Whose am I? Our Belonging to One Another in Christ

 

This message is definitely a continuation of what Carl covered last week. He introduced the concept of being “at home” in the family of Christ, experiencing the bond of love that draws us together as believers. Our mysterious union with Christ is reflected in the mysterious union and connection that we have with other Christians. I remember one time during my childhood in Nepal when we were trekking in a remote part of the country as a family, approaching a village that we had never been to before. We met a teenage girl along the path, and she was surprised to see us, as foreigners were still something of a novelty in those days. But she gave a big smile and joyfully told us as a greeting, “I love Jesus, too!” I am so glad that we could vigorously affirm that and speak some words of encouragement to her. She was our sister in the Lord, and the immediate bond that was so evident and heartfelt made a deep impression on me, out there in the middle of nowhere. Since that time, I have visited so many countries and cultures and experienced warm fellowship with believers all along the way. It is indeed a great blessing to be at home in the family of Christ.
 
Carl mentioned how we all want to feel at home somewhere. It’s part of how God has created us. I recall a more recent illustration from Nepal where in 2010 we were getting ready to uproot as a family from the mission hospital community where we had lived for 3 years and move to a new area where we knew practically no one. My young son was feeling unsettled in this transition, and I asked him what we could pray for – for him. His response reflects this deep longing that we all feel. He said, “I want to pray that we can find a home.”
 
We did find a home in that place. On a scouting trip I found a house being built that the landlord was willing to fix up to make it a little easier for us: just adding some luxuries like an indoor bathroom and a kitchen sink. We moved with probably way more stuff than we should have, a whole mini-truck full, and it was quite an adventure getting it all there over a terrible road and by porter the last bit. But we made it, and felt blessed to be there. Our years in that town – and we were the first western family to ever live in that district – were very significant, especially formative in our kids’ lives. It did come to be our home as we got to know people and grew to love the stony mountain paths and very basic routines. Facing all the challenges together and in the grace of God is part of what it took to make that simple house a home.
 
I would love to know what home means to each of you. Perhaps you would relate it to the word at the center of our title today: belonging. Does “home” feel like a place to “belong”? What does it mean to belong? Or, more specifically, what does it mean for us to belong to each other in Christ?

Belonging can refer to ownership, of course. This computer belongs to me, and I have the right to do as I like with it. We might think of our belonging to Jesus in this way. He bought us with his blood, and as our Lord (as well as our Creator, actually) he has the right to do whatever he wants with us. However, I don’t think that we belong to each other in this way. We do have obligations to each other, but they are based on love, not ownership.
 
Belonging can also refer to something being in its proper place. A horse does not belong in your living room. Some things just fit somewhere, like they were made for those places. My wife belongs in pediatrics. As a job, it suits her perfectly. And she is good at it – at least most of her patients think so. Where do you belong? Do you feel like you belong in this church? Is it a good fit for you?
 
But even that definition is not what our title is referring to today. Belonging to one another in Christ means a connection, an allegiance, a level of interdependence, being a part of each other, working together with the same vision and purpose. It means that we function as a body. Thus, our focus today will be on what it means for us to be part of the body of Christ. We belong to each other as believers because we belong to him as our head.
 
One of the main passages talking about the body of Christ in this sense is in 1 Corinthians 12:
 
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
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. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20
 
This passage is beginning to speak of the unity in diversity that we have as the body of Christ. And the group of people that Paul is referring to here is not just a local fellowship of believers but actually the global body of Christ, all of his followers everywhere. Therefore it doesn’t matter if someone is a Jew or Gentile, slave or free – they can all be part of the body. The glue that holds us together is the Holy Spirit. We were baptized by one Spirit and given one Spirit to drink. The sense seems to be that we are covered and infused by the Spirit: washed by the Spirit in baptism and filled from the inside as well, so that the Holy Spirit becomes part of who we are. That is the essence of our unity with Christ. He is part of the body as well, as its head. That is why, according to our title today, we belong to one another to the extent that we are in Christ. His Spirit is the unifying force.
 
