1 Corinthians 12:20-27(NKJV) 20But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
Our mandate at Living Word Christian Center for 2012 is to possess our land of promises, drive out any and all enemies who keep us from our possession and to occupy this land until Jesus comes. We have been studying various aspects of how to do that in this space. This week I want to begin on another track. If we are going to occupy our land, we must do it together. There are certainly elements of occupying that we walk in as individuals. However, to accomplish the will of God in the earth today, we must work together. We must be the Body of Christ.
Today’s scripture is part of the most familiar teaching on the body of Christ in the bible. Here Paul speaks of our physical body. How important is your body to you? As spiritual people, we spend a great deal of time trying to bring our flesh, and therefore our bodies under control. We know that the physical body should not be the dominant part of our being. Galatians 5 tells us we should walk in the spirit or with our spirit in control. Our bodies are often viewed as the culprit in our attempts to overcome the flesh. However, we need our bodies.
It is interesting to note that we will have a body throughout eternity. Some may think that after we die and go to be with the Lord we will forever be incorporeal beings. We will simply exist as energy. However, the bible says that the day will come when we get new bodies. They will not be nearly as troublesome as the ones we have now, but they will be bodies.
God created man as a threefold being. He is spirit, soul and body. He is one being in three parts, just as God is one being in three expressions, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Man is not complete unless all three parts are in place and doing what they were designed to do. We need our spirit to be in control. We need our soul to process information and we need our bodies to be the channel for the rest to interact with the world around us.
How important is a healthy functioning body to us? I have been blessed to do a good deal of travel. In the age of jet planes time and travel have developed an interesting relationship. The term “jet lag” has entered our lexicon to describe the affects of jet travel on the human body. When I fly to Europe, for instance, I may leave at 9:00 PM and arrive in Europe in around 7 hours. My body tells me it is 4 in the morning, but it is actually 9 in the morning.
For a few days my body has no idea what time it is. I tell it to sleep when it should be up. I try and eat breakfast when my body thinks it is mid afternoon and I want it to eat dinner at midnight. When I get home, I want it to go back to the way it was before I left. During this period my chemistry is off, my sleep rhythms are off and I find it hard to think or function. A little thing like this can even affect how I relate in the spirit.
Sickness of any kind, lack of rest, or myriad of other things can cause my body to function at less than full capacity. One small thing can affect the whole body. Have you ever had a toothache? A tooth is such a small thing, but when it is hurting, it demands attention. The whole body is weakened by the pain in one small member.
I have great respect for those who overcome handicap or injury and learn how to function and be productive in life. However, God did not create us that way. He gave us all the parts we need to function properly in life. If we lose a part or become disabled in some way, we may learn to adapt, but we will never be able to do things exactly as God intended. God gave us eyes to see with, ears to hear with two feet to walk with and two hands to manipulate with. If we lose any of those parts, we will be at best hindered and at worst unable to function.
Paul points out that some of the parts of our physical body that we cannot see are even more important than the ones we can see. If I lose a hand or a foot, I will live. I can adapt to the loss and go on. If I lose my heart, I will die. Every part of my body is very important to me. Some that get almost no attention are vital.
Paul continues to remind us that no part can exist on its own. The hand is useless without the arm. The eye is very good at seeing but can gather no sound information. The feet can carry us to where we need to go, but they cannot see the obstacles in our way. The mouth can preach the gospel, but we need the rest of our body to get us there, to read the Word and to lay hands on those that have need. If I am going to be what God created me to be, I need all of my parts doing what they are supposed to do. I need a healthy functioning body.
Another important aspect of Paul’s teaching here is that all the members make up one body. I do not say my feet are going to the store. I say I am going to the store. I do not say that my mouth is preaching at such and such a city this week. I say that I am preaching. I have many members in my body, but all those members make up me. If you talk to me you do not just talk to my face. You talk to me. There are many members but there is only one body.
Through verse 26, Paul is talking about our personal body. We need a healthy functioning body to accomplish the will of God and fulfill our destiny. In verse 27, he makes his real point. “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” In every way that matters, we are to Christ what our physical body is to us. He is the head, but we are his hands and feet. We are his eyes and ears. We are what he uses to minister to the world. We are the vehicle through which he speaks to the world. We are the primary channel he uses to fulfill his purpose in the earth.
Each member of his body has a vital function to perform. Some members are out front. Their function is easily recognized while others are hidden from view. However, some of those hidden members are more vital than the outward ones. In Christ’s body all members are vital to his purpose. Jesus needs a healthy body.
Take some time to think about this today. Am I contributing to the health of the body of Christ? Are my attitudes and behavior causing his body to be unhealthy? If that is the case, what do I have to change so that I can be a healthy functioning member of his body? Jesus needs a healthy body so the world can see and hear his message and come to know his wonderful love.
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