THE BODY OF CHRIST PART ONE

The Body of Christ is a mysterious living and breathing organism of a collection of people that feeds the life of God to each other and to other people in the world. When the husband comes home from work and finds his wife has had a bad day he reaches into his heart and breaks off some compassion, longsuffering, or love and feeds it to her. The production of these things are developed in us as we function correctly within the Body of Christ. Each member supplies its only part and function in a synergetic affect to make up the entire Body where everyone gains from it. It and provides a nurturing and caring arm of God's love to the world and is THE representative for God on earth. First it is a mystery. The Scriptures are full of verses that tell us of this amazing truth. Paul tells us in Romans, "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began," (Romans 16:25) The understanding of the Body of Christ is a mystery and like all mysteries of God the understanding must be received by revelation or we will never be able to see the depth and impact this group of called out people from this world can have on affairs of the world. in 1 Corinthians Paul writes, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:" (1 Corinthians 2:7) The Body of Christ is a mystery of the wisdom of God in the affairs of man. They are hidden to wise, but to the poor in spirit God floods His wisdom without measure. In 1 Timothy again we read, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16) It cannot be explained it is a mystery, but you know it like truth when you see it. It is a collection of people that God expects to live Godly before Him and the world. To best define the Body of Christ I believe it would be best to define what it is not. The Body of Christ is not the church. Again, the Body of Christ is not the church it is the expression of God on earth. We use this term "church" to mean so many things in God, but it pales in comparison to the function and application of God's intention for the Body of Christ upon the earth. The verses in Romans 12:5-18 above is the blueprint of expectation of God for the Body of Christ and a blueprint for our daily living. In these verses we find seven qualities (verses 5-8), seven characteristics (verses 9-13), and eight admonishments (14-18). When you get time I would ask for you to study these verses for these verse are what God is looking for in the Body of Christ. GOD’S MAIN OBJECTIVE “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:46-47) There has always been a main objective towards which every manifestation of God moves. The Church, the Body of Christ. The Church is not a building, denomination, philosophy, or even a ministry (Strong’s #1248, service, ministering, especially of those who execute the commands of others even at your own cost) Ministry is about being obedient to God’s word to us in doing what He desires us to do and not going and doing things for God on our own. What was the burden of Paul’s prayer? It was for spiritual growth and development of believers, the Body of Christ. It was not for bringing in the kingdom and getting this world set straight, nor was this the object of Jesus’ prayer. Jesus’ prayer was bringing out of the world as many as possible into salvation, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:” (John 17:20-22) Jesus said, “Go ye to the ends of the earth “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” (Mathew 28:20) not to Christianize the world, but to evangelize the world. And having evangelized the world to gather them together in what He calls the Body of Christ, the “Church” (Strong’s #1577) a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly. The Body of Christ is not physical but spiritual, a living expression of God and His love for those people in the world who still labor under the bondage of sin and death in their souls. We do not become a member of the Body of Christ by repeating some words as most denominations teach, nor through our faithful attendance or giving, but by partaking of eating Jesus’ flesh and the drinking of His blood. Jesus taught us this truth, “Verily, verily (double imperative no exception or other way), I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” (John 6:53-58) We become what we eat of. If we eat of the world we become like the death (in our thought life and every relationship we enter into) of the world, but if we eat of the flesh of Christ and drink of His blood we will become bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. This is God’s great objective for us; to be bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. As we partake of Him (take Him into our habits, customs, traditions, our lives) we are transformed from horrible darkness and ignorance into the glorious light (revelation – God’s measurement of our authority) and salvation (knowing God, which includes eternal life, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3), but is much more) not to become popular, rich, handsome, or even to go to heaven like most Christian leaders teach, but so we can become like Christ whom we eat of. When Satan was before God he answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” (Job 2:4-6) So too is the testimony of Satan for each person that abides as a member of the Body of Christ. In spite of losing all (except his wife) and enduring all Job’s confession was, “Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; 7Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. 8I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause: 9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvelous things without number:” (Job 5:6-9) How could Job say such things? Maybe it was because of God’s testimony of Job, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect (Strong’s #8535 complete, mature, selfless) and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth (turn aside or depart) evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.” (Job 2:3) This is the place God desires for all of us to come. Unless we eat of His flesh and drink of His blood this will never be our testimony by God. Unless we eat of His flesh and drink of His blood we will never become a part of the Body of Christ. Written by David Stahl