I’m talking to my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ today. No offense to anyone who isn’t a Christian but while you can probably learn from this blog post, this word today is for those of the household of faith.
I found myself asking God last week why it seems like the church lacks power. People in the body of Christ are losing their livelihood because they don’t believe like the world does and dare to say it. While we try to stand up for truth in some areas, we’re complacent in others so things are muddled. I understand that most of it is the devil’s attack on the body of Christ but I also believe we’re almost powerless to respond because of the state of the Church today. We’ve ceased being the Church of Jesus Christ and we’ve become so much like the world that we’ve lost power and don’t even realize it.
How do we get back to where we need to be? God took me to Romans chapter 12… yes, the whole chapter.
Romans 12
New International Version (NIV)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The 1st 2 verses are key.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
These 2 verses speak to our level of consecration. We’re only anointed to the level of our consecration to God. This is where the difference between being “called” and “chosen” come to play. How can we effectively be the church and reach the world if they can’t even tell the difference between our lives and theirs? There should be something different about how we live that makes the world take a second look and our encounter with the world should make a difference in their lives because they’ve been touched by the power of God in us. But we only receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon us and the Holy Spirit can’t come upon us if we’re living the lifestyle of the world.
VS 3-8 talks about how we ought to view ourselves and serve in the body.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
We the church of today are not practicing this. We’re a conceited bunch. A representation of the chosen frozen and pious pew huggers and by golly, no one should be allowed into our elite club. But in this elite club, we’re also divided. No unity. It’s everybody’s way or no way. What happened to God’s way? We also covet each others gifts rather than serving in the capacity and according to the gift God has given us. We need to humble ourselves and repent. We’re all members of one body of Christ with different functions. The body works at utmost capacity when all of it’s members function in their own gift in concert with everyone. imagine your liver and kidneys trying to do the work of the heart. You’d have toxic build up because they’re both trying to be like the heart and pump blood instead of eliminating toxic waste from the body. The same way with the body of Christ. it won’t function properly if everyone is trying to do what the other is called to do. Spend time with the Lord so you can recognize what gift He’s given you and use it to serve to the best of your ability.
VS 9-13
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
God’s unconditional love should be the anchor for all we do.
John 13:35
New International Version (NIV)
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The world should know that we are members of the body of Christ because of the sincere love we have for one another. We shouldn’t be destroying each other in the body of Christ because of jealousy. I’ll give you an analogy. If the woman with the issue of blood as described in Luke 8: 43-48 were to be in today’s time we’d label her a demon possessed stalker that should be sent away from the church. But she followed Jesus because she had a need in her life. We need to learn how to follow people after the spirit (of God’s love) rather than after the flesh so we don’t end up destroying them. There are so many wounded soldiers in the body of Christ today and not from the casualty of the war with the devil but because somebody in the body of Christ didn’t follow them spiritually. We’re supposed to love and help people heal and not destroy them because we don’t understand their purpose. Maybe that person that you had a part in breaking their spirit was really sent by God to help you or maybe there was a need in them that God wanted you to meet but because you couldn’t see them spiritually, you just set them back 10 or 20 years. We need to stop this because time is short and people need to be equipped to be the church (An extension of Jesus to the world.)
The rest of the chapter tells us how to live as the church.
My prayer today is that we would get ourselves together in the body of Christ so that God can once again anoint us to reach the world. He’s tired of our hypocrisy and so is the world. They’re longing for something real and we need to be able to give it to them.
As I always say, Preach always, very seldom use words. Let the light of God within you shine so brightly outwardly that the world will see it and want to know the God you serve for themselves. Being the Church of Jesus Christ is being an extension of Jesus to the world. We represent ( Present again) Him! SELAH!