Build up in Love to Love

This morning I continue my study of the word “builds”. I was led to Ephesians 4 where Paul continues discussing the Body of Christ, the church. Where this is the focus of the passage, I was touched by the below verses that round out the passage that seemed to refer to me as a follower of Christ.

“¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” – Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV)

Here what I see is Paul giving me instruction on what I am to grow into and how I am to be built up. I am to grow up, into Christ and do so by being built up in love. I realized that it is more than just learning and knowing, but it is becoming. I am to embrace the love that is Christ and grow into being like Christ. Christ is love and isn’t He what we all should strive to become.

NO, I will never be Christ. I am and will not be the savior of the world. I am a sinner and even as those sins have been forgiven and wiped away, I will never be sinless. I cannot become Christ. But, I can grow to be like Christ. I can act out of love, provide love, and be built up in love. Christ is love and I can be like Him.

What do I get from growing up and being built up in love? I get security. I get to be loved or more accurately, I get to experience and realize love. I get to give love and experience and realize just what love does in others as it has done in me. I get to be like Christ and carry on knowing that regardless of my circumstances, I am loved and will be rewarded in heaven with even more.

Verses 15 and 16 above give me the confidence to be built up in love and as Christ is love, I am built up in Christ. This building up in love leads to me growing up into love and into Christ.

What are you built up in and into? Are you looking to be built up into something or someone who seems to have it all together? What if you instead focused on love, being built up in love and into being like Christ to experience and realize what love really is?

Jesus is the Temple

This morning I am reminded that indeed Jesus is the temple of worship. But isn’t it something that even knowing this, we are taken aback and do not fully understand.

“¹⁹Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ ²⁰The Jews then said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ – John 2:19-20 (ESV)

At the temple the people were changing money and selling animals for offering and other goods. Jesus took exception to this practice and took action, to which the people asked Him of the authority He had to take such action. Jesus answered. The people, as we all do in the moment, looked to the physical and not to the spiritual. Their literal interpretation was one of skepticism and they were not seeing the true picture as noted in the next two verses.

“²¹But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²²When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.” – John 2:21-22 (ESV)

Jesus was speaking of Himself as the temple and not of the literal buildings known to the people as the temple, but His disciples knew.

“⁵⁷And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, ⁵⁸’We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.”’ ⁵⁹Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.” – Mark 14:57-59 (ESV)

Now let’s carry forward to Jesus before the council after his betrayal and arrest in the garden. There were witnesses that came forward to testify against Jesus that only provided false witness. In one of these recorded testimonies, it was said that Jesus said “He” would destroy the temple. If you look back at verse 19 from John chapter 2 above, Jesus was referring to the people destroying the temple and on top of that, He was speaking of Himself as the temple which is noted in verse 21.

So where does this leave us. Well, Jesus is the temple. Scripture is clear that the temple is not of man, but of God. God sent His Son to be the savior for us all. He sent Him to be known and be our place of worship. Jesus came and allowed Himself to be destroyed by the people and even so, He rose again, in three days to once again be our place of worship.

I am grateful to have a temple where I can devote my worship. That temple is not the building where I attend church services, but Jesus. No matter where I might be or what circumstances I may encounter, the temple that is Jesus is always available for me to worship.

What is your view of the temple? Do you attribute the temple to a building or structure? What if you were to see that Jesus is the Temple and you can attend worship there with Him always and whenever?

For One Body of Christ

“⁸Therefore it says,

‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,

and he gave gifts to men.’

¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” — Ephesians 4:8, 11-12 (ESV)

Paul again calls out that which is for One Body of Christ. There are gifts given to men like those identified in verse 11 above. These gifts may be of or for an individual or a set of different individuals in support of the work of bringing the gospel to the world. Either way, they are for One Body of Christ.

I forget that gifts are necessarily those tangible items for the one. They may be in support of or things we may not really know. There are time we are not granted things and that is the gift. Such as arriving on time to places. If we would have been 2 minutes earlier, we may have been the one in an accident as opposed to just simply coming upon the accident. The delay was the gift and that is for One Body of Christ as He likely has something in mind that I am meant to be a part.

