God designed the human body with incredible detail. Each part relies on and connects to the rest of the whole for a specific purpose. When one part fails or becomes disconnected, the entire body is aware that something is wrong.
In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul uses the human body as an illustration for the church. The picture of the church as a body is helpful, as every member of the church has been given spiritual gifts for the health and growth of the body.
The Members of the Body
The church consists only of followers of Jesus who are filled with his Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:13). Sadly, most churches have people on the membership role who are not true followers of Jesus.
It is imperative that we as the church proclaim God’s Word in truth and challenge people to really know what it means to give their life to the Lordship of Jesus.
As the Body of Christ, as fellow believers, we need to be committed to one another. We are called to gather regularly for fellowship, worship, and the preaching of the Word.
The Lies of the Enemy
We know from the Bible that the enemy of our souls is a liar and the father of lies. From this passage we see two lies that Satan uses in the church.
Lie #1: “I don’t belong”
“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body…” 1 Corinthians 12:15-16a.
Sometimes we are tempted to think that if we are not on a committee or lack a title, we are not really important to the Body. The pastor, deacons, life group facilitators, and other leaders in the church are the valuable members, but we think we don’t really fit if we don’t have a title or an official role.
That is a lie. 1 Corinthians 12:17 reads, “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?”
God has designed you and uniquely gifted you for His church (see 1 Corinthians 12:18).
Lie #2 “I am not needed”
“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:21.
One of the negative consequences of the mega church/seeker sensitive model is that church has become a place where people sit down and are entertained. We want people to attend, but we never encourage people to use their gifts. As a result, the subtle message we are conveying is that “we don’t need you”. We need your attendance, we need your money, we need your likes on Facebook, but just sit there and be “blessed”while we take care of the rest. That is not the Body of Christ; that is not the Church.
We read in verse 18 and verse 24 that God has arranged and composed the members of the Body, the church, with giftings and purpose for His glory and for the ministry of the church. Exercise your gifts; don’t wait to be nominated or asked to be on a committee.
- If your gift is hospitality, invite someone you don’t know over to your house and bless them.
- If your gift is mercy, find out who is sick or homebound in the church, go visit them.
- If you have the gift of helping, ask an elderly person in the church if they need help with anything.
Don’t believe the lie of the enemy by thinking that because you are not apostolic, prophetic, healing, or speaking in tongues then you are lesser than in the body of Christ.
We have to get away from the destructive culture of spiritual elitism. There is great danger in being in a group that makes other Christians seem “lesser than” because “they don’t have the revelation that we have. We are the mature ones; we have the special ear of the Lord.”
We are all sinners saved by grace, and we are all gifted by the Holy Spirit to be a part of the Church. Use the gift that God has given you. The church will be blessed, and you will be fulfilled in your walk.
The Result of Our Gifts “That there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” 1 Corinthians 12:25.
Unity is always under attack in any church because it is incredibly powerful. Unity grows as we utilize and encourage our individual gifts.
David Prior wrote, “we differ from one another, and only God, who made us different, can hold us together”. The result of using our gifts well is unity and mutual care in the Body of Christ..
The Desire for Higher Gifts
Paul explains that we each have different gifts, but he says in verse 31, “but earnestly desire the higher gifts.” What are the higher gifts?
I would like to propose that the higher gifts are the servant gifts. The gifts done in secret, the “non-platform” gifts.
It seems there was a competitiveness in the church in Corinth that is still in our churches today. People with the more visible, the more demonstrative and supernatural gifts, tend to be elevated to super-Christian status. This can lead to pride and that spiritual elitism.
Jesus said in Matthew 20:26, “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”
What if that is what Paul was talking about in verses 21-25, about the unseen or the weaker parts of the Body? In verse 24, we read, “…but God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it.”
Learn your spiritual gift and exercise that gift. You will be fulfilled, and the church will be blessed.
