May 26, 2022 (Thursday)
The Church is Like an Organism (a human body)
“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Rom. 12:4-5)
“We who are many are one body” (1 Cor. 10:17).
“Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12).
“You are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (1 Cor. 12:27).
“Equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12).
“Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior” (Eph. 5:23).
“We are members of [Christ’s] body” (Eph. 5:30).
“In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col. 1:24).
The “organism” of which we speak is the human body. Paul was concerned about the folks in the church at Corinth. The Lord had blessed the church by giving the church spiritual gifts through their members. The problem for the church was a bad attitude on the part of some who were entrusted with spiritual gifts. Seems that some of them felt superior to the others because they thought their gift was better than other gifts.
Paul devoted several chapters of his letter to the Corinthian Christians to the subject of spiritual gifts. First he emphasized to them that the church needed unity if they were to be effective witnesses in Corinth. So he asked them to think of the church as a human body. Then he pointed out to them how ridiculous it would be for the foot to say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not part of the body.” He then mentioned other body parts, making the point that a body has many parts, but is still one body.
The body needs all its parts. Each one has a job to do and the body cannot do its job if the various parts are arguing with each other over which one is most important. And pure confusion would exist if some parts were claiming that they could get along just fine without some of the parts that are deemed not necessary.
The church is not a human body, but the lessons suggested by Paul make good sense. The members of the church have individual job descriptions and it takes all of them to do the job. They needed above all else to love one another. This mutual love for the Lord and for each other will solve their problems as they experience a change of heart. They needed to accept and love one another.
Of course, all these things are true of any church, even today.
TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE
Words, Frances R. Havergal
Music, Henri A. C. Malan
har. by Lowell Mason
1874
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.
Let them flow in endless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Theme for this week: What Is the Church Like?
1. Monday May 23 The church is like a bride
2. Tuesday May 24 The church is like a family
3. Wednesday May 25 The church is like a building
4. Thursday May 26 The church is like an organism
5. Friday May 27 The church is like an organized organism