The Body Life

The Body Life

Ephesians 2:19-22 New International Version (NIV)

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

In the Old Covenant, God’s people operates individually or in individual life. Some examples are: (1) In Exodus 32, when Aaron and the rest of Israel compromised in worshipping idols, Moses is not affected; (2) In Elijah’s time, there are still 7000 prophets of the Lord that did not vow to Baal, but Elijah have no fellowship with them.

On the contrary, in the New Covenant, we are all members of one body, whose head is Christ. That is a one clear distinction between the two.

Why?

Because, as we believe in Jesus, we crucify the flesh and we became partaker of Jesus’ sacrifice in the body. Through the shedding of Jesus’ blood in the Cross of Calvary, we are cleansed, so we can now approach the throne of God with confidence (Hebrews 4:15-16).

In Jesus’ ministry, we broke the stigma of individualism of the Old Covenant. What He teaches His disciples is partnership or Body Life (Luke 10:1).

Why does in the Old Testament is Individualism, while the New Testament is Body Life?

Romans 6:6 New International Version (NIV)

6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin—

The reason is there is enmity between the fleshes. However, through Jesus’ sacrifice, the door of the new and much better covenant opens for all of us when He crucified the flesh and sin, and through His Spirit, we all become one in the Body of Christ.

Now, every part of the body have different function, but they work in harmony with each other, in alignment or coordination with mind or the head of the body.

In the Church, we are one body, whose head is Christ.

However, what happens today is that there is no harmony and unity inside the family and inside the Church. Why? Because we still do not crucify the flesh. In contrary, crucifying the flesh is the will of God.

Galatians 5:24 New International Version (NIV)

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

What is in the flesh? Sin.

"PEACE of GOD is a CEASE FIRE Between Flesh and Spirit"

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit

~Ephesians 2:13-22

The "Peace” here is the stopping of the battle between the flesh and spirit after the resurrection of the new man in Christ. The two (Flesh and Spirit) will now become one (only "Spirit") in dwelling inside us after we undergo the way of the cross and buried the old man. (As Galatians, 2:20 says, "We are crucified with Christ). (See also Romans 6:6)

When we first repent from our sins, what is being crucified is the old man (Justification).

The flesh or the giants (weaknesses) of our life can be only crucified through sanctification.

How to crucify the flesh? Live by the Spirit so you will not gratify the lust of flesh (Galatians 5:16).

How to live by the Spirit?

In John 8:32, we know that we shall know the truth and the truth will sets us free. What is that truth? In John 8:34, Whosoever committeth sin is a slave of sin. Jesus came to save us from our sins. Truth being told, whom the son sets free is free indeed.

However, Galatians 5:13 gives us an idea that our freedom leaves us a self-will or choice whether to choose God or the world, together with a plea of standing fast to the liberty to which Christ had made us free in order for us to not be entangled again with the bondage of sin. We see that in Galatians 5:1.

We must therefore not use our freedom as an excuse to do evil for yourself or to others, but love your brother as you love yourself.

As we acquired the mindset of thinking what’s best for other people, and for everyone more than your own, we became less and less of our own self.

More than selfishness, we have to think what is best for the whole body, for the whole family, for the whole church. That is what it means to become selfless and sensible. In this way, we live harmoniously with each other. This explains why the second greatest commandment after loving God is loving your brothers. It is the secret to avoid harboring hatred, to avoid anger and to avoid jealousy towards people. Loving other people compels us to seek for the common good and resort not to fighting or harming each other.

In fact, Jesus’ last message to His disciples is: In order to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, you must be a servant first. You must have a Heart of a Servant. Christ made a perfect demonstration of this service by washing of the Apostles’ feet, then eventually dying on the cross.

So every day, we must examine ourselves before we eat the bread and drink from the cup of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:28-29). We must treat every members of the body of Christ as equals, only with different essential functions.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

(1 Corinthians 12:12-31, NIV)

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.