Doctrine: Christ's One Body Produced by the Spirit and Composed of Multiple Members
When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of his departure from this earth he promised the disciples that he would not leave them alone. He promised them that he would give to them another of himself, namely the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18). One interesting statement by the Lord was where he said the Spirit "dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17). Before the death, resurrection, and NC era inaugurated, the OT saints did not possess the ongoing, internal, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. He was with them but not indwelling them. But in Acts 2 we see the coming of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit produced the new work of God. The Spirit produced the body of Christ where Jews and Gentiles were baptized into one new man, i.e. a new body/family (Eph. 2:11-22). In this new work the Spirit draws each person to faith and baptizes that person into a new people group, a new entity. The Bible says, "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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:12-13). This new people, who now have the internal indwelling of the Spirit, which contrasts those of the previous era, will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Each person in the body of Christ will exhibit "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23). In this new body the people of God will care for one another and serve one another. As the Bible says, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Cor. 12:26).
Life Application
In this body of Christ the Spirit has given it various types of leaders to guide it. These are "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers" (Eph. 4:11). These members use their giftrs to help "equip the saints for the work of ministry" (Eph. 4:12). Each member has a type of gift. Some have speaking gifts and some have serving gifts. Peter said: "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies" (4:10-11). The body of Christ is precious, is loved by the saints, and is a place where the Lord's people give love and receive love. This new body, produced by the sovereign work of the Spirit, provides a bond whereby believers experience the peace, power, and presence of the Spirit as they seek to make disciples in the Lord Jesus Christ. How are you working to bring people to Christ and to maturity in Christ through service to and through his body? The body of Christ is a serious focus on the heart and focus of the Lord's true saints.
When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of his departure from this earth he promised the disciples that he would not leave them alone. He promised them that he would give to them another of himself, namely the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18). One interesting statement by the Lord was where he said the Spirit "dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:17). Before the death, resurrection, and NC era inaugurated, the OT saints did not possess the ongoing, internal, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. He was with them but not indwelling them. But in Acts 2 we see the coming of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit produced the new work of God. The Spirit produced the body of Christ where Jews and Gentiles were baptized into one new man, i.e. a new body/family (Eph. 2:11-22). In this new work the Spirit draws each person to faith and baptizes that person into a new people group, a new entity. The Bible says, "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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:12-13). This new people, who now have the internal indwelling of the Spirit, which contrasts those of the previous era, will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Each person in the body of Christ will exhibit "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23). In this new body the people of God will care for one another and serve one another. As the Bible says, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Cor. 12:26).
Life Application
In this body of Christ the Spirit has given it various types of leaders to guide it. These are "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers" (Eph. 4:11). These members use their giftrs to help "equip the saints for the work of ministry" (Eph. 4:12). Each member has a type of gift. Some have speaking gifts and some have serving gifts. Peter said: "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies" (4:10-11). The body of Christ is precious, is loved by the saints, and is a place where the Lord's people give love and receive love. This new body, produced by the sovereign work of the Spirit, provides a bond whereby believers experience the peace, power, and presence of the Spirit as they seek to make disciples in the Lord Jesus Christ. How are you working to bring people to Christ and to maturity in Christ through service to and through his body? The body of Christ is a serious focus on the heart and focus of the Lord's true saints.