Please turn to Romans 12. We will read from Romans 12:4-8.
For as in one body we have many members,
and all the members have not the same office;
so we, being many, are one body in Christ,
and severally members one of another.
And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us,
whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;
or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry;
or he that teacheth, to his teaching;
or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting:
he that giveth, let him do it with liberality;
he that ruleth, with diligence;
he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Please turn also to 1 Corinthians 12. We will begin with verses 1 through 7.
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
Ye know that when ye were Gentiles ye were led away unto those dumb idols,
howsoever ye might be led.
Wherefore I make known unto you, that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema;
and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit.
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, Who worketh all things in all.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.
Finally, Ephesians 4, verses 15 and 16.
But speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him, Who is the head, even Christ;
from Whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth,
according to the working in due measure of each several part,
maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.
Let us have a word of prayer.
Dear heavenly Father, as we come to Thee in the name of our Lord Jesus, we know that we are standing on holy ground. We know that we are in Thy presence. We know that Thou art here with us.
We ask Thee to speak to us through Thy written Word. We pray that Thy Word will truly be spirit and life to us, that Thou mayest be glorified. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.
Last night we shared together on this matter of body life. We know that the will of God concerning His people is corporate, more than individual. Oftentimes, we put too much emphasis on our personal, individual needs instead of seeing that, in the will of God, it is always corporate.
He needs a corporate body to contain all the riches of Christ and to manifest the glory of Christ. No individual is able to do that. It requires a corporate body.
We mentioned also that, so far as our calling is concerned, we are called together with one calling. We are called to be the body of Christ, the fullness of Him Who filleth all in all. And so far as the work of God in Christ Jesus concerning us is concerned, it is also corporate, because we receive one life; and, having that one life, we share together in that one body.
We mentioned the reason why people fail to see the corporateness of the one body. It is because we put too much emphasis on ourselves. But if we present our bodies a living sacrifice, then you will find that our mind is renewed by the Holy Spirit, and we begin to prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
And we find that the will of God is that we, being many, are one body, and we are members one of another. Now, how do we live in that body? How do we live the body life?
We mentioned last night that, according to Romans 12:9 onward, to live a body life is to live a life of love. It is to live a life of interdependence and relatedness, preferring one another, and also to have a humble mind, a lowly mind, esteeming others as more excellent than ourselves.
It is to live a life of perseverance and to persevere with one another, to serve one another, and to overcome evil with good. So that is what we mentioned last night.
Now, this morning we would like to continue with body function. You know, if a body is living, it must be a functioning body. When a body ceases to function, it is dead. It becomes a corpse.
If a body does not function properly, if any member in that body does not function, then you will find that body is sick. So when that body is healthy, you find that every member of the body functions—and not only functions, but functions together, coordinately.
If one member should function independently, you know something is wrong with the body. So a healthy body requires that all the members of the body function, and function together under the direction of the head.
Now, this is true with our physical body. If it is true with our physical body, how much more true it is with the spiritual body of Christ.
Now, sometimes we think that when Scripture uses the expression “the body of Christ,” it is just a kind of metaphor. But it is not. When Scripture uses “the body of Christ”—the church, the body of Christ, the fullness of Him Who filleth all in all—it is not a metaphor. It is a reality.
Put it another way: the reality of the body of Christ is even more real than your physical, personal body. Why? Because this physical, personal body will die one day. As a matter of fact, every seven years your body changes completely. All the cells of your body change every seven years, so you have a different body every several years. Eventually, the body will die.
But the body of Christ never dies. The body of Christ remains to eternity. So, dear brothers and sisters, we are called into that one body of Christ, under that one Head, Christ, Who is eternal. Therefore, it is a spiritual reality, more real than our physical body.
Now, if this is the case, then you will find that for the body of Christ to be a living body, it must be a functioning body. If the body is not functioning, then it is not a body; it becomes a dead organization.
For the church to be a living body, all the members of the body must function—not just a few members functioning while the rest of the body is paralyzed. Nor is it that one or some members function independently.
