Go! And… Be One Body in Christ - Romans 12:4–5
Romans 12:4–5 (NLT): “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
Introduction – The Beauty and Challenge of Belonging
Imagine a symphony orchestra about to perform. The violins are perfectly tuned, the brass gleams under the lights, the percussionist raises his sticks. But as the conductor raises his baton, the flutes decide to play a different piece. The drums start keeping a separate beat. Chaos erupts—not because they are bad musicians, but because they are not united.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, paints a powerful picture: the Church is like a body. Many parts, many functions, one purpose. And if one part goes rogue, the whole suffers.
This morning, in our “Go! And…” series, I want to challenge you: Go! And… Be One Body in Christ. This is not just about showing up in the same building on a Sunday. It is about being joined together by the Gospel of Jesus Christ—redeemed, forgiven, and sent out to live as one.
I. Understanding the Body of Christ (Romans 12:4–5)
Paul wrote: “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” (Romans 12:4–5, NLT)
Romans was written by Paul around AD 57 to believers in Rome. Chapters 1–11 lay the doctrinal foundation: humanity’s sin, God’s righteousness, salvation through Christ alone. Then, in chapter 12, Paul turns to application: how should those redeemed by Christ now live?
Here, the Greek word for “body” is soma (s?µa), meaning a living, organised whole. And the phrase “belong to each other” comes from allelon (???????)—meaning “mutually, reciprocally, interdependently.”
Paul is saying: Just as your hand cannot survive detached from your arm, a Christian cannot thrive detached from the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12–14 (NLT): “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptised into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.”
Paul here emphasises diversity within unity. Your identity in Christ surpasses your ethnicity, your background, your social status. The Gospel breaks down walls and builds a body.
John Piper once said: “God did not create the church to be a collection of loosely connected individuals, but a living organism united in Christ for his glory.”
And isn’t that what Romans 12:5 is teaching us? We are not spectators, we are participants. We are not consumers of church; we are components of the body.
II. The Function of Every Member
Paul says each part has a “special function” (Romans 12:4). In Greek, the word is praxis (p?????)—meaning action, practice, outworking.
Every believer has a God-given role. There is no redundancy in the body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11–13 (NLT): “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”
Each gift, each role, each act of service—whether preaching, encouraging, giving, praying—builds up the body.
The Little Toe
Did you know your little toe helps you balance? Break it, and suddenly walking becomes awkward. In the same way, the “smallest” ministry, the “quietest” servant, the one who prays in secret, may be holding the balance of a whole congregation.
Charles Stanley once said: “Obedience always unlocks God’s power in your life.”
When you obey your function in the body—whether seen or unseen—you release God’s power into the whole church.
III. The Gospel Foundation for Our Unity
Why do we belong to each other? Because first we belong to Christ.
We were once dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). We were separated, alienated, enemies of God. But Jesus came.
“Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18, NLT)
At the cross, Jesus shed His blood to purchase a people, not just individuals, but a family, a body, a bride. Through His resurrection, He gives us new life. Through His Spirit, He binds us together.
The Cross as the Centre
Picture a wheel with many spokes. At the outer rim, we are far from one another. But as we move closer to the hub—the centre, Christ—we also move closer to one another.
Tim Keller wrote: “The gospel is not just the way we enter the kingdom of God, it is the way we live in the kingdom of God.”
It is the Gospel that keeps the body healthy. Without it, church becomes a club. With it, church becomes a living Christ-centred organism.
IV. Living as One Body in a Fragmented World
We live in a 21st-century Britain marked by individualism and division. People are connected online but lonely in real life. Cancel culture isolates. Consumerism says, “It’s all about me.”
But the Bible says, “We all belong to each other.”
Practical Applications:
Belonging means commitment: Don’t just attend; invest. Join a group. Serve faithfully.
Belonging means forgiveness: When one part hurts another, we do not amputate—we reconcile (Colossians 3:13).
Belonging means participation: Bring your gifts, your prayers, your presence.
Colossians 3:14–15 (NLT): “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
Max Lucado said: “When you are in the body of Christ, you are never alone. He placed you in a family that will walk with you, weep with you, and rejoice with you.”
V. The Call of the Gospel
Friend, you cannot truly belong to the body of Christ unless you first belong to Christ Himself. The Bible says:
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, NLT)
Jesus died for your sins. He was buried. He rose again. He offers you forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and a place in His family.
Will you repent—turn from sin—and trust Him as Lord and Saviour today?
Call to Action for Believers
If you are already a believer:
Examine your connection: Are you a functioning part or a detached limb?
Exercise your gifts: Where are you serving the body?
Extend forgiveness: Who do you need to reconcile with?
Go! And… be one body in Christ.
Invitation to Salvation:
Today, if you are not yet in Christ, I invite you: Come to Jesus. Admit your sin. Believe in His death and resurrection. Confess Him as Lord. He will forgive you, fill you with His Spirit, and place you in His eternal body.
Benediction:
May the Lord make us one as He is one. May He strengthen each part to fulfil its function. May the love of Christ bind us together in perfect harmony, and may we, as one body, glorify our risen Saviour in all we do. Amen.
