Understanding the Body of Christ

Today we're going to baptize by water two young ladies, and then we're going to lay hands on them and ask God to give them His Spirit. God is the one who baptizes us with His Spirit and places us in the body of Christ. Let's note this in 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12. These two verses are what I call the greatest unity verses in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 12. You know, the great rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians is 1 Corinthians 1.13, which asks the question, is Christ divided? Corinthians were divided on many issues, and in 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul shows from your calling to the resurrection that Christ is not divided. The Corinthians had just about every problem that you could possibly imagine. Even some of them didn't even believe that there was a resurrection from the dead. 1 Corinthians 12. In verse 12, for as the body is one and have many members, that's talking about the physical body, many members, toes, the feet, the ankles, the knees, go all the way to the crown of your head, and all the members of that one body, meaning many are one body, so also is Christ. In other words, the body of Christ also has many members. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. We're going to do water baptism today. Man can baptize you in water, but only God the Father, through Christ, can place you in the body of Christ. The Bible speaks of three baptisms, the baptism by fire, and that's the fire of judgment. That is a baptism you do not want. There's baptism by water, which man can perform. As you get into the baptismal waters, after you are either seated there or standing there, the minister will say, state your full name, and then after the name is stated, say, have you repented of your sins? He can perform the baptismal act, and you come up out of the water to live a newness of life. Then we have the laying on of hands, and God the Father says in John 15.26 that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and it is shed on us through Christ. Hold your place there, please. Let's quickly turn to Titus. Titus 3, verse 5.

So Jesus Christ plays a role in it. But we call the Father the Father because He is the One, and we'll read a verse along those lines later, that begets us with the Word of Truth, and He is our Father. And Jesus Christ is our brother in Christ, as we say at times, elder brother, but He's much more than that as well. So back to 1 Corinthians 12.13. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Man cannot do that, even though man does the laying on of hands and asks God to do it.

Of course, the Holy Spirit is invisible. And so it is the Father's doing, whether we be Jew or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. I wonder if we really understand the importance and significance of this event. We're going to explore this today in more depth, perhaps, than we have in the past. Some of it, of course, will be reviewed, but I think we will hopefully come to see much more deeply how significant and how important this is. One of the great keys to understanding this is the emphasis on one body.

In the succeeding verses here, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the fact that there is one body and many members of that one body. He uses the analogy of the human body and its various parts to illustrate the spiritual reality of we being many members, yet one body. After quite a busy week this past week, and being on my feet most of the day yesterday, going back and accomplishing very little, but at the same time, I was very tired, so I had aches and pains at times.

My ankle would hurt, then my knee would hurt, then my thigh would hurt, quadriceps, my right shoulder, my left shoulder, and I was almost as bad off as Mr. Bauman. Finally, I went to sleep around 11, I guess, and then I woke up at 4.17 and got up at 5.30 and headed to Texarkan around 8.15. The point is, any part of your body that hurts affects the whole being. So we read the next verse in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 14, For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body?

So Paul goes on, using this analogy of the human body, to illustrate that all of the parts of the body are necessary. And once again, keep in mind the great rhetorical question, is Christ divided? Now, today we don't want to get bogged down with church organizations, and if the church is one body, why do we have different church organizations? We want the Word of God to speak for itself as much as we possibly can. And if what grandma says, if the two fits, where? That's not our main point.

What does the Bible say? And as we've already mentioned, Paul illustrates from your calling to the resurrection, Christ is not divided. Then we come in 1 Corinthians 12 down to verse 24, For our commonly parts have no need, and basically the commonly parts basically applies to that which you can see, But God had tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacks.

And what you might call less desirable, the things that you want to keep covered, are necessary even for the continuance of the human race. But Paul is illustrating the point. All parts of the body are necessary, and they are vital in order for the body to be healthy and function properly.

Then the spiritual application that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care, one for another. I wonder if we will come in this age to the point where we really understand the significance and totality of the body of Christ. So the title of the sermon is, Understanding the Body of Christ. Understanding the Body of Christ. And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.

It's just like with the body I was talking about last night and going to bed. At times it was the knee, at times it was the thigh, at times the shoulder. But it would keep you awake regardless of where it was if the pain was intense enough. Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Now you are the body of Christ and members in particular. We're all members of the body of Christ. The same spirit that is in God is in Christ, is in us, the Holy Spirit. We are partakers of the divine nature. And through that Holy Spirit, we are joined together, and thus we are members one of another. Let's go to Romans 12. Romans 12. In Romans 12, in the first verse, it talks about becoming a living sacrifice, which is your reasonable service. Verse 2, don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that may prove what is at good and acceptable will of God. For I say through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than you ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man, a measure of faith.

