(1Corinthians 12:18) “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.”
I did say we would look at love and Spiritual gifts and the importance they have in our lives when viewed side by side, if any. Can we safely walk circumspectly before a Holy God in complete obedience if we choose to seek out love but despise spiritual gifts? Or are we being too mystical when we look to undercover the true application of spiritual gifts to our Christian walk? We may even say I am not a foot but a hand, therefore I am not part of the body, and would we therefore be excused? We may be captivated into believing that Pastors or teachers are the most important members in the body of Christ. On the surface I would believe the same thing, but not when we look to scripture to build our case; “For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. (1Corinthians 12:14-18)
I am not as concerned about how you view spiritual gifts as how much we need to understand the importance of the need to function as a member of the body of Christ, just because you may think that you are not as important as the Pastor, does not mean that you are not an interregnal part in completing the local church. In fact Paul has given us an in-depth teaching on this very subject.
It is imperative that we understand our role in the local fellowship, but with so much compromise around, we often feel that we would be better off alone at home doing our own thing. I am guilty as charged!
Nevertheless, I am completely convinced; this is the lesson That God in His mercy continues to teach us, if and when we neglect to follow His instruction in and through His Word, we will suffer loss, this is a fact, so be sure of it. There will be no exceptions to the rule, it is impossible for God to lie and He cannot deny Himself. In other words, He will never say one thing and do something else. At times with our human intellects it may seem that when God is caught up in anger and He is ready to transfer His wrath and pass a judgement on His creation that He may have forgotten His covenant. As I said, it may only seem so, but He has never broken His Word, He never could that would be impossible! Do we remember when men thoughts were continuously evil and God was so angry with them and creation that He looked to destroy it with water, but before that happened one man found grace in the eyes of the LORD, that man was Noah! Here we see interplay between the Godhead as they deliberate the outcome of all of creation; all of creation almost destroyed and mankind with it. It almost appeared as if God was about to terminate His eternal plan...
So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Gen 6:7-8)
He had predetermined so many things that still needed to happen; His covenant He would establish with Abraham, the introduction of the law, the sending of His Son to die for sin making a way for sinners to find repentance in being reunited with God, the great white throne judgment and the marriage feast of the Lamb. This is proof in itself that God cannot lie! The thought in itself is an abomination!
Or what of the time when Moses persuades God to change His mind, or so it would seem once again on the surface; “And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you." But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'" And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. (Exodus 32:9-14) – Moses pleads on behalf of the people and God yields to his request. Does that mean that God was about to go back on His Word, never! As it is impossible for God to lie! “so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18) – Here we see that if God had destroyed all of the children of Israel, as He may well have done because of their sin, it was impossible to do. Why? Because of His covenant with Abraham; Moses was not in the lineage of the Lord Jesus by birth, do we get the picture? (see Matthew chapter 1) - If He started again with Moses then His covenant with Abraham would not have stood, by now it stands bright and clear. His name is forever praised and proof once again that when God has determined to do something it shall surely stand.
It is now no different for us as we take the Word of God and its instruction and apply it in our lives. If we follow its direction with accuracy then we will be the beneficiaries of His grace, but if we choose to ignore it then it will be to our own peril. We must make it our business to seek it out to glorify our God.
So when the Apostle Paul teachers us the need to be actively involved in a local fellowship, do you think it is important, you decide, as God has spoken!
To be continued...
Signing off
Tyrone
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