Meditation

Meditation for 10/11/2019

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many from one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve: if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:4-8)

The church forms the body of Christ. The body serves as a beautiful picture of the life of the church. An individual’s body has many parts serving various functions. The church consists of people serving Christ in many ways according to the different gifts Christ has given. The church as the body of Christ emphasizes the diversity of gifts which come together to serve one purpose.

As members of Christ church, we must love one another as we love ourselves. The emphasis is not on uniformity but on a diversity which Christ brings together and uses for His purpose. The unity of the church results not from everyone thinking alike but from Christ bringing the various parts together in service to Him.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, Christ is the glue that holds the various parts of the church together, in order to serve Your purposes. The variety of people; sizes, colors, backgrounds, etc., which make us a reflection of Christ Himself. It is Your plan of creation, that makes us stronger together than we could ever be separately. It is Your love and grace, that makes us want to serve You in whatever capacity that we are able to, and we thank You for helping us to become the kind of people You knew we were, long before we even had an inkling. In Jesus’ name we pray to You in love and appreciation. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“To lift your life, first bend your knees.”

KNOWING GOD:

“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (Ephesians 1:22–23)

Beloved, the church exists because of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord ruling in the heavens (verse 20). Jesus’ resurrection and ascension revealed God’s unsurpassed power and established Jesus as supreme ruler over all heavenly and earthly powers for eternity. Using the imagery of the body, Christ is the head which directs the actions of all other pasts of the body. The church is connected directly to its Head and, thus, represents Christ’s presence in the world.

I AM:

The Church, Body of Christ: (Ephesians4:11-16)

Christ gives gifts to His church for a purpose—-to equip believers to do the work of ministry and by so doing to build up the church. Every Christian is called to do the work of ministry and to build up the body of Christ. The goal of Christ is that such equipping, ministering, and building up will go on until complete maturity is achieved. Every Christian has the responsibility to help every other member of the body of Christ to grow in faith. Maturity leads a Christian to be discerning in what to believe as true. Teachers with wrong motives should not deceive mature Christians. The church grows spiritually and numerically when each part of the body lives under Christ’s control.

Second Thought of the Day:

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! No you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But the he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” (1^st Corinthians6:15–17)

Paul used the imagery of the church as the body of Christ in different ways in various contexts. Here he used the imagery to prohibit sexual immorality. Apparently one Corinthian Christian used his freedom in Christ as a license for immorality, and some of the church approved. These people misunderstood the meaning of grace and the nature of the Christ-life.

Paul reminded the people that they were the body of Christ. Each person was a member of Christ and, as such, could not be united with immorality. Since God owns us by the power of Christ’s death on the cross, all our actions must be subjected to Him. Christ defines and determines all our relationships and actions.