All the living members of the body of Christ must function together, coordinately, under the direction of the Head, our Lord Jesus. Then this body is a healthy body, His body is built up, and this body will grow.
So, brothers and sisters, it is a spiritual fact that every member of the body of Christ must function for the building up of that body.
Now, unfortunately, what we find today is just the opposite. Among a group of believers, wherever they may be, the norm actually is abnormal. The norm is that you find only a few members functioning. The rest are there to be served; the rest are there as spectators, to be entertained.
Only a few are functioning—maybe one, maybe more than one—but it is always the minority, the few that are functioning, while all the rest are not functioning. Because of this, you find the church does not grow as it should, and the church is not in a healthy situation.
Many who have one talent bury their talents. That is the problem with us today.
So we need to go back to the Word of God. If you go back to the Word of God, you will find, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 12, that concerning spiritual manifestations, first of all, we need to recognize that Jesus is Lord.
If we do not hold fast the Head, the members will not be fitted together. We will be scattered. We may gather together, but even though we are gathered together physically, we are still scattered spiritually. We are not really organically joined together.
For us to be organically joined together as members of one body, the basic requirement is to hold fast the Head. Every member must hold fast the Head. If any member does not hold fast the Head, he dismembers the body.
I think that is a basic understanding every one of us must have. Now, why do we need to present our bodies as a living sacrifice? To present our bodies as a living sacrifice is to acknowledge that Christ is the Head.
Instead of ourselves being the head of our own body and using it as we wish, when you present your body a living sacrifice, you acknowledge that you are no longer your own head. You allow Christ to be your Head, to use this body of yours.
So, basically, brothers and sisters, the most important thing is that every one of us needs to let Christ be our Head. As we allow Christ to be our Head, and we all hold fast the Head, then all the members of the body will be fitted together and joined together. That begins the functioning.
One reason why we are not functioning, or are not functioning properly, or are not functioning coordinately, is because we do not hold fast the Head.
I do not know how to emphasize it as it should be. I cannot overemphasize it. Unless every brother and sister acknowledges in his or her heart that Christ is the Head, and instead of trying to be the head oneself, there is no hope of functioning properly in the body of Christ.
It is the responsibility of every brother and sister, every member in the body of Christ: we have to let Christ be our Head. Then you find we will be fitted together, and we will be able to function properly as members of the body of Christ.
So, in the beginning of 1 Corinthians 12, you find that concerning spiritual manifestations—concerning spiritual functions—how do we function in the body of Christ? First of all, you have to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. Not merely saying it, but it must be real in your life.
Then, following this, the Apostle Paul tells us:
But there are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are distinctions of services, and the same Lord.
And there are distinctions of operations, but the same God Who operates all things in all.
In the body, you have distinctions. In other words, it is one body, but many members. We mentioned last night that what God desires is not a lump of meat. There are no distinctions, no many members; it is just one lump. That is all.
Now, that is not the desire of the Lord. You find that the desire of the Lord is a body. If it is a body, it is one and yet many—many, but one. It is unity in diversity. It is not unity in uniformity. Unity in uniformity is a lump of meat, but a body is unity in diversity.
So here you find a body with many members, and all the members are distinctive. All the members are important. They are different, but they are needed.
It is the same God, but there are distinctions of operations, or distinctions of working. Why? Because it is God Who sets all the members in the body.
You do not choose to be a member in the body of Christ. Just like this physical body, the members of this physical body do not choose what member they want to be in this body. So you find it is God Who sets every one in the body of Christ as a distinctive member.
Unfortunately, that is not our idea. You know, we always want to be that member instead of this member. We are not satisfied with being the member that God has set in the body. We always want to be the other member. We think that other member is greater, more glorious, more honorable.
But, brothers and sisters, we need to recognize that it is God Who sets every member in the body of Christ. There is no choice. He does not leave it with you to decide what member you want to be.
The ear cannot say to the eye, “Because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body.” Well, the eye is at the front and the ear is a little bit back, so everybody wants to be at the front and not at the back. But if the ear says, “Because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body,” it still belongs to the body. God has put it there.
