Keeping the Body Safe and Effective

Paul tells the church in Corinth that they are the body of Christ. He doesn’t say they are like a body, but rather they are His body. Under Christ’s headship and directed by the Holy Spirit, the believers were then, and we are now, corporately His active body on earth, formed to bring about the continuing purposes of God.

The safety and effectiveness of a human body depends on the interdependence of every part of that body, each part being allowed to fulfil the purpose for which it was designed. My hand is not a decision-maker but, when I get into the bath, it performs a vital task of checking the temperature of the water and sending that information to the part of my body that does make decisions. My head has no desire to replace or disparage this jurisdiction of my hand.

God’s spiritual covering and the fulfilling of His purposes on earth can only be effective when the members of Christ’s body are walking in rightful submission to the God-given gifting and ministry of each member of that body, whether it be in administration, in leadership, in teaching, or in the many other important areas of service. Of course, we need to graciously challenge one another to use our gifting wisely and to grow in maturity, but the enemy gains huge opportunity when there is undermining of the value and the spiritual authority that God has placed on each member of His precious body.