January 13, 2020 NO LONE RANGERS
Ephesians 4:16 “from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”
1 Corinthians 12:7, 12 “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
In one sense, being independent is a good thing, and in one sense being dependent is a good thing. Certainly, if one is physically able, he should be productive, taking initiative, and being motivated to do what needs to be done-not depending on others to do what he can and should do-that is healthy independence. However, in the body of Christ, a spirit or mindset of independence hampers the growth of the individual members who view themselves as independent and it hampers the growth of the body as a whole. God has so designed the church-the body of believers-in such a way that the members need each other. Each believer has been given the Holy Spirit and each believer has been given at least one spiritual gift and this gift is to be employed to edify other believers. We may have difficulty in accepting the fact that we as individuals alone are not complete and that we actually need others. (We even need those who we may not particularly like!) Here’s another mystery: we are complete in Christ, but in Christ we are a part of His body, and in His body we are made complete. In the western world, there is a spirit of independence that runs deep; many resist any form of being told what to do and take pride in living life according to their own dictates and desires and take pride in living as the once popular song said- “I Did It My Way.” However, God calls us to oneness, to unity just as He and the Son and the Holy Spirit are one; He has no plans for His followers to be ‘loose cannons’ going about life however they deem best. It is an inescapable fact that any one believer does not have it all-together; to grow in the Lord and to mature, we need the input and the interaction of other believers. God designed it in such a way that the particular spiritual gift that He gives to one is not just for him or her, but is given for the benefit of others in the body. This brings us to the point that participating in the meetings of the church as well as fellowshipping with believers on other occasions is really non-optional if we are to follow the Lord’s instructions regarding body life. It seems that for many, it only takes the slightest reason not to attend the meeting of the church. (The biblical definition of ‘church’ is the ‘called out ones’ or assembly.) Even though the church you and I are a part of is far from perfect, let us discern the plans and the design that God has for His church and take our place in the body of Christ, contributing what God has done and is doing in us and let us receive what others have to give.
Hebrews 10:25a “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit,”
Romans 12:4-5 “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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