So, first of all, let us be content with whatever place the Lord has put us in the body of Christ. Let us be happy about it. Do not murmur about it. Be content, because this is the will of God.
Every member in the body is important. There is no member higher than another member, no member more valuable than another member. Every member in the body of Christ is equally valuable to the body and to the Head.
The hand cannot say to the foot, “I do not need you. I am higher up; you are lower down. I do not need you.” No, the hand needs the foot.
In other words, you will find that God sets each of us in the body of Christ to be a distinctive member. We need to accept that. If we accept that, then you will find God will work in our lives to fulfill the meaning of being that particular member.
Now, if you do not accept where God has placed you, then you are not able to work out that function which God has appointed for you, because God does not work in you.
Put it another way: suppose you are the ear, and God wants you to hear for the body, but you refuse to be an ear. You want to be an eye. Now you try to see, but can you see? God does not work.
On the contrary, because you try to see and pretend that you see, what you see is wrong, and you will lead the body into error. Also, because you want to see, you do not allow the eye to see. You hinder the eye from seeing. So you throw confusion into the body of Christ.
That is what we find today among God’s people. Because we do not want to be what we are, we want to be what the other person is.
So, first of all, dear brothers and sisters, we need to see clearly that it is God Who has set us as distinctive members in the body of Christ. You are the only one; nobody else can be that member. You are so precious to the Lord.
Whether it is a small thing, you are needed. You are the only one whom God has set there. Be content and happy with it, and try to be what the Lord has wanted you to be, and not try to be somebody else.
There are distinctions of operations, but the same God. God is one. It is the same God working through every member to fulfill his function.
Then he says there are distinctions of services, but the same Lord. We are put in the body of Christ as distinctive members. Why? For service—for ministry. Every member in the body of Christ has a distinctive ministry. Nobody else can do it for you.
We are all serving the same Lord. Whatever your service may be, you are serving the Lord by serving the body.
Sometimes, as a matter of fact, probably most believers think that they do not have a ministry. They look to a few people and say, “They have ministries or services, but we do not.”
Now, that is a misunderstanding. It is a misunderstanding of Ephesians 4. In Ephesians 4, you find that our risen Lord, because of His great love for His body, gives certain people as His gifts to the church.
In Ephesians 4, we are told that the risen Lord gave to the church some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers—or shepherds and teachers. These men are called by God to a ministry.
This is what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4: “Having this ministry.” Now, what is this ministry? This ministry is the ministry of the Word.
Whether you are apostles, prophets, evangelists, or pastors and teachers, they are all related to the ministry of the Word, because it is the Word of God that builds the body. The Lord, the Head, gives certain people to the church for that ministry.
But what is the purpose of that ministry? The purpose of the ministry is for the perfecting of the saints, or for the maturing of the saints, or for the equipping of the saints.
Now, that is the ministry Paul is talking about. Today, we put too much emphasis on this ministry. It is true that only a few are called to it. God has not called everybody to be apostles.
You remember Paul asking, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?” No. You find that God calls some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for this ministry.
This ministry works upon the body to perfect the saints, to bring the saints into maturity, and to equip them. Why? Because when the saints are mature and equipped, then they can function as members of the body of Christ.
So Ephesians 4 continues: “For the perfecting of the saints, with a view to the work of the ministry.” Now, the ministry is different from this ministry.
This ministry includes those four classes of people, and the ministry includes all the members of the body of Christ. This ministry works upon the body; the ministry comes out of the body. This ministry builds the body indirectly by building up the saints, but the ministry builds up the body itself in love.
Unfortunately, people confuse these two ministries. In Christianity, you will find that we put all the emphasis on this ministry and forget altogether the ministry. Now, what is the ministry? The ministry is the body ministry.
Those who understand Greek tell us that, when you come to Ephesians 4:12—“with a view to the work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ”—the ministry here does not refer to the ministry of the four classes of people found in verse 11. Rather, it refers to the body ministry.
