Psalm 133: 1 (ESV) “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity.”
Follow me on this; We are the body of Christ, correct? And according to the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, the body is made up of many different parts. Paul goes even further to state that where would the hearing be if we were only eyes. And for the eye not to reject the hand. We are interwoven together as one. We need our different parts!
However, when I visit a church, I sometimes hear the phrase, “If you are church shopping.” Hoping you will find comfort or commonality with them. It makes me feel a little uneasy because what I tend to see is eyes gravitating towards eyes and feet attracted to other feet. That is not unity. That is only common interests or characteristics. That kind of church will be in danger when the winds blow, and the floods come because they have no bones.
Instead, unity can only be accomplished through love. It is the binding sinew that connects all parts of the body together as one. Colossians 3: 14 “And above all these put-on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
What else ties us together, or should I say Who else ties us together? The Holy Spirit is both the bloodstream and the nervous system to the Body of Christ. Without Him we are doomed to ineffectiveness. As the bloodstream, the Spirit brings nourishment to all parts of the Body. As the nervous system He delivers knowledge and movement to the Body. Without Him we are limp and undernourished!
To conclude, the Body needs the sinew of love and the bloodstream and nervous system of the Spirit. This requires some soul searching on our part. First, do we love each other with a Christlike love? And second; is the Holy Spirit amongst us? You might answer; I think I love everyone. You might also answer; I know about the Spirit but not much more than that. It’s okay, are you willing to find out? A church must seek the truth as one body, not separate parts. As we turn to the Spirit for guidance and answers, He will help us grow in our love for each other and in spiritual wisdom. A church cannot thrive without the Spirit and love!
Amen?
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