For as we have many members in one body, talking about the human body once again, similar to 1 Corinthians 12, and all members have not the same office, we all have different roles and functions to play in the body. The foot has a role to play, the hand has a role to play, the thumb has a very vital role to play of all of the living beings, just this opposition of the thumb and the fingers, the opposition of the thumb and the fingers, and the great flexibility of the human hand.

Of course, some of the animals can grip. I saw a squirrel eating an acorn, standing up like this yesterday morning, with his paws. But it doesn't have opposition, neither do monkeys or apes or chimpanzees. Many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so there are various offices in the church.

Then, so we being many are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another. How are we members one of another? Once again, it is through the Holy Spirit. That is, the same Spirit that is in God, that is in Christ, is in each one of us, the divine essence of God. Notice in 2 Peter 1, 2 Peter 1, verse 3.

So we are members one of another in the same way, by physical analogy, that husbands and wives are members of one another. So we go back to Genesis, chapter 2, where the marriage institution was ordained when God created woman from man. And even the fact that one is taken out of the other shows that they are linked together, bone of bones and flesh of flesh. And, in addition to that, in sexual union, they are one flesh. In Genesis, chapter 2, it talks about Adam naming the various animals that came before him, but of all the creation that God had made, there was not an help-meat for Adam. And so we pick it up here in Genesis 2, verse 17.

So we have the first administration of anesthesia. We say the two greatest breakthroughs in the past two or three hundred years is the use of anesthesia and antibiotics. That's a different topic, though. But anyhow, the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh. Instead thereof, and the rib which the eternal God had taken from the man, made he a woman and brought her unto the man. We must make clear, and we should always understand, that men and women have the same potential in the sight of God. As you remember from Galatians chapter 3, it says there's neither male nor female, there's neither bond nor free, but if you're in Christ, then are you Abraham's seed, and he errs according to the promise. So he made a woman and brought her unto the man. I would imagine this helped Adam's feelings quite a lot. A woman like this is opposed to monkeys and rhinos. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. See, Adam and Eve were one flesh in two ways because she was taken part of the material, organic matter, that God used to create. Eve was taken from Adam, and then they are one flesh when they come together in sexual union. And we will find references to this event in a few places in the New Testament, and later we're going to highlight, especially, one place in the New Testament. The fact that husbands and wives are one flesh is illustrated by the fact that Eve was literally taken from the flesh and bones of Adam. The oneness in the physical sense is literal, in this case, and figurative. It represents the great spiritual reality of the body of Christ, the Church of God. The members of the body of Christ, the Church of God, are espoused to one husband.

Note that in 2 Corinthians 11, the Apostle Paul writing here telling Corinthians that he was jealous for them.

Of course, there were those who claimed to be apostles of light that crept into basically all the churches that Paul had raised up. In 2 Corinthians 11, verse 1, I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Eventually, this chaste virgin is going to marry the Lamb.

Let's go to Revelation 19 and notice that. Revelation 19, verse 7.

Revelation 19, verse 7, You remember reading there in John where they looked up John the Baptist? Behold, here comes the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. I'm not sure it was John the Baptist that said that, but one of them did. Don't hold me to that one. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. Jesus Christ purchased us with his own blood, the Lamb of God, the Lamb of God without spot, blemish, or any such thing, who lived perfectly, who judged sin in the flesh, in that he triumphed over it and lived perfectly. And thus he is our Savior, and he gave his life for us.

Let's note this now in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 17. Remember now we're talking about understanding the body of Christ. What did it take for you and I to be members of the body of Christ? And how important is the body of Christ to Christ? How important is your body to you?

I mean, we will do just about anything for self-preservation.

We'll have our bodies cut on, joints replaced. We'll take all kinds of medicines, do all kinds of things to try to heal the physical body.

What will we do to heal the spiritual body? In 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 17, We will do with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers. What do you need to be redeemed of? Of course, sin. If we had only sinned one sin, the wages of sin is death, and once you sin, you're as good as dead in the spiritual sense if you don't have a redeemer, someone to buy you back from sin and death.

You know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold. Verse 19, The word for ordain in the Greek is progonosko. Progonosko means to know beforehand. God and the word, the one who became Jesus Christ, had worked out this great plan of salvation and redemption before the world began.