At that same time there is great diversity in the body. The body is made up of many different parts, according to God’s plan. God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be, it says here. These parts have specific functions, just as physical body parts do. We can see this quite easily at the local level, with the different gifts that we have allowing us to fulfill different roles in the church. But what about on a global scale? How is a pastor in America supposed to be different than a pastor in China, for instance? In some ways they might look similar in function, but think about what the Chinese pastor could teach the American about perseverance in the face of persecution. And consider the encouragement that the American pastor could be by motivating prayer for his Chinese brother.
 
Each part of the body is important, so there is no need for one to feel inferior to another. The way God values each person is different from the way we do. It is his Spirit working within us who makes us effective for him – that power made perfect in our weakness. So we shouldn’t elevate the great evangelist leading thousands to the Lord over the mentally handicapped person singing a simple song of praise in their own way. Both are essential to the body. The passage in 1 Corinthians 12 continues:
 
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. – 1 Corinthians 12:21-27
 
This continues the theme of valuing all parts of the body. God gives greater honor to the parts that lack it, it says. Every part having equal honor should result in mutual respect and appreciation. Unfortunately we often don’t see this across denominational lines. Christians easily look down on each other for differences in doctrinal views and practices. Someone with the Holy Spirit is my brother or sister in Christ, regards of what else they believe. We can disagree without being disagreeable, as I heard someone say this week. Our differences indicate how big God is – none of us can fully understand him.
 
God honors each part of the body, so that there should be no division. All parts ought to have equal concern for each other, bearing each other’s burdens, suffering together, and rejoicing together. Jesus told his disciples that they would be identified by the world as his followers because of their love for each other: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” he said in John 13:35. We so often fall far short of that, but Christians have no excuse to stop loving each other.
 
This leads us to the other main passage in the New Testament about unity in the body, in Ephesians 4. Carl used part of this last Sunday, but I would like to expand on what he said. Paul is very specific and practical here about what operating as a body really means:
 
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
    he took many captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”
(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. – Ephesians 4:2-13
 
These principles apply mainly to proximate relationships, in the local body. What does it mean to bear with one another in love? It is more than just tolerating each other. The word for “bearing with” literally means to “hold up.” We need to bear each other’s burdens and make up for what is lacking in each other. Carl alluded to this last time. This is a big part of loving and honoring someone, isn’t it? And it certainly requires humility, gentleness, and patience, as Paul indicates here. Forgiveness is a key element here, too. We can easily become impatient when a brother or sister keeps falling in the same way. But Jesus tells us that we need to be willing to forgive them seventy times seven times. We mustn’t give up on them or even look down on them. Real forgiveness is a big part of bearing with one another in love.
 
Here that theme of unity also appears again. Carl pointed out that the unity of the Spirit is not something that we create, it is something that we must guard or keep. And that does take effort. Everything out there, all the forces in the world, seem to be trying to tear people apart. The bond of peace leads to unity, and unity leads to peace. This is not the kind of peace that papers over differences and conflict, but one that comes when sin and failure is dealt with honestly and truly forgiven. This requires grace, given as Christ apportioned it – in abundance. The grace that has covered our sins needs to overflow from us to cover the ways others have offended us. There is one body, Spirit, and hope. The things that unite us are much stronger than any that try to separate us.
 
This passage also mentions gifts, and the grace of Christ is also extended in these gifts that he has given us. When he ascended to heaven after his resurrection he sent the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The filling of the Spirit equips us for works of service to build up the body. For some people this means having an identifiable role as an apostle or prophet or evangelist or pastor or teacher, but all believers have some responsibility for building up the body. It is interesting to see the order here: that the works of service come before and result in unity in the faith and knowledge of the Son of God. We get to know God by serving him. Our faith is deepened, and we are drawn together in a sense of unity. Paul defines maturity here as “attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” I guess that none of us is really mature then, are we! There is always something more in the fullness of Christ for us to understand, experience, and put into practice. Continuing on in Ephesians 4,
 
