Not Ashamed-Part 42- Members One of Another

Introduction-Romans 12:3-8

The last two weeks we have taken some extended time to deal with verse 1 and 2 of this chapter as in them are found truths vital to living the Christian life.

First is the principle of consecration as we yield our lives into God’s hands and next is the principle of our sanctification as we refuse to be conformed to the world in our thinking rather yielding ourselves to God that our thinking may be transformed by Him.

Ultimately this process will lead us to know and to do the will of God.

The passage before us today will take this truth further as we learn of the role that God would have us to play in the body of Christ and of the importance that each member of the body functions accordingly.

Humility (Vs. 3)

In verse 2 we ultimately arrive at the knowledge of God’s will and we are aware that every believer has a role to play in the work of God.

Yet as we consider the roles and responsibilities that each of us have been given, there is often a temptation for some to think more highly of themselves because of the role they have been given.

The Spirit of God directs Paul here to speak out strongly against this tendency.

Proverbs 16:18 KJV 1900

Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.

It is still true that pride always brings destruction. This is especially true in the context of the local church.

Anytime that an individual begins to feel that they are more valuable or more necessary than another there will be strife, contention, and conflict.

We must not think of oursevles more highly than we ought to think but rather we ought to have a right estimation of our worth in the body of Christ.

God has given to each of us the measure of faith and He intends to use each of us though it may be in very different ways.

When we think soberly, we will recognize that whatever God may call us to do in service to Him, it is He who has given us the ability to do it so there is no room for pride.

There is also a tendency for some to undervalue themselves minimizing the role that God has called them to play and its importance and significance.

Both the tendency to pride and the tendency toward undervaluing ourselves will be avoided when we think soberly.

Each of us has equal value as we fill whatever the role that God would have us to fill in His work.

It may seem that some roles are much grander and greater than others but the reality is that all are necessary to the fulfillment of God’s purposes.

Unity (Vs. 4-5)

When each member has a right estimation of themselves the body of Christ operates in unity together.

Here we can see that the body of Christ consists of many members, there is no one man or woman who can carry out the work of God on their own.

God’s design is that each of us would be connected to a body of believers where we can grow and serve with other believers.

It is also made clear here that all members do not have the same office so that in this unity there is also diversity.

Not every believer will have the same role and responsibility in the context of the body but each will have some role and responsibility.

Though we are many it is clear that God’s intent is that we would operate as one just as the human body which is made up of many varied members also functions as one.

This is of the utmost importance if we are to do the work that God has called us to do.

Any strife or division between the various members of the body ultimately hinders the ability of the body to carry out the work of God.

One important statement here is that we are “members one of another.”

Often there are members in the body who refuse to fill the role God has given to them and they feel that this only affects themselves.

Yet in the body there is an interdependency which simply means we all depend upon each other.

This means that when one member refuses to fill the role God has called them to fill it ultimately affects every other member of the body.

May we realize that our failure to do what God has called us to do will impact others and will hinder the work that God has called this local body to accomplish.

Illustration- nursery worker decides to drop out, Sunday school teacher decides to quit, choir member decides to step away.

Ministry (Vs. 6-8)

In these verses Paul speaks specifically of some of the various roles that believers are given in the body of Christ.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but is representative of the various functions that are performed in the local body.

Notice that at the beginning of this listing Paul clearly states that each of the gifts mentioned here are according to grace. God has gifted each believer uniquely based upon His own wisdom and not according to any individual’s talents or intelligence.

We will briefly define each of the giftings mentioned here but overall what Paul is saying under the inspiration of the Spirit of God is that whatever gifting God has given let us be sure to exercise it!

The gift of...

Prophecy- speaking forth truth from God-this likely is a reference to the preaching ministry which delivers truth from God’s Word. This gift must be exercised in accordance with revealed truth and must never contradict what God has already said.

Ministry- this is a broad term used for service and can be a reference to many areas of ministry where one serves another.

Teaching- this is a reference to those who are gifted in their ability to transfer truth to others through instruction.

Exhortation- this refers to those who are gifted with the ability to encourage others to live for Christ. In contrast to teaching truth to the mind this gift is one who encourages the application of truth in the life.

Giving- literally speaks of one who shares of his substance with another. The word simplicity here is an encouragement to give with sincerity and generosity.

Ruling- this speaks of one who is leading and directing others and this one is encouraged to do so diligently giving special care to lead well.

Mercy- this speaks of one who demonstrates special care and concern for the needs of others. These are encouraged to exercise this gift with cheerfulness (not grudgingly)

Each of these and many other gifts are exercised in the body of Christ. Much time is often spent by beleivers determining where their gifting is and various means have been designed for discovering the supposed gifting of God.

I would like to suggest to you that it would be far better to seek the Lord as to the role He would have you to play in the body and then trust that He will gift you accordingly to fill that role effectively.

Conclusion

The work of God in this world is to be carried out by the body of Christ.

It is vital that we respond to these important truths concerning the operation of the body so that the body can function as God intends for it to function.

We must have a right estimation of ourselves thinking soberly. We must work together in unity recognizing that each member is interdependent upon the others. We must determine what role God would have us to fill in the body and then yield ourselves to Him trusting that He will gift us with the necessary abilities to carry out the function He has called us to carry out.

The success of the body of Christ in carrying out the work of God in the world is ultimately determined by the faith and obedience of each member to the call of God in their lives.