When the saints are mature, when the saints are equipped, then they begin to function. You find that every member has a distinctive ministry to contribute to the building up of the body of Christ.
No other member can substitute for you. If you do not function and contribute your part of ministry, then something is lacking in the body of Christ.
So, dear brothers and sisters, every member of the body of Christ must function. Every member has a distinctive ministry that is yours, and with this you serve the Lord—of course, in proportion to the faith and measure that God has given to you. But you are serving the same Lord.
Then, certainly, you find there are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit. God has set us in the body as distinctive members, and that distinctive member has a distinctive service to fulfill. But how are you going to fulfill that service?
The Holy Spirit, according to His pleasure, gives gifts to each member, and every gift is distinctive.
If God sets you in the body as the eye, your service is to see. But how can you see? God gives you the ability, the gift of seeing. Can you imagine that God puts you in the body of Christ as a distinctive member, gives you a service to fulfill, and does not give you the gift to fulfill it?
Many believers think they have no gift, but that is not true. Some may be given five talents; some may be given two talents. But all, at least, have one talent.
God would be unreasonable if He put you in the body of Christ as a member, gave you a ministry to fulfill, and did not supply the need. God will never do that.
Dear brothers and sisters, according to how God has set you in the body, and according to what the Lord desires for your service, the Holy Spirit will give you the corresponding spiritual gifts to fulfill it.
Gifts are distinctive. What do you have in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and 1 Peter 4? These are just illustrative, not exhaustive. Do not think that gifts have only nine kinds, as you find in 1 Corinthians 12.
These are just illustrative, not exhaustive. Think of the members in the body. In a body, you have so many members. Only nine gifts for all the distinctive members of the body of Christ? Certainly not.
So, brothers and sisters, our problem is that we confine our concept to only nine gifts. Then you say, “Well, I do not have this gift. I do not have that gift. Therefore, I have no gift.” Not so. Not so.
Gifts are distinctive, but every gift is important. What God requires is faithfulness. If God gives you five talents, God requires that you gain another five. If God gives you two talents, God requires that you gain another two. If God gives you one talent, He requires that you gain another talent. That is all He requires.
He does not require the one-talent person to gain five talents. As a matter of fact, the more He gives, the more He requires. It is equal.
So do not despise the gift that God has given to you. You need to use that gift to serve the Lord.
Now again, there is a difference between natural talent and spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit within us. He is the Comforter, the Paraclete. He is there to take charge, to be responsible, to conform us to the image of Christ, the beloved Son of God.
He manifests Himself through these gifts. So spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. In other words, they are not your natural talents.
When we are born, God endows us with natural talents. We know that everyone is born with certain talents, and these talents are different—very different. With these natural talents, we are able to live in this world and be successful in the part we are to play in this world.
Now here we are in the body of Christ. In the body of Christ, how are we to be successful in fulfilling our mission, our service? He gives us spiritual gifts. They come from the Holy Spirit.
It is not the Holy Spirit Himself, not the Person of the Holy Spirit, given to another person. The Person of the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and that Person you need to obey. But the gifts of the Holy Spirit are His manifestations.
The manifestations obey the person who exercises those gifts. You know, there is a difference there. You read 1 Corinthians 14. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the Person of the Holy Spirit. You have to honor Him and obey Him. He is God. You are under His direction.
But the gift that He has given to you is impersonal. It is a manifestation. After it is given to you, you are to use it according to God’s will. It is subject to you. You are responsible for it. Do not abuse it. Use it for the glory of God and for the building up of the body of Christ.
Natural talents are needed for the natural man. Spiritual gifts are needed for the spiritual man. God does not need our natural talents in His service.
Does it mean that natural talents are absolutely useless to God? He gave them in the first place. But because they are so contaminated by the self and are being used by the natural man, you find they do not serve God’s purpose. They actually do Him a disservice.
You can illustrate this with Moses. With the natural talents that God had given him, he was mighty in words and mighty in deeds. But when he tried to serve God with his natural talents, it was a complete failure. God allowed him to fail. Thank God for that.