If you have a redeemer ready and one set for that role, you must know that when you create humankind, that they are going to sin.

Man was created neutral in the moral sense, having not yet sinned, but when Adam and Eve sinned, the death penalty was on their head. And the only way it could be paid for is through a redeemer, Jesus Christ, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God.

Quickly to Revelation 13, verses 7 and 8, there's coming a period of time in which this beast power that is eventually going to arise and deceive the whole world, except those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be deceived. It is absolutely astounding and hard to imagine, isn't it? That's what these verses say, but once again it shows this about the role of Jesus Christ.

We know from Romans 6, 23 that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So we note here that Jesus Christ was foreordained to become our redeemer.

We were created because God is love, and he wants to share who he is and what he is with someone. Love, outgoing concern, if you just have it within yourself and it doesn't extend and you share it with someone, what meaning does it really have?

So God wanted to share his being and his glory within a family unit. The one who became Jesus Christ was the forerunner, the captain of our salvation, who gave up his glory and came to earth and went through this process that we go through.

According to Revelation 1, verses 5 and 6, he is the firstborn among many brethren. And that birth took place at the resurrection of being born, quote, into the family of God. As we will read later, that we are heirs, heirs of God, and joyed heirs with Jesus Christ, if so be that we suffered with him, that we might be glorified together. That's Romans 8, 17.

We see here this wonderful promise that God has made for us a Redeemer. And we were created because God has loved his desires to share his very being, his divine nature. We've already read, partakers of divine nature with humankind. God of his own will beget you with the word of truth. Let's notice back a few pages in James, chapter 1, verse 17. James 1, verse 17.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning. Just a side comment. We were doing a Bible study on this. Some people misapply this verse. And they quote God or Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. In their character, in their being, and their purpose, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

But God has dealt with humankind in different ways through the ages. From Adam and Eve in the garden, to the pre-flood world, to the post-flood world, to the patriarchal age, to the old covenant, and now the new covenant. And we are in that dispensation of grace that Paul talks about in Ephesians 3. Of His own will, verse 18, of His own will begets us with the word of truth. God willed it. And in fact, He's not willing that any should perish, as it says in 2 Peter 3.8, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Of His own will begets us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creation. We are not our own. We are bought with a price. Let's go now to 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians 6. Remember, understanding the body of Christ. How are we the body of Christ? Because God's very spiritual DNA, if you want to use that analogy, His Spirit is in each one of us.

He lives within us. In fact, God the Father and Jesus Christ make their abode in us. I want you to hold your place right there if you've already turned to 1 Corinthians. Just quickly, I could quote it, but I want us to go read it. John 1423. John 1423, and we'll come back quickly to 1 Corinthians 6. John 1423. You remember basically from about, what, chapter 12, I guess? Maybe as far back as 10 in the Gospel of John, that whole rest of the book is taken up with those last few days of Christ's life before He was crucified.

In John 14 verse 23, Jesus answered and said unto Him, If a man loved me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him. Very clear. Now back to 1 Corinthians 6, beginning verse 13. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 13. Meets for the belly and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them, the belly and the meats, if we don't repent.

Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. The body was made for the Lord. Why? For Him to dwell in. See, God, the family plan, God created the angels perfect.

They are spirit beings from creation. But as Paul writes in Hebrews chapter 1, Under which of the angels said he had any time set you on my right hand? He never did. The angels, being spirit beings, It says in the first part of this very chapter here, Don't you know that we shall judge angels? Angels right now are a little higher than man, as he talks about in Hebrews 2.

But we are going to rule over the angels. We are heirs of God and joint heirs of Jesus Christ. And God created humankind the way He did. In His infinite wisdom, so that a plan of begat of His spirit and birth into His family would result in a family relationship.

Perhaps relationship is the best word. The Lord hath both raised up, and God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by His own power. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ. So like my little finger is a member of my body, each one of you out here that has the Holy Spirit is a member of the body of Christ. And we've already read from Romans 12 verse 5 that we're all joined together. We share that common spiritual DNA, if you want to use a physical analogy, just like we come out of the loins of our parents sharing their DNA.

God the Father has given us of His very essence, His divine nature, His spirit. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ. Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Know you not that that which is joined to a harlot is one body? So once again, harken back to what we've said earlier, that in sexual union it is viewed as one body. For two said He shall be one flesh. But He that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit.

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body, but He that commits fornication sins against His own body. What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own. We have so many people in today's world, billions, who think they're their own. How did they get here? Oh, they don't really know.

