Steven A. Bush - October 26, 2014
Fully Functioning Members
While the church is referred to in the New Testament as the family of God, it's also called the body of Christ, a body with many working parts. At least they should be working parts. The members of the body of Christ come from multiple backgrounds and have been endowed with a diverse list of talents, gifts, and graces. As the Scriptures clearly point out, every member belongs, has purpose, and is called to function accordingly. None are called to lead lives separated from the life of the local church. None. Further, the spiritual gifts conferred upon each member have been given in order to serve the other members, generously bestowed by God for the building up, growth, and edification of those we've been enjoined with in Christ. When we consider Jesus' shed blood on the cross--the high cost to make us His people--all notions of living our own separate existences apart from Him and His people should be summarily dismissed. An old quote from Mrs. William P. Janzen sums it up well: “Can I be a Christian without joining other Christians in the church? Yes, it is something like: being a soldier without an army, a seaman without a ship, a businessman without a business, a tuba player without an orchestra, a football player without a team, or a bee without a hive.”