I have to be open to all that is so that I am able to apply it to the work I am doing to spread the gospel. I am just one part of One Body of Christ. I am doing work at God’s design and that work is where I will find the gifts He has for me.

What work are you doing for Christ? Are you aware of the gifts He provides? What if you were to accept all as the gifts and know that you are part of One Body of Christ and you do all for the One Body of Christ?

There is One Body

When I read the passage on the word “body” this morning, I was not able to fully put my thoughts together. I stepped away for the day and came back to God’s Word this afternoon and it hit me like a freight train. There is but one Body of Christ.

I hear and have written about the church and/as the Body of Christ. Notice in my writing “the”. This as I was thinking this afternoon was not fully accurate. Yes, there is “the” church and “the” Body of Christ, but how much have we thought of there only being “one”?

“⁴There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” – Ephesians 4:4-6 (ESV)

I read the words of Paul and see the key part of the verses above being “one” in this instance. There is but ONE in each instance.

Now, there are many parts to this one body as I have written, but it is just that, many parts to the “one” Body of Christ. There are not multiple factions of the body of Christ, only One. There are not your body of Christ and my body of Christ, there is only the One Body of Christ.

It is easy to get caught up in just saying the words and not really thinking of the meaning of them and that meanings impact. For me as I learn and understand more, it is the meaning that makes it all worth while. I have to remember to keep this in mind as I learn, speak, write, and overall communicate. I have to take into account the meaning of what I am saying to ensure that I am saying things the right way. With this meaning of the words in mind, I will be working to speak of the “One” Body of Christ and not just “the” Body of Christ.

What is your view/look at the difference in “the” versus “one” Body of Christ? Are you even thinking of the meaning of the words when spoken? What if you were to really dig into the meaning to ensure you are getting it right and speaking to One Body of Christ?

All are the Body

“⁶This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” – Ephesians 3:6 & 2:14 (ESV)

Paul points out here that all of us are members of the body of Christ. Not just those who are of the chosen, but all who are in this world.

Too often, there is a sense that only certain people are able to be a part of something. Where it may seem that way to the casual observer, Paul points out that is not the case when it comes to being members of the body of Christ. In verse 6 from chapter 3 there is notice that Gentile are “fellow heirs” in verse 14 of chapter 2, he points out that “both” Jew and Gentile are as one in Christ.

I am reminded of the saying in sports that coaches do have favorites, even when we don’t really want them to. Those favorites are those who are working and doing the work on the field and in the gym and in the weight room. I look at our relationship with Christ and see the same thing in Him. God does not concern himself with who it is that is coming to Him, whether Jew or Gentile, He is concerned with the work in the heart of the individual.

We are all members of the body of Christ. Not matter our background or any other characteristics. God is not concerned with the outward appearance or what has happened in the past. He only concerns Himself with the now and the state of the heart and the devotion to Him. It is this that He recognizes and accepts that one into the family of God to be “fellow heirs” in heaven.

What is your take on who is part of the body of Christ? Are you of the thinking that there is some outward right of one over another? What if you just accepted the heart of the individual as the indicator and accepted them as Christ accepts them?

Christ is the Body

“²²And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” – Ephesians 1:22-23 (ESV)

It is that simple. We are all part of Christ as He is the head of the church, which is He.

I am reminded that as a member of the family of God, that I am the church. Not some building or some entity. It is the people that are the church and as Christ is the head of the church, He is the head of the body and as a part of the body, He is the whole and therefore Christ is the body.

I know that is a big circle and thought process to follow. I will say that in the past I had a hard time following it myself. I had to break down the parts to make the whole. First, as a follower, I am member of the church and have been given certain gifts and talents to do the work of God. As have others in the family of God. Like the different parts of the body, the hands, feet, head, voice and the like, we all are a vital part of the church.

