The Body Of Christ

One of the most interesting pictures God gave us is the idea that we are the body of Christ. We are an organic organism, that lives and grows. 

This is the great mystery that God had not revealed until He gave to Paul the understanding of it to teach the church. 

Ephesians 3: 4-6 says:

(4) When you read this, you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, (5) which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; (6) to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 

The notion that God would put different people all into the same body is an idea that could only come from God. He put His Holy Spirit into all who have admitted that they deserve Jesus' death on the cross. 

Then Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this. 

I Corinthians 12: 12-13 says, 

(12) 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. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized (submersed) into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 

This is the Spirit of eternal Life, that every true Christian has living in him or her. That makes us one body. 

Colossians 2: 19 tells us we are to:

Hold fast to the Head (Christ), from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

And Ephesians 4: 12-13 says that God gave spiritual gifts to apostles and prophets and pastors and teachers: 

For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 

Our pastors and teachers are to be preparing and equipping us as members of the congregation to do the work of serving. They are not to do it all, they are to train us to do what we can do. We as the members are to serve one another under the authority of our leaders. And Christ is the Head over us all.

As each of us matures as a Christian, the body grows up, too. To the full adult stature of the Son of God. 

O my Father, please help us in our growing up in Christ. Show us Your ways, Your Truth, and Your family traits. Teach us how to be faithful children in Your family, so that we will be able to sit in Jesus' throne with Him, as He sits in Your throne with You. Fit us and prepare us and make us suitable and qualified to rule justly with gentleness and compassion in Your Kingdom.

And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!