The Church, Which is the Body of Christ
Dearly beloved of God, there are many human organizations which offer people membership, but God gave us membership in a heavenly body, the Church, which is the body of Christ.
Ephesians 1:22, 23
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The Church, which is the body of Christ, is the entire group of all those who are called by and to Christ out of the world. It is one body headed by Christ.
Membership in this body is obtained by confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing that God raised him from the dead. At that moment a person is set apart from the common lot of people by being sanctified in Christ Jesus. God calls them saints, or holy ones, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
I Corinthians 12:12, 13, and 27
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit [the gift of holy spirit] are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews [Judeans] or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit [we were all given to drink one spirit].
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
The members of the Church received the gift of holy spirit, and they are sealed by that holy spirit for eternal life as the children of God.
We are collectively members of the body of Christ. Each and every member of the body of Christ has a standing before God “in Christ.” “In Christ” means “in association with,” or “in union with.”
“In Christ,” means that we are united with him in his accomplishments.
We were circumcised with Christ [Colossians 2:11]
We were baptized with Christ [Romans 6:3]
We were crucified with Christ [Romans 6:6 and Galatians 2:20]
We died with Christ [Romans 6:8)
We were buried with Christ [Romans 6:4]
We were made alive together with Christ [Ephesians 2:5]
We were raised up together with Christ [Ephesians 2:6]
We were made to sit together in the heavenly realm in Christ [Ephesians 2:6]
We will be glorified with Christ [Romans 8:17]
We share in his achievements, and what they accomplished. The Father freely gives us all things with His beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
What Christ did for any one member of his body, he did for all the members. It is “all” that he accomplished in “all” the members of his body. In fact, God our Father blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm!
I would say that our membership in the Church, which is the body of Christ is quite a privileged membership, wouldn’t you?
In this body there is equality of membership among its members. In this body, Christ is all, and in all of the members. There is no superiority of some of the members, and inferiority of some of the others. Each member has “all in all.” Each member is complete in Christ Jesus, who is the head of all principality and power. In all the members, it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Each and every member stands before God in Christ as righteous, and will never again come into condemnation. There is no further trial or evaluation of those in Christ. Every member is absolutely acceptable to God in Christ.
Every member of the body of Christ has a share in the inheritance of the saints in the light, and will be glorified with Christ when he returns to gather us together.
The standard for conduct among the members in this body is the love of God. We are to imitate our Father’s love for us, and love one another as He loves us. We are to love one another as Christ loved us, and gave himself for us.
Out of love we make allowances for the differences among our members. We forbear one another in love. We are to be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another as God forgave us in Christ. Let the Lord do the judging, and let us do the loving.
Our practice in the Church should align with the doctrine of the gospel of God concerning Christ.
Dearly beloved of God, in Christ you have been accepted for the privilege of membership in the Church, which is the body of Christ. Welcome!