MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST

What you and I have available to us today as Christians is fantastic. It is so fantastic that God had to hide the reality of what we have from the foundations of the World. In the Bible God calls it “the mystery”.

MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
What you and I have available to us today as Christians is fantastic. It is so fantastic that God had to hide the reality of what we have from the foundations of the World. In the Bible God calls it “the mystery”.
Colossians 2: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
This mystery was so great that if the Devil and all the other devil spirits knew what that mystery was they would not have crucified Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The explanation of what the mystery was is found in Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
We as Christians are one body. Anybody that has confessed Jesus as lord and believed that God raised him form the dead is part of a big family. It doesn’t matter if we come from the Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic denomination or any other denomination or if we never set foot in an organized church. If we have confessed Jesus as lord we are sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Now we are to treat each other with respect and honor because we all have a place in the body and we need each other. When one member of the body hurts we all hurt. You may not think so but it is true. When one member suffers we all suffer because we are All part of the body. When we are edified and built up the body is built up and edified.
I Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
This is a time like no other. We need to understand the mystery again and set aside our petty differences and help each other. We should be taking care of each other before we take care of unbelievers. God kept it secret since before the foundations of the World. The Devil didn’t want it to happen. We should protect each other and honor what God has done for us and in us.