Romans 12:5: “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
In our last lesson, we learned that God has made all believers one Body in Christ. This is the very opposite of what we are by nature. The life we all received from Adam is a life that is selfish and self-centered. This is why we have such a hard time getting along with other people.
When God saved us He put us in Christ on the cross. We were crucified with Him. In Christ, we died to that old life of selfishness and independence. Through our resurrection with Christ, we have become, not only new creatures in Christ, but members of the Body of Christ.
The Bible tells us that there are seven mighty bonds which unite all true believers. Ephesians 4:4-6 says, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Let’s look at each of these in greater detail:
Let us consider each of these.
1. There is ONE BODY. Every person who has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is a member of the Body of Christ. Christ has only one Body, and all believers are members of His one Body. Regardless of the color of a person’s skin, regardless of his race or nationality, regardless of his social standing, regardless of whether he is rich or poor, if he is a child of God, he is a member of the Body of Christ and one with those of us who have been born again. The Bible says, “For as we have many members in one body… So we, being many, are one Body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
2. There is ONE SPIRIT. Every believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Because the Holy Spirit is one Spirit, He makes us one with all other believers. First Corinthians 6:17 says,”…he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”
3. There is ONE HOPE. Every believer has the same hope—the hope of being with the Lord forever in glory. This hope is certain because Christ is living in us by His Spirit. Colossians 3:4 says, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
4. There is ONE LORD. There is only one Lord—the Lord Jesus Christ. All who serve Him are serving the same Lord and are one in Him.
5. There is ONE FAITH. True believers may differ on many matters of Scripture interpretation but there is one faith which they all have in common—the faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died for their sins and rose again from the grave. This is the faith through which every child of God is saved. Galatians 3:26 says, “For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. There is ONE BAPTISM. Every believer has been baptized into the Body of Christ. This is not the work of man, but the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit by which all who believe on the Saviour are made members of His Body. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body…”
7. There is ONE GOD And FATHER. There is only one God—the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. All who have been born again are members of His family and have the same Heavenly Father.
Ultimately, the Church is God’s glory. Out of the sinful, self-centered race of Adam, God has brought forth the Church, the Body of Christ. Through the Church, God is making known His great wisdom and power.
In this lesson series, we have discovered four great truths about the Church:
1. The Church is the Body of Christ.
2. Christ is the Head of the Body.
3. All believers are members of the Body of Christ.
4. The Body of Christ is one.
We have seen God’s great plan. We have realized that we are not only individual believers but also members of the Body of Christ. And we have seen that all true believers are members of the same Body of Christ. As our key Bible verse says, “we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
Until next time, May the Lord Bless You!
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University School of Divinity. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for over twenty-seven years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @prophetdaniel3 or on Facebook.
BCNN1 WP 