Title: Ye Are The Body of Christ
Text: 1 Corinthians 12: 27
Date: March 9, 2014
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
1 Corinthians 12: 27: Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular.
Our subject:
Ye Are the Body of Christ
This
speaks of Christ’s spiritual body—his church—made up of each individual
believer, who is a member in particular, inseparably united to Christ and to
one another in Christ.
Colossians 1:24
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is
behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which
is the church:
1 Corinthians 12: 27: Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular.
Lately,
it has become more evident to me, and given me much cause to thank God, that God
alone has established this work and given each believer, in particular, something
very rare and very special.
He has
put you who believe in his body. I see that God has given you who believe
a heart constrained by the love of Christ: constrained to believe and honor
Christ in your worship and in your lives and much of that is by your love and
care of one another.
This
love of Christ cannot be established in the heart by threats of men or any
other force from man—but only by the power and grace of God.
Zechariah 4: 6:…This is the word of the LORD unto
Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the
LORD of hosts.
The
means is the constant, repeated hearing of the gospel: of God the Father’s sovereign,
electing, saving grace; of the faith and fidelity of Christ Jesus and his
accomplished work of redemption of his particular people on the cross; of the
irresistible regenerating, converting, preserving grace of God the Holy Spirit.
And it is my prayer that God would continue to use this means to grow us in his
love by his Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12: 27: Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular.
Proposition and Divisons: This is a powerful reminder of three things: 1) That God alone
is to be praised for his grace toward each of us who are in Christ’s body. 2) Of
our union with Christ, and of our union with one another in Christ and 3) Of the great responsibility and privilege of
serving Christ, particularly by caring for one another, as members of his body.
I. FIRST, THIS BLESSING REMINDS US THAT GOD
ALONE IS TO BE PRAISED FOR PUTTING US IN CHRIST’S BODY.
The
church at Corinth had problems. One of
the causes was that some were full of pride over the gifts God had given them. So the Holy Spirit moved Paul to remind them
of what we also need to always remember: v2:
Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye
were led. 3: Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the
Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the
Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
Sinners Saved by Grace
Brethren,
we were Gentiles, carried away unto dumb idols. We each had some little idol god carved out in our imagination: the
god who “wants to” but “can’t” –idol; the god who died for everybody but
accomplished the redemption of none is an idol; the god who must wait on man’s
puny will is an idol. And all the
while we served that idol god here is what we were calling the Lord Jesus
accursed—v3: Wherefore I give you to
understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed:
We may
have claimed to be speaking by the Spirit of God. But saying that the blood of
Christ was common to all men without exception, counting Christ to have shed
his blood in vain, is to call the Lord Jesus accursed. And no man that does so
is speaking by the Spirit of God. But
now, we have only God to glory in that we can say in faith from a true heart
that Jesus is Lord, because—v3:...no man
can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. God the Father put
us in Christ. And God the Holy Spirit quickened us and brought us to confess
Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords and King of kings.
1 Corinthians 1: 29: That no flesh should glory in his
presence. 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31: That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Application: So brethren, if we ever find ourselves becoming proud of
grace—remember what we were and who made the difference.
II. SECONDLY, THIS GREAT BLESSING REMINDS US
OF OUR UNION WITH CHIST AND OUR UNION WITH ONE ANOTHER AS MEMBERS IN THE BODY
OF CHRIST—V12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
The
human body is the illustration: From the top of the head to the sole of the
feet the body is one body—v12: For as the body is one…
And our
body v12: has many members: Some are seen and their usefulness is more
prominent: hands, eyes, the nose. Other
members are not as noticeable their use not as prominent: ears, feet
Yet, each
member—though different, though serving a different function—is still one body—v12: For as the body is one, and hath many
members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body:
So it
is with Christ and his body—v12: so also is Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:
27: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Christ
is our Head. Each believer is a member in particular. Together we make up the
body of Christ
1 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.
We come
from different backgrounds but we all are made one body—by one Spirit and all
drink into one Spirit. This does not speak of water baptism: water-baptism
& baptism of the Spirit are two different things. John the Baptist said,
Matthew 3:11: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to
bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Water
baptism does not regenerate a dead sinner nor does water baptism join us into
Christ’s spiritual body—only the Holy Spirit regenerates and unites us to the
body of Christ. It is possible to be
baptized in water and not to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Our text speaks of
regeneration, conversion, sanctification by God the Holy Spirit. v13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized
into one body,
2 Thessalonians 2: 13: But we are bound to give thanks
alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the
beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief
of the truth: 14: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
No
matter our carnal station in life—v13:..whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we
be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. every
true believer is a partaker of one spirit, one life, with every other believer,
therefore we are one in Christ our Kinsman Redeemer. So remember our union—each member is one with each other, each one
in the body of Christ.
