Every Member Brings: Part 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



This is Part 1 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 1: God's Desire For Oneness

God desires oneness. He desires oneness with us (Ezekiel 36:28), He desires that we have oneness with His Son (1 John 1:3), and He desires that His Son’s Body, the church be one with one another (1 Corinthians 12:12 - 26).

In Ephesians 4, God’s Word tells us that Christ Jesus sent elders to the Body of Christ - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - and then speaks of the result of their work for Christ amongst the church.

In Ephesians 4:15(c)-16, God’s Word says:

15 .....which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
In these verses, we clearly see God’s great plan for His people, that they - in oneness with Him and His Son and one another - would edify / strengthen themselves in love.

In Verse 16, God says that the whole Body of Christ is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part. What a wonderful vision of oneness!

In this passage, the term fitly means to lay [like “laying a foundation”] joints together in union, with the example being given of a chariot that is well fit together (the word together implying a profound level of union). Wow.

And here we thought us "regular folk" were only supposed to give “praise reports” or “announcements” or such at church, right? Who knew that the Holy Spirit desires to see every member - through what Spirit-inspired sharing they bring to each gathering - lay the joints of the church together in union like a chariot is fit together? The church - a chariot of God? It is an eye-opening revelation, isn’t it?

The term compacted means, in essence, to drive together into unity. This driving together, much like Noah hammering the first Ark together, brings the joints (members of the church) together in a way that there can be no space between them - no leaks, no separation, no division. How wonderful that we can, through simply sharing what God has placed upon our hearts to share, be part of building the Ark of the last days - the Body of Christ awaiting His return.

The term supplieth means to contribute, with its root meaning to furnish while beside. Here again, this oneness, this being “beside” one another shows God’s loving plan for oneness in the church.

And finally, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part shows us that each member of the church (each “part”), in their own measure (their role and contribution as assigned by God through the Holy Spirit), does this work and must do this work.

The result? What God has always wanted. Oneness. Oneness. Oneness.