With or Without

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

As we creep along through the Book of Romans in Sunday school, the discussion led us to this subject. God has created each of us as individuals, each with unique talents and gifts. He had a plan for this, as He always does.

If God's plan is for unity, one part of that plan is that each of us, as individuals, fit together to make unity. Look at any object and how it is designed. It may have moving parts, it may not, but it will have a variety of pieces put together by various other pieces. When they all come together and it works properly it is complete. If there is a part missing it probably won't work.

So in regard to the Church (in general) God refers to it as a body...and Christ is the head of the Church...or should be. In a church, however, where Christ is the head, where it's all about Him and less about what man makes his church, there is unity. This is only attained when we humble ourselves and not think of ourselves as greater than the next person and allow Christ to be the head.

We each have a separate role in the church. As Jon discussed we are not all called to be pastors or deacons, or any other official within a church. Some are called into lesser roles. But all are necessary, like parts of a physical body. There are many parts (or members) but one body (or church). 1Corinthians explains this: If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 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? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? (1Corinthians 12:15-19)

We must accept our individuality in life and within the Church. But there is more to this. If we are a part of a body then we must be part of that body in order for it to function. This ties in with something I wrote earlier about not forsaking the assembly. If we have a function, whether it is a great role or not, we should be part of the church, not just for the body's benefit but for our own. We are as necessary to them as we are from them.

This is where not thinking of ourselves as greater comes in. Thinking of ourselves as greater is a sin. It is pride. If we believe we can do without, aren't we saying we think we are better?

Not all churches are perfect, but we need the Church. We need the fellowship. It is part of God's plan. We cannot do without the body. God created Eve for the sake of Adam because it was not right for man to be alone. I believe He created believers and the Church for the same reason. There will always be flaws within some churches because man's nature is involved, but that's why we are needed...to temper some, build up others, encourage yet more, and admonish when necessary...and receive the same from others. We are not called to travel this life without the assistance of other believers. He has always planned life to be a group effort.

I can spend time with the Lord, as we are called to do, on my own, but there is something sweet about being with others doing the same worship. Just being in their presence is encouraging and uplifting. I feel "home." I believe it's the presence of God, glad to see His children in one accord and being who they are meant to be as the parts of the body of the Church. If a church doesn't have this, it's time to look for another one.

Romans 12 continues: For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them... (Romans 12:4-6) There are other scriptures that show us the importance of coming together. We pray for each other, we grow in the company of others. And Jesus was the prime example of what we are to do.

Luke 4:16 - So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.