III. BEING IN THIS BODY IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF
SHOWING US OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE OF SERVING CHRIST BY SERVING ONE
ANOTHER.—also to teach us Christ’s ability to provide
for us using the members of his body.
Though
we are one in one body, we are different members with different gifts for
different purposes—v14: For the body is
not one member, but many. In our physical body, each member is different. Likewise the body of Christ. v4: Now there are diversities of gifts, but
the same Spirit. 5: And there are differences of administrations, but the same
Lord. 6: And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh
all in all. 7: But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal.
These
differences were making some members in the church at Corinth feel inferior or
unnecessary because they were not gifted as prominently as others or because
they had more needs than other members. This is something we need to get. These
illustrations Paul is using are so simple. But there is a very profound lesson
the Lord is teaching here.
1 Corinthians 12: 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?
The foot
may appear inferior to the hand: the foot does not serve as noticeably as the
hand; the foot is covered up—it is not seen as much as the hand, not recognized;
the foot is closer to the dust of the earth. Let’s say the foot represents one
who has less obvious gifts or more needs than others while the hand represents
someone full of good works, one who appears to have gifts and no needs. Now
notice the question in v15: If the foot shall say, Because I am not
the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
Application:
Are we to imagine there is one chosen child of God in his body that Christ shed
his precious blood for, that Christ values less than another? Is there a member
of our body that we value less? That you would chop off because it serves less
than another member of your body? Of
course not! Also, remember who gives and who withholds—v11:…the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Ephesians 4: 7: But unto every one of us is given grace according
to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Do we imagine
that Christ would count one less when Christ is the one who withheld a gift
from them? Of course not!
Isaiah 42: 3: A bruised reed shall he not break, and the
smoking flax shall he not quench:…
But
where there is a gift or operation or administration or need or plenty there is
reason: v17: If the whole body were an
eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the
smelling? Each member in their appointed station serves an individual
purpose for that time. If every member here was a preacher, there would be no hearers!
If every member played the guitar but there were no singers.
Our
all-wise God places each member, with or without, as it pleases him—v18: But now hath God set the members every
one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. Remember when Moses
complained about his speech impediment?
Exodus 4:11: And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made
man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have
not I the LORD?
Application: Right now—whatever our condition: our ability or
inability, our gifts or lack thereof, our needs or our fullness—who placed you
in his body in that way?
1 Corinthians 19: And if they were all one
member, where were the body? 20: But now are they many members, yet but one
body.
Brethren,
if we all had the same gifts, the same operation, the same administration—if we
all had fullness, we would not be a body.
But now there are these varying gifts and operations and needed
adminstrations—that is what the body of Christ is because Christ has made it
so. What is the purpose?
1 Corinthians 12: 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.
We may
be like the eye and say, I have no need of thee? But when we get something in
our eye what is the first member to come to its aid? The hand with its fingers.
1 Corinthians 12: 22: Nay, much more those
members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
Every
member of Christ’s body—gifted or less gifted, in need or prospering—are
necessary. Christ gives the gift of administration and the need of
administration because our Head deems it necessary. When one believer becomes weak in some way,
while God has increased others in some way—that is not by accident. God does nothing by accident. No, much more, it is necessary.
Application:
Why? God is giving an opportunity and a
privilege to those he has increased to bear the burden, to strengthen the hands
of the member who he has given a need and he had done it to teach us all that
it is Christ our Head who is providing all in his body.
Ephesians 4: 16: From [Christ] the whole body fitly
joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, [the joint
is a fellow believers] according to the effectual working in the measure of
every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
If I
have a need and Christ provides you to meet that need—I shouldn’t complain
about situation or reject you meeting that need—because Christ says it is
necessary. Christ is ministering to each
member in his body, showing each believer in his body, in a practical way, that
his strength is indeed made perfect in weakness.
1 Corinthians 12: 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.
We do
this with our physical bodies. When we have a member that is in need, we
bestow more honor upon that member. By doing so each member has more abundance.
1 Corinthians 12: 24: For our comely parts
have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, [God] having given
more abundant honour to that part which
lacked: [is in need] 25: That there
should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care
one for another. [You see God uses a fellow member but it is God who has
given the honor the one in need and he teaches the members to 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. 27: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members
in particular.
Seeing
how God made our physical body to illustrate his wisdom in his church body, now
every time my fingers come to the aid of my eye, I’ll be reminded of Christ’s
care using, you, my brethren, the members of his spiritual body.
Amen!