Second, Christ is the head of the church as noted by Paul in the above verses and passage. My body takes direction from my head to perform tasks. I have to have direction and that direction comes from Christ.

Since I am the body of the church and take my direction from the head of the church, the head of the church rules the body and therefore Christ rules over me and becomes the body.

I am just a small part of the whole and get my direction from Christ. I have to remember that I have give my body as a temple for Christ and He dwells in me and controls my body and that makes him the body.

What is you take on your body in relation to Christ? Have you given yourself as the temple for His use? What if you did and realized that all you do is just Christ doing the work with your body as you are His?

All Together Now

Have you ever noticed that when you have even the smallest of aches or pains you are preoccupied with them and it makes staying on task just that much more difficult? I know that at the moment, I have what appears to be a case of planters factitious and the pain, even while sitting is immense. As such, I spend a lot of time thinking of and dealing with the pain and not doing other things. This pain is only on the one part of my body, yet drastically impacts the rest of me. The same takes place in the body of Christ.

“¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, yet one body…²⁵that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” – 1 Corinthians 12:19-20 & 25-26 (ESV)

We are all part of the body of Christ. As one of us goes, so goes the rest of us. When one is in pain, the rest of us feel the pain as well and do what we can to help them overcome the pain. When one is celebrating, the rest of us celebrate with them and do what we can to help them enjoy the success.

This concept of caring for one another as one body are not new or difficult to understand. Taking care to perform them and live them out is where things get a little complicated. You see, each of us has our own things that we are working through and the tendency is to take care of me and allow others to take care of everyone else. And I suppose there is some truth to that approach in that how much help will I be if I am constantly trying to deal with my own things.

Here’s the thing that I have to remember. God will take care of His. Yes, I may be dealing with things on my end, yet God will not let me go through those alone. When I make it known, others in the body of Christ will come to my care. I can care for those in need as others care for my needs. We are all in this together as the body of Christ. So, always be looking for how you can care for others and know that you will be cared for as others are looking out for who they may care for.

What is your approach to caring? Are you reluctant to care for others as you have plenty on your own that needs caring for? What if you just placed your trust in God and the body of Christ to care for you as you care for others?

Be as Who You are Trying to Reach

In interacting with others, it is commonplace and advised to “mirror” the person you are interacting with in order to connect with them, empathize with them, and influence them. There is nothing in that approach that says that one is to abandon who they are, or to become someone else. It is only to appear as them to connect and reach them. In our world of spreading the gospel, we are to do the same, be as the ones we are trying to reach for the gospel.

“¹⁹For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. ²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. ²¹To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” – 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 (ESV)

Paul makes note of this process as above. In order that he would have a better chance at reaching everyone, he would be as they and meet them where they were. Jesus did the same in His ministry as He went where the sinners were and did not expect that they should come to Him.

It is easy for us to attend church and events that are steeped in the gospel and God’s Word. But, what is that getting us when it comes to spreading the gospel. We are expecting that those who need the gospel are going to come to us so all we have to do is be there when they arrive and claim victory for Christ.

To be more effective, we should be going to those in need. We have to bring the gospel to them and in order to do so, we would need to be as they are to me more easily accepted by them. We cannot be timid and reluctant to do so as Jesus went wherever He was needed and he did not apologize for doing so, even in the times when He was questioned about the approach. He had the answer for those who questioned.

“¹¹And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ ¹²But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Matthew 9:11-13 (ESV)

As Jesus and Paul demonstrate, it is important for us to meet the people where they are. It is also easier to do so when we are as they are when doing so. We have to remember though that we are to be as them, and not change ourselves. We are here to spread the gospel, not be “friends” only and allow them to not hear the gospel. We have to remain disciplined in our faith and our following of Christ so that there is not question as to our motives or actions. Paul knew this as he called out to the Church at Corinth.

“²⁷But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” – 1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV)

Where are you looking to spread the gospel? Are you waiting on the lost to come to you? What if you were to be as the lost and go to them, to be more easily accepted by them, to reach them where they are?

