UNDERSTANDING HIS BODY

 UNDERSTANDING HIS BODY

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12

Topic: Understanding Church Membership

Membership of the Church of Jesus Christ is twofold:

1. Membership is in a spiritual sense; the Christian is united to the body of Christ by the Spirit of regeneration. 

2. Membership in the physical sense, the person united to the body of Christ joins a local assembly, institutional church in order to fulfil the commission of Christ. The spiritual sense is solely the work of God. The physical sense is the primary responsibility of the Christian. Today certain so-called Christians disparage membership of churches and of local assemblies, and claim it is of no importance. Yet they fail to realise that Union with our saviour in no way lessen one’s responsibility in reference to membership within the local church. In fact, it qualifies one for such membership 

“ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

                                                                                                                                                     Acts 2:41-47

God executes in time His eternal purpose through local churches. The universal aspect of the church finds expression in local churches. Local churches desire to be practically what the universal church is in reality. All and sundry called by the grace of God is responsible to commit himself to other called-out persons in a very specific locality. The 3,000 saved on the day of Pentecost committed themselves to the local church at Jerusalem according to Acts 2:41-47. Anyone who has been called out of the darkness of this world by God’s grace will hunt down a church where the truth of God’s word is proclaimed and commit himself to the congregation. He will give support to the ministry through that local church, which God has commissioned to spur head the great commission. A true child of God is first committed to fellowship with the Lord and so to fellow Christians within a local church.

Local churches are here for testimony according to 1 Timothy 3:15.

“ But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

                                                                                                                                               1 Timothy 3:15

The universal aspect of the church is the utmost principle, which is invisible, as long as it is manifested through local churches. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, and born-again believers are members of Christ’s body according to 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. The things known about Jesus, who is invisible, are declared through local churches by the grace of Jesus Christ reflected in our lives. Just as the work of the brain is visible by the works of the physical body, so is the invisible aspect of the church is seen only because the Holy Ghost works in and by His people.

The body is useless without the spirit—the causal agency.

“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

                                                                                                                                                      James 2:26

Furthermore, local churches are useless without the principle of life that comes from union with the universal aspect of the church. The local churches are not connected with the universal church as hands to the body, but as a microcosm to

a macrocosm. The church is one according to 1 Corinthians 12; although, by its increase, she is enlarged to incorporate all the elect of God. Just as the rays of the sun, though many, are one luminary, just as the branches of a tree, though many, are all connected to one trunk, the church, though she extends her rays throughout the universe, is one body.