But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. | 1 Corinthians 12.24-26
You ARE a body. Because of that, be unified. | Derek Fekkes
In the physical world, the local church is a non-profit organization, run by volunteers, and relying on peoples donations. It is a fragile balance of people coming, people leaving, people excited, people depressed; people in process
In God’s economy, it is a functioning body. It is all of the parts humbly living out the role they have been assigned using the resources God provided. It is something that exists, not something to be produced.
This distinction is important. It changes what is being done from our work to His. It changes service from something we can choose to do (or not do) into what we were created for. It changes our giving from choosing to support the church into God using His resources to accomplish His task. It changes to church from something we do into something that God is doing in and through us.
It also means that all measurements of success and accomplishment go out the window. The Christian view of acceptance is grounded in God’s acceptance of us, NOT because of any rights we have before God, or any inherent value in us. Our ‘success’ is because of his mercy and grace. We are adopted as God’s beloved children BY his grace, and FOR the praise of his grace.
And the Christian community is to be a mirror of this acceptance. As Jesus told his disciples, we are to love one another just as He has loved us. This life is not about creating a body, but living as the body we already are.
It isn’t about how much you give or how much you do; it is about living a right response to what Jesus has given and done. This does not mean that what we do does not matter, but that it must come from a motivation of worship. This is the only way that we will find the body of Christ, His church glorious.