Your Body is not Your Own

I hear a lot in society about “my body”. Whether that is in connection with the choice narrative, or the way we treat it. The thought is that I own it and therefor can do with it what I want. Well according to scripture, our body is not our own.

“¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)

Paul reminds us that we are not our own. We have been purchased through the death of Christ as He took on our sin and paid the price so we did not have to. Since we were paid for by Christ, we are therefor His and should be devoting ourselves to Him through our bodies.

There are a lot of things that we do during the day that are not necessarily illegal and yet are sins. Mostly these are outward and do not negatively impact us or our bodies, with the exception of sexual immorality. This is a sin of the body and will impact the body, mind, and soul.

Now I am not going to get into a debate on what is considered sexually immoral as that is defined in God’s Word, but I will say that once it starts, it is hard to stop. The endorphin release in the moment is something that not only affects the body, but the mind and soul as well. Once experienced, it is something that is hard to walk away from. And, as such, it will tend to consume you as you are in a constant search for more of the same.

On top of this addiction, there is the defilement of something that does not belong to you. As our bodies have been paid for by God, it belongs to Him as the temple for Him to dwell. I know that we have taught our boys that they should take extra care for other people’s things and ensure that we leave them better than when we were introduced to them. The consuming nature of the sexual immorality addiction does not give us the sense of caring for the body, we are driven to use it all up as we chase the addiction.

I have to remember that my body is not my own and that I should be working to build it up as opposed to using it up. I have to allow my body to be the temple of the LORD and give Him every opportunity to dwell here in His temple and work in my life. My body is for the LORD and His work.

“¹³’Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:13 (ESV)

What are your thoughts on your body? Are you progressing through life as though the body you have is yours for your pleasure? What if you devoted your body to Christ as it was intended and allowed Him to dwell there and use for His work?

Do Your Part

The story is told that President Kennedy went to NASA and casually asked a janitor what his job was and the janitor answered that he was helping put a man on the moon. Now I do not want to debate the legitimacy of the story, only want to call out the janitor for understanding and doing his part of the whole.

“⁴For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” – Romans 12:4-5 (ESV)

Each of us has a talent or gift that was provided by God. And that gift is for a certain purpose. Where it may not feel as though our part is making a huge dent in the overall spreading of the gospel, it is just as important as the others. The janitor knew that his role was just as important as others in the overall goal of putting a man on the moon. I have been tasked with reaching a certain set or even one individual with the gospel. I may not even know that person and that is okay by me. It does not change the goal of reaching everyone with the gospel.

I have to remember to continue to do my part as tasked by the LORD. My small part is just as important as that of those who are more visible like Billy and Franklin Graham, the Pope, and the leaders of great organizations in the faith. My task may simply be to reach those who do not know of those visible. I may be tasked to meat those who have logged onto the internet and do a search for a topic I have studied. I may be simply the one to put the information out there and allowing God to get it to those who need it. Like the janitor, I may be here to pick up all that which seems to have fallen aside and ensure that it gets to where it is supposed to be. I may be here to keep the path clean, making it easier for others to reach those in need. I have to do my part, whatever that part may be.

I know that I have spoken of my role in our church that is still borrowing space. I am one that helps to “tear down” or “clean up” the space we borrow at the end of the day’s services. It is not a glamorous job and frankly, most don’t even know that I am there and have actually done anything. But, like the janitor, my job is important to the ensuring that we do not wear out our welcome in the space so that we are able to continue using that space to spread the gospel. I am there to do my part even when that part does not seem to be that significant to the visual aspect of spreading the gospel.

As members of the body of Christ, we all may have a different function. One may be visible and another not so much. Yet, the goal is still the same, and none of the jobs are of less significance than the other. We all have to do our part for the glory of God.

What is your part? Are you concerned that you are not getting the recognition that you feel you should for the work you do? What if you were to be like the janitor and did your work knowing that it was important in the spreading of the Gospel?