The Gospel According to Paul: As a part of His body, we share Christ’s life and Light. Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Tuesday, May 15, 2018
Listen to “Thoughts in Worship 05.15.2018” on Spreaker.
“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Corinthians 12:27).
Unifying Factor
In one of the Apostle Paul’s exhortations to the church at Corinth, he explained unity of the body of Christ. An apparent schism between many of the believers warranted an explanation of each of their roles.
Paul noted how terrible it would be in the natural world if an eye thought that it was not important because it was not a hand. If the eye were the hand, what would do the seeing? He spoke also, of how terrible it would be if that same eye thought that the hand was insignificant. With this clearly outlined, he continued by discussing many of the spiritual gifts the Holy Ghost had imparted to the several members of the body as He saw fit, with each being essential. While the body has many members, it is unified by one overarching and controlling power, which is Christ.
Follow His Lead
It occurred to me while contemplating the resurrection of Jesus, that His literal physical body was once in subjection to earthly limitations; not the least of which was death. When He completed His mission of being our example, He became sin and was obedient to the death of the cross. He died the second death once for all. On the third day, just as He had prophesied, He arose with victory and power in His hands.
The blessing of Jesus’ resurrection, as it relates to His body the church, is that if He is raised, His church is raised with Him. Romans chapter six outlines that when Jesus died, we died in Him, and when He rose raised, we shared in His resurrection. Since His literal physical body is risen and not dead, His church should have the same experience being resurrected from the bonds of sin.
Experience Life and Light Now
Do you feel entombed, and in need of a call from heaven saying, “Child of God, come forth; your Father calls thee”? The word of the Lord to you is that you do not have to be locked in the tomb of sin and shame. No longer do you need to experience the darkness of spiritual death.
Since Christ is raised, you too can be delivered from the pit of sin and death. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).
“Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” (Romans 6:9-13).
I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?
