship or fellowship with God or with Jesus in life or in eternity.  And, we have no relationship or fellowship with each other in life or eternity.

God does not see us as Baptists, Methodists, Word of Faith, or Presbyterians.  He only sees us as Christ’s Body.  WHY CAN’T WE?  When Jesus sees us, He sees hands, feet, ears, and eyes.  He sees Himself.  WHY CAN’T WE?

“When you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.”  (1 Corinthians 11:18-19)

Sadly, we separate ourselves from other denominations, from each other, and those of our own fellowship.  We can separate ourselves by the way we believe in such things as the rapture, confession of sins or whether or not we are all Spirit-filled.  Jesus doesn’t separate from us over doctrines.  He needs us.  Faith in Jesus ONLY makes us a Christian – a member of His Body and sends us to heaven.

The only one who is not a part of the Body of Christ is the one who does not believe in the work of Jesus as the only way to heaven.  Everyone else is part of us.