We believers are all part of the church, the Ecclesia, the called out ones. The Word of God tells us over and over we are part of the body of Christ. And that we are not all the same part.
But just in case you need a few witnesses, (always see it in the Word)…
(These are in the ESV Bible. Be sure to check them out in your favorite version. At the moment the Lord has me using this one for a bit.)
Romans 12:5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Ephesians 3:6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
There are many more, but that should get you started.
Do you know what part you are? Some are a foot, or a leg, or a finger…
Do you know your part? Most of us couldn’t tell exactly what part of the body we are, but we can know the roll we play or what our calling is.
I happen to know what part of the body I am… And I am not even a whole finger or toe.
Give me a minute to explain. 🙂
Long ago, I was a Bible study teacher, so I was quite happy to be a teacher. That was my roll in the body of Christ. I was raising my family, home schooling, doing my thing, and then life exploded and a lot of things changed.
As we went through this time of trial and tribulation, I stopped teaching, and just continued to be a wife and mom.
As this time of trial began to pass, I heard very clearly in my spirit the Lord telling me to learn knitting. Yes, knitting… Weird, huh?
I already knew how to crochet and always wanted to learn to knit, but this was a strange thing to hear.
But He gave me Word for it, so I was settled… Although, funny enough, why was still a mystery.
Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,
But I obeyed and started to learn to knit. It was not an easy task for me. I had tried many times before unsuccessfully, but this time the Lord said, so there was no giving up.
Many screams and much throwing of knitting needles happened, but I learned. I learned well and got to the point that I could knit anything. Not that I liked knitting everything, but I was learned enough that I could. My favorite, if you must know, is hand-knit socks. But that’s another story! 🙂
So for years, I knit (and continued to crochet), telling people the Lord told me to learn and having very little insight into why. (Other than the scripture I had, Colossians 2:2). It made no sense to my natural mind, but I kept on doing what I heard to do. I knit, I gave away gifts by the box load. Blessing others was the only thing I knew to do with all this knitting.
I knew there was more to what God was doing, but I also know from the Word that the natural comes first, then the spiritual. (1 Corinthians 15:46). And that you must be trusted with the small things before you can be trusted with more. (Luke 16:10)
During this time of knitting, which has now been about 13 years, something else was happening in my life. God was bringing into my life other women that I had *nothing* in common with. They had lost children, they were widows, they had great pain that I couldn’t begin to comprehend. But listen I did, and listen, and listen, and watch and pray. I learned from watching and listening, so I was able to help other women that came into my life—comfort just flowing from one woman to another through me. Sometimes even connecting them together themselves.
Going on at the same time as the knitting adventures, I learned a lot about keeping Torah, being messianic, keeping the festivals. I was raised Roman Catholic, and know much about that as well. And I had spent many years in pentecostal churches, and in Word of Faith churches.
I spent hours listening to preachers that have long since moved to heaven, and hours more listening to up and coming preachers and teachers in the body of Christ. So my vision of the body was expanding and being colored by many different crayons. I was able to see that unity did not mean doctrine, but it did mean in the faith, and that every part of the body had something I needed and could learn from about my Messiah. And I was quite comfortable with all of them.
I did go through a time of what I call pendulum swinging early on in this process, so that I was quick to point out errors and tell everyone they were wrong and why.
OY… Yuck, causing division among the brethren is one of the things God hates.
Strife is a horrible poison.
Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
Now I understand, thank God for His patience. And can talk to, minister and pray with folks of many Christian walks, our unity in the faith of Jesus the Messiah being our plumb line.
We in the body of Messiah were never meant to be divided. We are to come into the unity of the Faith (and Jesus prayed it, and we will come into that unity before He comes back for us). We were meant to be one big family with many different focuses, specialties, pushing and shoving and learning together. Doesn’t mean every part will hang out with each other, the back of my head “rarely” visits with the bottom of my feet. But it means they all know they are necessary.
Because of all that, I knew in my heart that my part of the body was to be a knuckle, a joint. Not even a whole finger! Just the joint. To allow these parts to connect through me, to each other… To allow the other body parts to move and be free.
But I still had not put knitting and being a knuckle together, until last night…
You know that moment when one scripture puts together years and years of your life of obeying and not knowing why?
Yeah, this was it.
Colossians 2:19b from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
(In context, which is always important, if you read above this verse, it is talking about folks being in disobedience because they are puffed up in their carnal mind, you know the kind that likes to point out errors and cause division in the body? Yeah that one… )
Now, see them together?
Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,
and
Colossians 2:19 from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Is God good or what!!!!
I share this with you today, not to say OO LOOK AT ME. I share this with you to encourage you, to keep going, do what He told you to do last, because more is coming and He is using you, and putting you into His glorious puzzle to be the part you will be perfect in!!
Don’t fret, don’t think it has no reason or purpose just because your carnal mind isn’t ready for the full explanation yet. Trust him! Follow Him! Do exactly what you hear Him speak to you, until you hear to do something else!
Be blessed,
Kath
Study points:
Christian Hope - It's about Him! 