When We Say 'I Do'

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part in it” 1 Cor 12:27.

The Bible states in Mark 10:8 that when two enter into marriage the parties ‘shall be one flesh:  so then they are no more two, but one flesh.’  The same holds true when we accept Christ into our lives.  Christ is the head of the church and the body is His bride.  Can you imagine if after our wedding ceremony we only served our spouse once a week…children followed but we only did things with them when it suited our interest?  What if the only time we offered ourselves to them was when we were receiving from them?

This is a Christian dilemma that stalks the church from the greatest of Christians.  Just as God leads us to our vocation and calling, He also leads us to the church where He has assigned future work.  Just as our family would be dysfunctional as described above, so is the success of our church when we don’t fulfill our God-directed church purpose.  ‘When God places you in a local church, you’re not merely joining a religious organization; you’re a part of the living body of Christ.  God puts you in a particular church because He knows you can help that church fulfill His assignment.  You’re vital to the body and the body is important’ Experiencing God, p. 161.  We do not go to church to receive but to give…give our worship…give our tithes…give our time and talents.  The body is incomplete without each member fulfilling its God-given purpose for that specific church. 

How can we find our purpose in one of the most important groups of people whom we are entrusted…the church, the Body of Christ?  In addition to our weekly attendance, we must pray to God for His revelation and wisdom in realizing our role in the church.  We must look to Scripture to be led into the knowledge of what God is doing in our church.  We must sensitize ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s leading and join Him in His work at the church.  Being active in church means much more than occupying a pew once a week.  It means being active in the activity of Christ in that place.  In every church there seems to be a division, those who are actively serving in the body and those who are not.  Just as every limb on our body operates to serve the rest of the body, so must the members of each church to make the body move as intended by God.

‘So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other’ 1 Cor 12:25.