Christ's Anatomy

    When we are born again, we are born into the family of God. Together, we form the body of Christ and we are all united and led by Jesus, who is the head of the body. We are supposed to be linked in to Him, aware of His leading for us as individuals and as a whole. This is the outline for the body of Christ—the church. 

Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church (NIV)

    That being said, it only makes sense that like the human body, the body of Christ has many functions. Each part carries its own design and purpose, but works together to form a perfect model the many facets of Christ. Each of us was made with a specific purpose that is realized and necessary in the body we are called into. The church cannot truly be whole if one person is not doing their part. The problem in most American churches today is that there is only a small group of people who do all the work for the church. How revolutionary would church-life be if everyone did his or her part like we are designed to? I long to see that day!

    But something I want to point out is that the Bible is explicit in saying that no part of the body is less important than another. Oftentimes in life, we compare ourselves to others whom we revere. We admire gifts in others that we are not equipped with and Satan likes to twist that into jealousy and contempt for our brothers and sisters. He turns a healthy appreciation into a spiteful envy that makes us self-conscious and unaware of our true gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:15-31 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. (NIV)

    Because when we are concentrating on wanting what someone else has, we fail to see the things the Father has equipped us with. When we are looking at it from that perspective, we cannot build one another up the way we are meant to. Each of us needs to be comfortable in his or her own roles, because none of us can do it without you! And we also need to be able to build up and encourage one another in our specific callings as well so that we may function properly and to our fullest extent in Christ.

    Living the way that the Bible actually commands is rare. You do not come across many churches that strive to live radically in the ways we are designed to. Far too common are churches that have a worldly outlook on Christianity, which is not really Christianity at all, considering the principles of the Kingdom of God run completely contrary to those of the world! But times are changing friends, and the time for radical Christianity is now. Let us ALL strive to walk by the word of God and live this life on earth to its fullest extent. We cannot do it alone.