We are part of the body of Christ with them
Jim at “Crossroad Junction” has written a very important post called “‘Us’ and ‘Them’.”
In his post, Jim points out that there is only one body of Christ. When we take an attitude of “us” vs. “them,” we are separating those whom God has brought together into one body. (By the way, this is what the authors of Scripture call “divisiveness” or “heresy.”)
Here’s a short excerpt from Jim’s post:
We can disagree, and even debate our differences, so long as you are seeking (like me) – even if imperfectly (like me) – to faithfully reflect Christ in us, among us and through us. What becomes a show stopper is when you insist that God expects me to look or act or think just like you – whether you are middle-class suburban, ‘hood, street, generation x, generation y, postmodern, or whatever.
The real Body of Christ is only “us” – you and me. We are to be co-participants in the life of Christ in us, among us and through us. We are to submit our lives one to another – as diverse and individual parts of the inclusive, wonderful, multifaceted Body of Christ.
Do we disagree? Sure. But we do not divide. Do we have differences? Yes. But we do not separate. We continue to live in fellowship (real, relational fellowship) with the brothers and sisters in Christ who God has brought into our lives. All of them – not just those we agree with or who are like us.
Would be curious as to whether or not the following post of mine plays into a “how” we can practice this idea.
http://ballymennoniteblogger.blogspot.com/2012/05/mystery-solved-how-it-is-done.html
There is One Head and that is Christ. All that is in His body is submitted to Him. All outside of the body is submitted to others.
Thank You Alan, this means a lot to me, that i can say how i feel, and thus grow in the grace, and i will try to keep it on track to the subject at hand. Yet i see the bible as a whole, not in verses or other verses to gain perspective of other verses, (not always) but it is my goal to see the whole and if the end of =love God’s type, not the worlds type, then I am in foot, stock and barrel
Love Howard
Ever since the fall, Satan has been in the divide-and-conquer business. He separated man from God, and probably caused problems in Adam and Eve’s relationship. He knows how to get us to fight, bicker, quarrel, and form cliques. We fall in to it too easily. This was the main problem with the Corinthian church, and that is the context in which I understand Paul’s instructions on taking the Lord’s supper (http://dtjsoft.com/disp/devo0033).
Andrew and that is somehow someway, getting i the individual or group to walk back in the flesh when no flesh shall ever please God, only in the Spirit can God be worshipped from our born again Spirit. Thank god we are forgiven
Howard
Robert,
Thanks for the link. I’ll try to read it today.
Marc,
Yes, all who are in Christ are also part of his body. Therefore, they are members together with us. We can’t pick and choose based on our amount of agreement or disagreement.
Andrew,
Yes, I’ve been amazed looking through church history (and today) at how many times people have divided over the fellowship meal…
Howard,
Like Paul said, we make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
-Alan
I agree with Marc and the scriptures…..all who are submitted to the head Jesus Christ are in His body. Jesus said it this way ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life…..and this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent’ John 10:27-28 John 17:3 Being a part of Christ’s body is based soley on relationship with the Head, Jesus Christ.
If you replace Christ with anything else as the head, then you are not in His body….at best you are in an idolataris relationship. Read 1 John 2…….here it is explained that if we replace Christ with anything else, then we are following the ‘anti – Christ’ spirit.
Take heed, bretheran, the way is narrow….Jesus said so!
Trevor,
I agree with that all who are in Christ are also part of his body. Do you think it’s possible for someone who is in Christ to misunderstand their relationship to him and to others (particular to those who have been set up as authorities)?
-Alan
ans an amen to that, exactly trevor
Howard
I know you asked trevor this ? Alan, out of being considerate may I answer as well
Thanks howard
Howard,
Sure, you can answer the question I asked Trevor.
-Alan
Alan, Replying to the question you posed to Trevor. Yes, I am sure we all can and have misunderstood our relationship to Christ as the sole head of the Body. What I am coming to understand is this, there are and have been dire consequences for the unintentional idolatry we have here to fore participated in, Lord please forgive us, for exhaling mere men above you.
Trevor, What a powerful revelation. Please friend me on Face Bokk so I may get to know you better.
Thank You,
Marc
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003677051659&ref=tn_tnmn
Alan, unfortunately the foundation western christianity (by and large) is that we get saved and then primarily maintain the status quo until that day arrives when we file past Peter at the pearly gates and enter this place called heaven. Truth is we were never promiced that. According to John 3:16 we are promiced ‘eternal life’, which if you read John’ other works, is Jesus Christ himself. Eternal life is a person, Jesus Christ, a relationship….but never a place. Us humans have a history dating back to the garden of wanting to replace that person/relationship with a place or ideas. Cain replaced relationship with an offering from his own works….the Israelites rejected God and demanded leaders…..the early church after a couple of hundred years replaced relationship and the eternal life of Christ with meeting in a formal ritualized manner in buildings, to which the Roman government put their seal of approval….. and the rest is history.
Hebrews Ch 9 actually tells us that heaven is actually the presence of God, which if you like, is available to us here on earth according to John 17. We are meant to be one with Him…..in everything.