Only after his natural talents had gone to death, after forty years in the wilderness—where you cannot exercise your eloquence with those dumb sheep—after forty years, he lost his eloquence. He lost his might. He could kill an Egyptian, but if you tried to use that to shepherd the sheep, all the sheep would be dead.
His natural talent had to go to death, and then God called him.
But if it were not Moses, who was educated in the Egyptian palace for forty years and learned all the learning of Egypt, can you imagine a person leading such a multitude—and it was a very difficult multitude, too—through the wilderness for forty years?
No doubt his natural talents were used by God. But remember, it was through death and resurrection. No longer in his hand, it was in God’s hand.
Sometimes our natural talents coincide with spiritual gifts; sometimes they are just the opposite. Some people who are suffering and cannot speak, God calls to be prophets and gives them the spiritual gift of prophecy.
Other people are naturally eloquent, and when they try, after they are saved, to use their eloquence to serve the Lord, you find it is a total failure. God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.
But sometimes God does use people who are naturally eloquent. Yet you find God has to deal with that natural eloquence and bring it to death before it can be used. Sometimes He never uses it—never uses it.
So spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit, and with spiritual gifts you can serve and fulfill your function.
To be very practical, some people ask the question, “How do we know? How do I know I am that distinctive member of the body? How do I know I am an ear? How do I know I am an eye? How do I know I am a hand? How do I know I am a foot? How do I know?”
“How do I know that I have this gift or that gift? How do I know?” Brothers and sisters, you do not need to be bothered about that. This will come out supernaturally, naturally.
Does your eye ever worry, “Where am I in this body? What is my gift?” Never.
Now, it is true: when a baby is born, he has an eye. God has set it in that body. It has a function to perform eventually, and it is given the gift of seeing. But when a baby is first born, can he see? He may not be able to see. It may take a little while to see.
You are the hand, but you do not know you are the hand, and you are not able to hold anything; you have to be held. But gradually, when your life begins to mature a little bit, you find you begin to discover what member you are and what gift you have. Am I right? Yes.
So what you need is growth. That is what you need. That is the reason why God sends these people to mature you. They are not to substitute and do the work for you. You ought to do the work, but they are to help you mature.
So do not worry. Do not be anxious. Be patient. Do not try to ask, “What member of the body am I?” or, “What is my gift?” Do not ask these questions, but grow in Christ. Take milk and grow.
As you grow, naturally you find these things begin to appear. The Lord will give you a burden. The Lord will begin to open your eyes to see that there is some need, and He gives you the burden to fulfill that need.
You try to do it, and when you do it, the anointing of the Lord is with you, and the other members are helped. Then, gradually, through exercising, that gift is manifested. So, brothers and sisters, it takes a little time. But be faithful. Be faithful.
My time is up. Just a few more words. So far as the ministries of the body are concerned, there are actually two different kinds. If you read Romans 12 and 1 Peter 4, you will find there are two different kinds.
One kind is more in relation to the Word. Whether you prophesy according to the proportion of faith, whether you teach, or whether you exhort—these are in relation to the Word. The body of Christ needs the Word to feed it.
Not only those whom God sends, but out of the body there will be brothers who can prophesy, who can teach, and who can exhort—and sisters too. That is one area.
Then you find another area for the building up of the body of Christ. We would call it more in terms of service—in other words, practical service. Those who lead, lead with diligence; those who show mercy, show mercy with cheerfulness; and so forth.
Most of the ministry in the body of Christ is of these two kinds. Whatever God may give to each, let us learn to be faithful.
Dear brothers and sisters, when you see all the members of the body of Christ beginning to function, and functioning under the headship of Christ, and functioning together, you see the beauty of the body. You see that body building itself up in love.
So may the Lord help us. Shall we pray?
Dear heavenly Father, do open our eyes to see that Thou hast set us in the body as distinctive members, that we have a service to fulfill. Do not allow us to despise the gift that Thou hast given us, but teach us how to exercise our gift under the headship of Christ, and to exercise our gift in coordination with all brothers and sisters, that the body may build itself up in love. To Thee be the glory. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.