Healthy Bodies Pt 5 Series

“HEALTHY BODIES Part 5”

Our physical body was designed to best function following three essential principles.

The principle of diversity

The principle of unity

The principle of mutuality

God designed the body of Christ to function on those same three principles. In fact the most informative and most used illustration of the church is the “Body of Christ” with Christ as the controlling head. The problem is the body doesn’t always follow the direction of the head and it does not always appreciate the three fundamental principles necessary for effective impact for Christ.

Just a thought I had this week. The Trinity also operates on these three principles. The Trinity operates as a unity – they all share the same essence. There is diversity of function by each of the members. Each of the members supports the other members and without any of the members you no longer have a Trinity.

The Holy Spirit inspired the writes of Scripture to address the issues of relationships. Remember that these three principles are as natural and necessary to the body of Christ as they are in our physical bodies. You don’t have to learn them. They occur naturally as designed by God. Only the disease of sin and selfishness causes dysfunction in the harmonious working of the members of our body.

The healthy operation of relationships in the body of Christ draws attention to the gospel in a self-centered and broken world. The Holy Spirit issued numerous directives related to our relationship with other members of the body in the form of “one another” commands.

PROMOTE AND PRESERVE UNITY

“LOVE ONE ANOTHER” (Don’t be indifferent to one another)

“RECEIVE AND GREET ONE ANOTHER”

“DO GOOD AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER”

“AGREE AND LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ONE ANOTHER”

“HONOR ONE ANOTHER”

“FORBEAR AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER”

To round out the one another passages related to promoting and preserving unity, there a few prohibitions; things God instructs us NOT to do.

“DON’T JUDGE ONE ANOTHER”

“DON’T BE EMBITTERED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER”

“DON’T PROVOKE ONE ANOTHER”

God designed the body to operate in unity.

He gifts individuals to equip the members to serve one another until unity in the faith is achieved.

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13

It is this unity that inspires belief in the deity of Christ.

"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:20-21

The second principle of the body is diversity.

Promote and preserve unity.

Celebrate Diversity.

Diversity comes into play mostly in the area of ministry and function.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Not everyone has the same capabilities. Not everyone serves in the same ministry.

Sunday School teacher, prayer, praise team, service to members, office work, bookkeeping, maintenance, giving, encouragement, elders, trustees, evangelism, visitation, missions, and the list goes on and on.

Then there is a whole list of ministries not directly connected to what we would consider “church ministry” or “sacred” ministry.

I want to take a moment to validate those who serve in that category.

Ship yard workers, bankers, salespeople, restaurant workers, business men and women, mechanics, doctors, lawyers, medical professionals, government workers, farmers, clerical, retirees.

God gifts and calls every follower of Jesus Christ into some ministry.

CALLING

The word vocation comes from the Latin “vocare”. The early church considered only those in full time ministry were called. They divided up people in those who took the perfect calling – clergy and there rest took the permitted way – secular calling. Erroneous view of the world that only the spiritual thing matters.

1 Cor 7 addresses the question about what circumstance of life is better to serve the Lord.

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. 1 Cor 7:17-24