He is the Head . . .

Our church is large making it impossible to have intimate fellowship with everyone, never mind knowing all their names. For that reason, small groups are encouraged. Ours meets weekly and we have become close as we study and discuss God’s Word and pray for common concerns. Teasing is allowed, as are tears. Our worship and sharing last night was joyful and edifying and so it should be!

(God) put all things under (Christ’s) feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22–23)

The analogy is a body with Christ as the head and His people are His Body. The NT says it elsewhere, telling us to “hold fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God” (Colossians 2:19) and:

“. . . speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:15–16)

The longer description is in 1 Corinthians 12, listing some of the difficulties in Christian relationships using the same analogy. For instance, a foot should never say they are not a hand so are not part of the body because each person, like each body part, is necessary for proper and healthy functioning. This applies to our spiritual gifts, personalities, experiences, and the sharing of what God is doing in our lives.

Today’s devotional puts an emphasis on the church being “the fullness of him who fills all in all” meaning that the full glory of Jesus Christ is completed in the degree that His glory is reflected in us His Body. We are to complement Him in whom “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9) so that His grace and truth are made visible in this fallen world.

It’s true that we fall short far too often. Before Christ came into our lives, nothing could be more obvious. However, as Christians we now battle sin rather than giving in to it. That old life is dead to the things of God yet taunted and pulled by the ideas of the world, the lies of the devil, and mostly by a mess of old ‘I wants’ that draw us away from our Head into running our own lives. To this, God says:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:16–17)

This personal battle is overcome only by yielding to God, for we cannot resist sin any other way. Many Christians testify that the worst of it is failing to realize we have fallen into running our own lives, at least in the least conspicuous ways.

However, our Head, Lord and Savior has ways of informing His Body that there is sickness and pain among us. He uses His Word, the Holy Spirit, and being with one another to do it. Just as “iron sharpens iron” we sharpen one another. (Proverbs 27:17) That is the value of small groups and deep fellowship.

Not only that, the desire to glorify the Lord is contagious. If one person is set on complimenting Christ and adorning His teaching, others are motivated to turn from personal ambitions to do the same. We encourage one another to “let our light shine before others in such a way that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We also encourage one another by reminding each other that God gives us all that we need to glorify the Lord. (2 Peter 1:3-12)

Jesus, Psalm 139:23–24 tells me to ask You to reveal sin that hinders me from glorifying You. I’m learning not to dread what You might show me, but also learning how each part of the Body helps me to be a stronger and more obedient Christian. Thank You for Your leadership as Head of Your church and the wonderful way that You enable us to work together in doing Your will.

MORE: What are the spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:1–30? What answers those who think their gifts are less valuable that others? How am I gifted to minister to other? In what ways does that show up in my fellowship with them and my life in this world?

 

Christ is the Body-builder

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19–21)

A woman (not a Christian yet) had been in Africa. She told me that the local believers spoke of missionaries coming, starting churches, but then complained because the missionaries later left them. In the past, when missionaries stayed to run things they were criticized of colonialism. Now, when the indigenous church is established and they leave, they are accused of abandonment.

While we are to care for one another, I told her that it was important that these new churches learn to rely on the Lord, not on the resources of missionaries, which often happens in poorer countries. I also said that those churches must develop so they fit into their own culture. If missionaries lead the church that will not easily happen. She was still skeptical.

I could have told her that a new church is like a child. Eventually it must stand on its own, and the people who were involved it is growth need to let it go, trusting Jesus Christ to build it and care for it. While the ‘parents’ must not be heartless and totally abandon it, they need to be aware of the fine line between trusting the Lord and being controllers.

Jesus exemplifies this. He began a church, then left, at least physically. Luke, who wrote the Gospel that bears his name, also wrote Acts, the story of the early church. He begins with these words . . .

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen . . . (Acts 1:1–5)

He said, “all that Jesus began . . .” implying that there was more work to do and more truth to teach. Jesus was not done yet. This is true in the lives of individual Christians and true of the Body of believers known as the church. He will finish the job He started.

One note: I tend to read the New Testament very personally, but need to remember that most instances of the word “you” use the plural version. God is speaking to us, not just me. His promises are for the Body of believers, not just individuals.

Paul wrote to the Christians at Philippi stating his confidence that God is capable of taking care of them: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” (Philippians 1:6–7)

He knew these people were Christians whose hearts were with him in his situation, but also shared the grace of God that he shared. For that reason, he could trust them to the Lord knowing that the Lord would bring them (plural) to maturity.

The writer of Hebrews encourages believers who are in a tough and touchy situation. They were pressured from the outside to the point they wanted to leave the faith, but he tells them Christ is better than anything they could run back to. He also points to the many faith-filled people who went before them. Since this “great a cloud of witnesses” surrounds them, he encourages them to “also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

We hold hands in this race because we run it with each other, but that is not the point made by the author of Hebrews. Instead, he tells the church to “look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Hebrews 12:1–3)

From all this, I see for myself a lesson: while relying on one another is important, my first priority is to rely on Jesus Christ. It is His church and He will take care of it, all of it. Whatever my role is, He is in charge and can be trusted to build the church and finish what He started in it, and in me.

Hanging on to hope

Some people do not want anyone to rule over them, but I find it a comfort.

This past week has been full of unexpected stresses, personal and otherwise. Family issues, computer problems, spiritual war, an unexpected cold snap and dump of snow, and certainly not least, the murder in our city of an elderly man at the hand of a stranger. Many would say these, particularly the last, are random acts, random events that have no connection to each other and certainly have no reason for happening.

Thinking that way would make a basket case out of me. I’d be afraid to go outside, afraid of each day as it comes, worried about my family, anxious that this computer would quit working or crash at any time, and on and on. Even though these things must be grappled with, my heart knows that my God truly is Lord of all.

Today’s devotional reading begins with Ephesians 1:22-23. “And He (God the Father) put all things under His (God the Son’s) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

I have a Boss, a Leader, One who rules over me in grace and wisdom. Because He does, whatever happens is His design for my life, and even when I protest or kick and fight with it, deep in my heart I know that He knows and He cares. Further, He will end it or make sense of it and certainly use all things for good in my life, helping me become more like Himself (Romans 8:28-29).

Today’s reading brings out the wonder of the union of Christ and His Body, the church. It says that He doesn’t need us to be complete for He is God, yet as the Son of man, the fullness of Jesus includes the church. We who belong to Him are His expression here on earth, the Groom’s bride, the Shepherd’s sheep, the Foundation’s building. We are the visible representation of the One who died for us, rose again, and lives forever.

The thoughts expressed in that devotional writing are almost too lofty for me today. I’m going out to teach a class, prepared yet feeling wholly inadequate. Some family members are sick or needy in other ways. The snow has stopped but the streets are treacherous. It is cold and I am sort of thinking hibernation with hot chocolate would be a good thing. My thoughts are scrambled, and I’m really hoping this next week will be better than the last one.

There is some positive news. The person suspected of killing the elderly man has been captured. Less than positive are the reports of his entries on Facebook. They leave me troubled and wondering if no one cared enough to notice that this deeply agitated young man was so dangerous, and why no one loved him enough to intervene.

Mixing all this together, my prayer today is that the church, the Body of Jesus Christ, lives out the character and grace that He has given us. May we be, may I be that to a crazy world, a place where others can run to and find hope. The One who rules over us is everything we need, and gives us everything we need. While the church may not be able to do that as perfectly for others who are in need, I’m praying that we who are members of His Body will represent Him, our Head, as clearly and mercifully as He presents Himself to us.