APPRECIATING THE BODY OF CHRIST
(mr 01/07/19)
OLUBI JOHNSON

The body of Christ is a gigantic spiritual body made up of the spirits of all Christians intricately connected together and to the Head: the Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:19 NKJV:  And not holding fast to the Head, from Whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by means of its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

1Corinthians 12:12-27 NKJV:  For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (13)  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (14)  For in fact the body is not one member but many. (15)  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? (16)  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? (17)  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? (18)  But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. (19)  And if they were all one member, where would the body be? (20)  But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. (21)  And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” (22)  No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. (23)  And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, (24)  but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, (25)  that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. (26)  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (27)  Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Practically, the body of Christ on earth makes God’s Presence THROUGH OUR SPIRITS BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PHYSICALLY PRESENT THROUGH OUR PHYSICAL BODIES.

Everything God does on earth (except when He does it sovereignly and even then the power used must still be released into the earth through the prayers of the Church) He does through the Body of Christ.

Psalms 115:16 NKJV:  The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.

This shows the INTERDEPENDENCE of every member of the Body of Christ on God and the Body of Christ.

Put simply, we ALL need BOTH GOD and one another and God also needs us to operate in the earth as we, the Body of Christ, are really an extension of the God-head in the earth!

Psalms 82:6 NKJV:  I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High.

John 17:21-23 NKJV:  that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (22)  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (23)  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

So we need to appreciate one another understanding this interdependence.

Practically, we do this by walking in love towards one another and forgiving and praying for one another when we sin, by the washing of feet.

John 13:14 NKJV:  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

John 13:34 NKJV:  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Ephesians 4:16 NKJV:  from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

1John 5:16 NKJV:  If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.