Stephen got stoned to death for saying that God did not reside in buildings, but in the hearts of men and women. It is an impossibility to go to a church of any kind to get closer to God if He truly resides in us, and we in Him. Those who are led by the Holy Spirit are not under law (and also the sons of God)…..by inference, those not led by the Spirit are under the law.
My sheep haer My voice, and I know them (intimately), and they follow me (are obedient to my leading), and I give them eternal life….
It begs the question. ‘Are you a sheep….’?
Marc, well said in your comment. I likewise have done as you have written, and by the grace of God have been shown the truth, and doing my best to live like Christ. Will look you up on facebook.
Marc,
I agree. There are always negative consequences when we live in a way that is contrary to God’s will.
Trevor,
I like the way you defined “follow me” as “are obedient to my leading.” From what I can tell in Scripture and experience, our entire life in Christ should be one of growth and change.
-Alan
Do you think it’s possible for someone who is in Christ to misunderstand their relationship to him and to others (particular to those who have been set up as authorities)?
Not if one is in Christ!, but yes if one is on their way to know Christ, the Father, and the Holy Ghost. And there are those that act as if they do know. The battle is between flesh and Spirit, God’s
Ex: once you have tasted, seen, felt, know Christ is real, there is a choice to be made and only the one that makes that choice, and that choice is they choose belief or they do not. There are those out in this world that do not choose belief, and yet seem to others as if they do. This is why it is incredibly important to read for oneself seeking God to know God, and as trevor said that God said his sheep will know his voice. The devil comes as an angel of light and might fool the very elect. This is why those that are truly wanting to know him shall. Those that work iniquity for self gain shall not and are not God’s. And this is particularly those that are set up in authority in the churches of today and nothing new is under the sun (SON) it was this way by the clergy of the day when Jesus walked the earth to show us all our undeserved mercy from God the Father through his Son Christ. Yes even after the ascension here came the deceivers and started adding to the Gospel of Christ it is in each one of the books corinthians, romans, galatians, collosians. You know I found that in the entirety of the written word, as a whole the whole bible is actually a LOVE story from the creator of all. I am staying on the side of the surrendered room and forever thanking God for the gift of life everlasting, especially that his love goes on forever everything else shall pass away. Paul even said when he came he would know those that are deceivers, not by their vain words, but by the power of the Holy Ghost. So either they were of the flesh or of the Spirit of truth. So let us check each of ourselves and see if we are fleshly or of the Spirit, for our spirit testifies of this that we are or we are not, if we are lets seek after the Spirit only, and forsake this world and its flesh, including our own flesh.
Thanks and love everyone since you are loved
Howard
Howard,
So, when Paul, Peter, James, etc. wrote to all those people who had problems recognizing who Jesus is and how they were in Christ and how they were to live in view of that, those authors were wrong to address them as being in Christ and indwelled by the Spirit?
For instance, Paul addressed the Corinthians as sanctified in Jesus Christ and holy ones (saints), but they obviously had many problems. He also said they were the temple of the Holy Spirit in spite of their problems. Was Paul wrong about these things?
-Alan
Marc, so is that because we are not dying to our own flesh thinking that we do unintentional wrongs to God and others? Do you really think when saying God forgive me that he is going to come back down here and be crucuified all over again? Thats right God forbid, he has already done this, that is finished. So what do i do then? since we all are forgiven? do i take advantage or do i appreciate this fact to God? god redeemed our dead Spirits that we were born in the flesh and dead in the Spirit. God quickened our dead Spirits to live and from here is where we are recreated from to serve the living God in Spirit and Truth. so this is why I am so adiment about being dead in the flesh, I am learning this and seeing this truth more and more everyday. No flesh in my Fathers sight shall ever please him. All sin is condemned to the flesh. So let us seek after the Spirit and then there is no flesh in the way to deroute you. staying on track here, to keep from being deceived and learn truth is only in the Spirit of God where your Spirit is now alive from God and you will hear the voice of god in love, thus you will know those that do not belong to God yet you will just love them anyway because of the love of God
Thanks howard
Trevor, you are alive in the Spirit of God and thank you, God through you said this the way it needed to be said
Howard
oh and the answer yes I am only a sheep in the fold and follow the Christ, the Father, and guided by the Holy Ghost all as one along with the rest of the sheep
Howard
Alan yes what you wrote is amazingly true, and this is not what i referred to, for Paul wrote that they were saints those that believed. Do you think that all of them were of the belief? I think not, for there are those that are looking for self gain of some sort. For christ will at judgement say to those that acted as if they believed and did not. Go away Christ will say you who work iniquity, I never knew you. Yet that man or men, will have said but Lord we cast out demons in your name, and others came to believe in you through us. This is what I am talking about, yet I glory in those all that ppreach Christ’s name those of sincerity and those of contention for the name of Christ is being preached Phillipians 1:1-25
Love howard
Howard,
Paul wrote to those who believed, and he wrote of their misunderstandings and failures to live by the Spirit.
-Alan
Yes, tha tis correct the key word by the spirit and even said when he spoke as men for they the Coritnhians were not ready yet for the meat of the word, yes
Howard