To God Be Glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus

“I’m just not getting anything out of it!” That is one of the most often-used reasons (excuses) given to explain why people stop attending worship or simply disconnect from a church body. It may be a legitimate reason if the Word of God is not being proclaimed, taught or lived out by those who are part of the body, but it is often an excuse to cover up a lack of commitment to or involvement in the life of the Body of Christ. As Paul begins to explain the “calling” of every believer to “Body life,” God makes it clear that being an active part of Christ’s Body is not optional for believers. Everyone who is born again by the Spirit of God and who places their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is a disciple of Jesus AND a member of His one Body, the Church! Each part of the Body receives some gift/talent/ability that is needed by the rest of the Body and the Body only functions as God intends when all the parts are working together to speak truth about God and His kingdom and to live together as citizens of His kingdom on the earth until Jesus returns. The irony is that you “get something out of it” only when you are putting something into it!! If you are not pursuing spiritual growth through the study of God’s Word and then using your gifts to serve others in the Body, you will not find the joy, peace, love, hope and satisfaction that comes from experiencing the beautiful oneness of Christ’s Body that is produced by His Spirit. Working together toward the common goal of praising God and glorifying Him is our calling as followers of Jesus, the Christ, our Savior and Lord!