We're One Body in Christ

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 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. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” (Romans 12:3-8 ESV)

If we are believing in Jesus Christ, with God-persuaded faith in him, by the grace of God, and so we have died with him to sin, and we have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, then we are members of Christ’s body (Romans 6:1-23). And as members of the body of Christ we have all been given gifts of the Spirit of God which are to be used for the encouragement, strengthening, and building up of the body of Christ to spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus, as each part does its work.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

And we are not all going to have all the same gifts, and we are not all going to have the same body functions (parts), which are our God-given assignments within the body of Christ. And some of us may have more than others, and some of us may have less than others, and some gifts may be more prominent, while others are not. And some gifts and body parts may be more socially acceptable, while others may not be as much, especially within today’s more modern gatherings of the church (or of what is falsely being called church, but which are really businesses of human making).

But no matter what gifts we have been given of the Spirit, and what body parts we have been assigned by God, not one of us should think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think nor more lowly than we ought to think, too (see 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). But we are to think of ourselves as God regards us as his possession, belonging to him, saved only by the grace of God via God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ which is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. So all that we are and have is of God, so he gets all the glory for all that is accomplished in and through our lives.

Now we don’t get to choose which gifts we are given. God does! And we don’t get to choose our assignments within the body of Christ, either. God does! Our job is just to accept from God whatever we have been given and then to put those gifts and assignments to work within the body of Christ, as empowered by God and by his Spirit, and not of our own flesh. And like I said, some of these gifts and assignments will be more well received within the gatherings of the church than others. And some of us, in obedience to the Lord, may even be rejected by much of the church, too.

And this is not a complete list of the gifts here in Romans 12:3-8. Other lists are in 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 and in Ephesians 4:1-16, et al.

The important thing here is that we are obedient to our Lord in putting into practice the gifts and the assignments (body parts) we have been given by God, in the power of God, according to the will of God, and for his purposes and for his glory, and for the encouragement and edification of the body of Christ, and for the salvation of human lives, too. But remember that these are of the Spirit, so they are spiritual in nature. And they are directed by God, not by the flesh. So these are not necessarily natural gifts and talents, and they are not necessarily assignments given to us by other humans.

But if we shirk the gifts and assignments of God in our lives in order to be approved of and acceptable to other human beings, then God is not pleased, and we are not really serving the Lord with our lives, which is what we are all to be doing. For God did not place us on this earth and then save us from our sins just so we will go to heaven when we die. He died to transform us and to turn us away from sin so that we will now follow him in obedience to his commands and in doing his will and purpose for our lives. For he bought us back for God with his blood. So we are to serve God with our lives.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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