INTRODUCTION

1. The New Testament describes the relationship between Christ and the church with the figures of the head and the body.

2. Presently, let us consider what it means for each of us to be a member of Christ's body.

    

RELATIONSHIPS IN CHRIST'S BODY

1. The most important relationship is between Christ and the body.

   1. Consider two passages that define this relationship between Christ and the church.

      1. Ephesians 1:22-23 -- ²²And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, ²³which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

      2. Colossians 1:18 -- He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

   2. The figures of the head and the body emphasize order.

      1. "The body is subject to Christ" (Eph. 5:24), which means that He has all authority over the church and every member of it.  Indeed, He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).

      2. In practical terms, this means that the church and its members take all direction from Christ and not from anyone else.  There is one body and one Lord over that body (Eph. 4:4-5), so we must not follow any other head (1Pet. 3:15).

      3. This also means that we exist to work for Christ (Eph. 2:10). We will examine this aspect of the relationship later in the lesson.

2. Being a member of Christ's body means that you are integrally acquainted with Christ.

   1. As a member of Christ's body, you have a direct connection with Jesus Himself.

      1. Each individual Christian has this connection with the Lord.  Notice 1Corinthians 12:27:

         Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it.

      2. Obviously, this is a very blessed a privileged position to hold.  Jesus considers each Christian as a part of Himself as He indicated in Matthew 25:40 when He said, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."

   2. It also means that Jesus is aware of your needs and cares for you as His own flesh.

      1. The Scripture says, "No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church" (Eph. 5:29).

      2. The love and concern of Christ for each member of His body gives great comfort and confidence.  He knows and supplies every need for you.

3. Being a member of Christ's body also means that you are directly connected and related to your fellow Christians.

   1. This is stated well in Romans 12:5, which says, "So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

   2. No single Christian can constitute the body of Christ by himself, but rather he is only one part of the whole.

      1. This is stated plainly in 1Corinthians 12:14, which says, "For the body is not one member, but many."

      2. Each Christian must work in concert other Christians according to Christ's own design for the church.

   3. As members of one another, we are to be so intimately connected that we share both good and bad experiences.  Consider 1Corinthians 12:24-26:

      ²⁴...But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, ²⁵so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

   4. The interests of Christ should also be the interests of Christians.  Because He is highly concerned with all the members of His body, each member should be concerned with one another (1John 4:11).

FUNCTION IN CHRIST'S BODY

1. As a member of the body of Christ, you have a unique and vital function.

   1. It is important for each member to appreciate the individual contributions of every member of the body of Christ, including his own contributions.

   2. This is the main point of Romans 12:3-8 and 1Corinthians 12:12-31.  Notice the passage from Romans:

      ³For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.  ⁴For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, ⁵so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  ⁶Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; ⁷if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

   3. Consider the sound judgment you should have about yourself.

      1. You are an important part of the body.  Just as the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," so also no one can say to you, "I have no need of you" (1Cor. 12:21).

      2. You are a limited part of the body.  No single member can perform every necessary function, so Christ has many diverse members for diverse purposes.  "And if they were all one member, where would the body be?" (1Cor. 12:19).

      3. You are responsible and accountable for your particular function in the body.  Christ gave abilities, opportunities, and resources to you, and you must answer for how you use them.

2. Because you are a member of Christ's body, you cannot function outside of the body.

   1. Just as no member of the human body can function if it is removed from the body, so also the members of Christ's body cannot function apart from the body.  They likewise die when cut off from the head.

   2. The Lord designed His church to function as a self-edifying body, which means that growth happens through the joint efforts of the members. Consider Ephesians 4:11-16:

      ¹¹And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹²for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³until 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.  ¹⁴As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; ¹⁵but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

   3. Those who attempt to operate as Christians without from the church are engaged in a losing effort.  They are not only separated from the body, but they are also separate from the head, who is Christ.

3. Most importantly, you cannot be saved outside of the body.

   1. God adds those who are saved to the church (Acts 2:47). Therefore, every saved person has an assignment from God within the church, and no saved persons are left out of the church.

   2. Jesus is the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23).  Those who have Jesus as a Savior must be in that body or else be without a Savior.

   3. Jesus reconciled sinners to God "in one body" (Eph. 2:16). Those who are outside of that body are not reconciled to God and therefore remain separated from Him.

   4. Altogether, it is quite evident that those who are not members of the body of Christ are not saved.

       

CONCLUSION

1. Being a member of the body of Christ is a great blessing.  Those who have no interest in the fellowship of work and worship within the church are simply without spiritual understanding or value.

2. Let each of us recognize our blessings, responsibilities, and accountability for our places within Christ's body.  If Jesus is your Savior, then you have a place in the church and an important work to do.