God Speaking

“To prepare God’s people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up.”

(Ephesians 4: 12)

At the Bible study I attend at our church, we have just completed an amazing in depth study on prayer, various authors each took a prayer from the Bible to study so we could deepen the way we pray, we ended with the most beautiful one, that Jesus prayed over his disciples, and also for us eventually, at the Last Supper. One of the most important messages we learnt from studying this prayer, was the importance of being one in Christ, that we remain in unity with the family of God, just as Jeus and the Father are one we are to become as one with other believers. This is how Jesus prayed for us 

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me- so they may be one as we are one.” (John 17: 11)

We began this study with the Lord’s prayer, and this set our thoughts on how important unity in the family of God is, it begins 

“Our Father in in heaven hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6: 9)

We were to note that this was a communal prayer not my Father, but our Father, and the whole prayer uses the plurals. We are to pray it as one family, the body of Christ. 

When Paul is writing to the Corinthians, he emphasizes this by comparing our earthly bodies to this concept, reminding us how our bodies need each part to function in unison with the other parts of the body, (1 Corinthians 12: 12 – 26) 

He ends by reminding them of how important it is to remember this. 

“Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12: 27)

So how do we live this way now we are believers and followers of Jesus? First, we begin with our own church family, making sure divisions do not fracture our congregation. Most of Paul’s letters to the new churches emphasize the importance of this and he urges them and of course us, to be humble, gentle and patient bearing with one another in love. When he is writing to the Ephesian church, he says this. 

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit though the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called.” (Ephesians 4: 3 – 4)

Then we remember the wider family of God, Nicky Gumble. The Anglican priest who designed the Alpha course, said at one of his Conferences. Denominations that separate the family are sad for the Father to see if they divide. People may have different ways of worshipping our Lord but if they are worshipping the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and know Jesus as their Saviour, they are part of the wider family. 

What a wonderful blessing it is to be part of the Body of Christ.