June 6 I Monday

2 Chronicles 25-27

John 16

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body…”  
—1 Corinthians 12:12-13

We must recognize that even though we come to Christ one by one, we must not think of living the Christian life purely in individualistic terms. When we make the decision to become a Christian, two things happen. Firstly, Christ is in the Christian, that is the receiving of the Spirit. Secondly, the Christian is in Christ, which is a result of being baptized by the Spirit into Christ. Although these two things take effect simultaneously, they are separate in what their significance is. 

       As Christians, we are the body of Christ, and it is not just an illustration; it is a mystical truth. While we are not all joined together physically, we are joined together by sharing—as Christians—the same life. We share the life of Christ imparted to us by the Holy Spirit, where the result is that we are now part of His body. In other words, we have been united to Christ in such a way that He has a body on earth; and together, we are His means of working and accomplishing His mission on earth.

       I remember going to a home to visit a lady and her husband. I also knew her mother, who had been quite ill. When I arrived, the lady told me, “Did you know that Mother passed away this morning?” I responded, “No, I did not know that. I am very sorry to hear. When did she go?” The lady answered, “About 9 o’clock.” I said, “Were you there?” She said, “Yes, would you like to see her?” Now, if we reconsider the content of that conversation, it is rather strange. Although this lady’s mother passed away, she left her body behind, and that is because the person is not the body. Another example is my own body. If I lost my arms, my legs, my ears or even half my body, I would still be me, because I am not just my body. 

       Similarly, we are not Christ, and the Church is not Christ. Yet, everything we do, we do with our body. So, this is with Christ; God gave to Him a new body on earth whereby the same Lord Jesus Christ may continue to do His work, but this is not through His one single body. Rather, it is through His corporate body, which is called the Church, and is made up of men, women, boys and girls who have received the Spirit of God into their lives. By receiving the Spirit, we have become sharers of that one life and are therefore part of that one body.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as a Christian, I am part of Your body. Teach me to work together with other believers to accomplish Your mission on earth. Thank You, Lord.