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. – Ephesians 4:14-16
 
Maturity protects us from being misled. This is also a corporate function, as the body builds itself up. We are vulnerable when we are alone and isolated. We need each other. Participating in the body of Christ helps keep us all on track, as we exhort each other with the truth of who Jesus is and what he has taught us. Speaking the truth in love brings all matters into the light where they can be examined and resolved properly. Truth can be a weapon for tearing other people down, unless it is spoken in love and genuine, unselfish concern for each other’s wellbeing. There needs to be mutual understanding and trust in the relationship before speaking truth to someone else will be effective. Love allows truth to be received. The fruit of the Spirit, a list beginning with love, are these supporting ligaments that hold the body together and help it to grow – with each part doing its work under the leadership of Christ.
 
In our understanding, we often associate the body of Christ with the local church, and indeed that is our most direct experience of life together with other believers. The principles that we have been considering do apply mainly to face-to-face relationships. The word “church” appears 68 times in the text of the NIV New Testament. In about half of those, it appears to be referring to a specific local church, like when Paul sends greetings to Philemon and the church that meets in his house. Most of the rest of the times the word is used to mean the universal body of Christ, as in Ephesians 1 where it says that God has “appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” This is the church that is referred to as the bride of Christ in Revelation as well.
 
We ought to have this same balance in our thinking concerning the body that we are a part of. Where is our focus, our loyalty, our sense of responsibility? Clemson Community Church is certainly an important part of that, but it is only a part. Our effort, our resources, and our prayers should be applied in equal part to the Church with a capital C, the body of Christ around the world. I believe this will help us avoid the pitfall of focusing too much on what benefits us individually. A church that is just trying to take care of itself, meeting its own needs or protecting its own domain, will eventually die. The vision of the church needs to be outward, being a light to the world and a blessing to believers everywhere. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus was speaking to his disciples corporately when he said,
 
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:14-16
 
The ultimate end is to bring glory to God, through the good deeds that we do, in the sight of the world. Some churches become like the lamp under the bowl. It might be cozy and warm under there, with plenty of good light, but that is not the purpose of a lamp. The lamp is supposed to give light to everyone in the house. A town on a hill cannot be hidden. If the church is doing its job everyone around will have to take notice.
 
Belonging, therefore, is not primarily for our own benefit. Yes, we need to care for each other and build each other up in various ways as we are able, but the ultimate goal is to be that light to the world. This is what sets the church apart from other social groups. You may have heard of the secular churches that exist today: people getting together weekly to have “fellowship” without God being a part of it at all. They may even sing songs and have an inspirational talk to involve them in some good cause. They are trying to fulfill our innate need as humans to have meaningful social relationships, to create groups with a sense of belonging.
 
So how are Christian churches supposed to be different? Some churches do function like social clubs, places to connect with friends, to be supported and involved. But that is not what belonging to one another in Christ is all about. We are the light of the world, the city that cannot be hidden. With that always in view we will keep from becoming too inwardly focused.
 
It will also protect us from another danger of belonging as an end in itself, and that is thinking that we are doing okay because of the group that we are a part of. We are not the ones to draw the boundaries in the body of Christ. Some people who are very different from us are equally a part of that body as well. We need to be challenged by what they have to say and the ways in which they operate. Jesus is the one to decide who is part of his body and who isn’t.
 
There is so much more that could be said about how a church should operate. I have touched on just a few ways that we should be part of the body of Christ, belonging to one another in him. Let’s review these in closing:
 
1. It does not mean ownership but it does involve responsibility. Perhaps it would be clearer if we said belonging with each other in Christ rather than to each other.
2. It means being connected, interdependent, and working together.
3. It means being part of the universal body of Christ, in all of its wonderful diversity.
4. It means recognizing the value and unique role of each individual.
5. It means relying on the Holy Spirit as the source of our unity.
6. It means forgiving and bearing with each other, in the grace of Christ.
7. It means speaking the truth in love.
8. It means letting our light shine in the world, to bring glory to God.