Most people don't even really consider the question of what is my purpose for being. Or is there purpose even in the universe? We're just here. Eat, drink, be merry, live, die. The cycle goes on. Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own.

For you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. See, as we read from James 1.18, that of His own will beget He us with the word of truth. God called us. He's placed us in the body where He pleases Him.

What was necessary for us to be reconciled to the Father and receive the Holy Spirit was a very blood of Jesus Christ. His life essence was given on the stake. He went in our place. He's our propituation. He went in our place so we didn't and we don't have to die. We are not our own, as it says here. Under the inspiration of that one Spirit, Paul admonishes us to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. So let's go to Ephesians. Ephesians 4 and verse 1.

Now we're beginning to lead into the nitty-gritty of if we had really understood, if we, they, everybody who claims to be members of the body of Christ, the significance of what Paul is writing, that we are all joined together. We're members one of another. When one member suffers, we all suffer.

And to do injury to any member of the body of Christ is like slapping Christ in the face. And also, it's literally hating yourself because you're also a member of the body. So it would be like someone taking their finger and gouging out their eye.

It would be despite themselves.

Perhaps we are victims of the immune system turning on itself, auto-immune.

Because if you destroy the body of Christ, you're not only destroying others, you're destroying yourself and hitting Christ in the face.

In Ephesians 4, 1, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the location wherein you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, for bearing one another in love.

We all have the same love, care, and concern, one for another. And, brethren, let me tell you, I have been very encouraged in recent times, since I've been here, what I have seen of the brethren here coming together and having the same love, care, and concern, one for another. That's what God intended.

And I want to commend you for that.

But this way of life needs to be extended everywhere throughout the Church of God and the understanding thereof.

Verse 3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body—I think we've established that—and one Spirit—I think we've established that. Even as you're called in one hope of your calling, our hope is to be in the kingdom of God, seek you first, the kingdom of God. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Now, some might say, well, this is a contradiction, because I've said earlier there are three baptisms, one of fire, one of water, and here, and one of the Spirit. We read 1 Corinthians 12-13. There is one baptism into the body of Christ.

And that baptism into the body of Christ comes through the Father through Jesus Christ.

One God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in you all, above all, through all and in you all. Once again, we will make our abode in Him. But unto every one of us is given grace. And I would that we understood the word grace more completely and fully. The Greek word is charis, C-H-A-R-I-S. It literally means divine favor. Divine favor is like a broad umbrella that is practically like infinity in a sense. Because of God's divine favor, we exist. Because of God's divine favor, there is a plan of salvation. Because of God's favor, and you could fill in the blank of all kinds of things, because of God's favor.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

So God does give gifts to men, as we shall see. And I believe to a large extent it's based on, to some degree, our innate abilities.

Wherewith, he said, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive. He triumphed over sin and death. He triumphed over Satan. Satan, in a sense, has kidnapped the world, as we have said in the past.

But Jesus Christ has overcome Satan, sin and death, and made it possible for us to overcome Satan, sin and death. And in a sense, we can cast him out or hold him captive, instead of him holding us captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Now, that he ascended, what is it? But that he also descended first in the lower parts of the earth, in the grave three days and three nights.

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some apostles.

You see, that's back to verse 7, But unto every one of us is given grace according to measure the gift of Christ. So God gives various gifts, various offices in the church, apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints is not for self-glory or anything like that or self-promotion. It is for the perfecting of the saints. We pour out our hearts and beings, hopefully in the ministry, so that you might be justified before God, and that we all might be justified before God, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.

Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

Those who do that are self-promoters. They're not desiring to keep the unity of the faith and the bond of peace, or the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.

They're trying to get followers for themselves. You know, the Church of God, once again back to our analogy, how would you like to be thrown out before a pack of wolves? And they would be tearing on you from every direction, trying to get whatever they could.

Verse 15, I came in from the side and tackled me. It was the last play of the half. And here's what you get for trying to be the hero in a stupid way when we're on our own 30. And so I'm going to fool them all and run 70 yards for a touchdown the last play of the half. So I get about 10 or 15 yards down the field. Here comes this safety in from the side. It hits me here. And the first thing I do is pitch over and hit this shoulder. It dislocated the shoulder and separated the collarbone.

And so it was Thanksgiving Day and we drove from Arkansas back to Cleveland, Mississippi. Didn't sleep any. Got in around 3 or 4 that morning. Then we drove the next morning down to our home in Laurel, Mississippi. Another 4 1⁄2 hours in this situation. That which every joint supplies. And if you have a joint out of place, we had this safety that played alongside of me as well. Usually when he would break up a pass, it would dislocate his little finger. And this third joint here would be sitting back here. So he'd run over to me and I would put it back in place.

For whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies according to the effectual working and the measure of every part making increase of the body under the edifying of itself in love. See, that's what Jesus Christ wants to happen with his body. Paul continues the theme of unity and oneness of the body of Christ in Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5 and verse 21. Submitting yourself one to another in the fear of God. Why do you do it? It is not just because you want to look good or whatever the motive might be. It is because God has said, this is the way walk you in it. We want to please God first and foremost. Wives, submit yourselves and your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands and everything. Now, maybe we want to ask ourselves, is the church subject to Christ? Well, there's supposed to be. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church. How much did he love it? He loved it so much that he gave himself for it. It says in John 15, greater love has no man than this, and he lay down his life for his friends. He gave all that he could give in that sense. He gave his life. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. If you want to be cleaned up, see, the Bible is a mirror, and it's also what you can take a bath in spiritually. Show your sins and also help you clean them up. That he might present it to himself at a glorious church, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies, he that loves his wife loves himself. And so it is with regard to how you treat the members of the body of Christ. That in loving your neighbor as yourself, you're not just loving your neighbor, you're loving yourself as well. Then he makes this statement, for no man ever yet hated his own flesh. See, we are members of the body of Christ. If we do something against one of the members of the body of Christ, we're joined to that member. We're also doing it to ourselves. Do you follow that logic? For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and his bones. 29 again, no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it even as the Lord the Church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. That's the purpose of the instruction, that the body of Christ, of which we are members, and join together. And if we have the same love, care, and concern for one another, when one member suffers, we all suffer. If we are forbearing one another in love, are we going to do anything to harm the members of the body of Christ? And if we do, how do we deal with it? Well, the Bible gives us clear instruction on reconciliation, and we're to be ministers of reconciliation.

Now we go to 1 Peter 2. I think we covered this a little bit one time. We need to give sermons on it with regard to growing in grace. I doubt you've heard a sermon that was titled, Growing in Grace. It says to grow in grace and knowledge of commandment in 2 Peter.

In 1 Peter 2, I want 2 Peter 2 verse 13, Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, not as men-pleasers with eye service, as it says in another place, but for the Lord's sake. Because in what we're doing, we're serving him, whether it be to the king and supreme or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well, for so is the will of God that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as free, not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God, honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Servants, be subject to your own masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. I would dare say there's not a person in here that has at one time or another you have been mistreated. At one time or another you have been offended. And I'm sure that at times I've offended maybe some of you.

We know that the Bible gives instruction on how to deal with that. That is one of our great weaknesses in the historical sense. And if we really understood the significance of what I'm talking about here today, the body of Christ, and how important it is to him, then I think it would be a really different story and it'd be a different world.

Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is... what's that Greek word for thank worthy? Grace. Caris. I don't know why the King James translators translated it. Thank worthy. For this is grace. Divine favor. Because you're turning it over to God. God says vengeance is mine. He says he will fight our battles for us. For this is thank worthy if a man for a conscience sake toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully. Well, I'm not going to let you get away with that.

I want my pound of flesh and I want it now. This says something different. For what glory is it when you be buffeted for your faults, you take it patiently? But if when you do well and you suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is... what is this Greek word? Caris. This is grace with God. You want to grow in grace and knowledge? Well, here is a big part of growing in grace.

And I must admit, I surely struggle with this one. I think we all do. But if we understand the total spiritual significance of the body of Christ and Him living in us, we're all joined together and have the same love and care and concern for one another, then it becomes a different world. See, what is our purpose? What is it going to be in the end? Well done, thy good and faithful servants enter into the joy of the kingdom.

I mean, that's what we want to hear. And we could be president of the universe in the physical sense. And like it says, what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul? For even hereunto were you called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow, His steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.

But when he was reviled, you see, we were very quick to parrot, to quote 1 Peter 2.21. Christ said as an example, we should follow in His steps. But what is the total context of that? The context is this. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judges righteously.

Who by His own self, bear our sins and His own body on the stake, that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes we are healed. And speaking of healing, let's go to 1 Corinthians 6. This is indirectly about the healing, but we'll go from here to the healing part of understanding the body of Christ. When there's something wrong with our physical body, oftentimes we will do, as we've already mentioned, try various modalities to try to take care of whatever it is that's alien. Sometimes we do physical therapy. Sometimes we go, quote, the natural route.

Sometimes we go to the doctor. But we try to make it right. We try to deal with it. What about with the spiritual body? How do we do there? In 1 Corinthians 3, 16, Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Now quickly to 1 Corinthians 11. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul gives us instruction on keeping the Passover. Passover now about two and a half months away. Instruction on keeping the Passover. The Corinthians were coming together. It starts in verse 17. There were divisions among them, and they were taking the Passover irreverently.

Some were even getting drunk. Then Paul reminded them of the soberness of the occasion. He was there to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins. Two main aspects of the body of Christ, his physical, literal body that he gave for our sins. In the Passover, we take that bread. Jesus Christ took up the bread, and he broke it, and he blessed it. He said, Take, eat. This is my body. So he gave that body for our sins. Also, we have talked about, mainly today, the body of Christ, the Church. In verse 27, 1 Corinthians 11. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord, and axios, irreverently, as the Corinthians were doing, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eats and drinks an axios, irreverently, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. Two aspects now, the literal body that he gave for our sins. But more the application here with the Corinthians, that they were not discerning the spiritual body of Christ, the Church of God, and the members of it in particular, as we shall see at the end of this chapter.

As we read that prayer list, it comes from the Home Office and different places from around the world every week. It seems that so many people with cancer, so many people with various unbelievable illnesses, sicknesses, all kinds of things, and it's like there's a plague of it. And at times, of course, there is healing, but it seems that it's not very often. And of course, we know that God is our healer. But look at this. For this cause, not discerning the Lord's body, many are weak and sickly among you, and some are dead. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

See, God chastens every son that He loves. And if you're without chastisement, then are you illegitimate and not sons? But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be judged with the world. As I phrase it, God would rather see you dead than to see you miss out on His kingdom.

In other words, some way to get your attention. Some way to get our attention. And so, you know, I've lived for several years with a body wracked with pain. Sometimes it's not as bad as it is other times. I know what it's like. And I also know that it also reminds you of the weakness of flesh and also tells you that you should search yourselves, examine yourself.

What are you doing? What are you doing with regard to the body of Christ, the spiritual body? When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be judged with the world. Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. So it shows you that the context and the application has to do with taking the Passover irreverently. And the irreverent part was the division that was caused by the way they were doing it.

They were doing damage, not discerning the body of Christ. And if any man hung her, let him eat at home, that we come together not for judgment, and the rest, well, I said, in order when I come. Now back in Romans chapter 8, this is what we have to look forward to. Romans chapter 8. We have talked about today one body, one spirit, God the Father placing us in the body of Christ, the Church of God.

That we are to have the same love, care, and concern, one for another. When one member suffers, we all suffer. That we have been given various gifts to edify the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of the faith and the fullness of the measure, the stature of Christ. But this thing that I talked about in Ephesians, about Christ said, this is a great mystery, but I speak of Christ in the Church, of how we are, in the spiritual sense, bone of bone and flesh of flesh in the spiritual sense, that we are members, one of another.

And by analogy, the same thing, if this little finger hurts, it hurts the whole body. And if one member out there of the spiritual body, if we're doing damage to that, we're in essence doing it to ourselves and not respecting the body of Christ or ourselves.

But we have a great future ahead of us in destiny, if we remain faithful. Romans 8, 11, 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, make alive, your mortal bodies by a spirit that dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, live after the flesh.

For if you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

And how are you led by the Spirit? Well, the Word of God is a reflection of the Spirit of God. Christ said in John 6, 63, The words I speak, they are spirit and they are life. We know the mind of the Spirit by studying the Word of God. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of huia, which means sonship. It shouldn't be adoption. Once again, this illustrates what I'm talking about. Adoption, you have the same rights and privileges of one of natural birth, of the birth from the birth mother, but you did not come out of the loins of that mother and father. Whereas with God, we are partakers of His divine essence of what He is. God is spirit, and He has given us that spirit. We can be no less than sons, as we shall see.

The spirit of sonship, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. He's our Father. He gave us this of His own will. Beget He us with the word of truth. James 1.18, we've already read. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children then heirs, heirs of God. Join heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. So, brethren, I hope that we will meditate on these things deeply. These are what we've covered here today, deep spiritual understanding of the body of Christ, in order for us to really internalize it into our being, we do have to think about it. We have to read. We have to study. And most importantly, we have to apply it. We should be sobered by this as well, to really understand the significance and the importance of being baptized into the body of Christ.