Romans 12:4-5  – “For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, ⁵ so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, one thought was superimposed over all else: The Body of Christ.   The question arose in my mind, “Are we truly a body, the Body of Christ?”   We are ‘Living Stones’, which indicates individuality. However, each stone is to be subject to the builder of all things to be fashioned together into a building.  That building is a Body, the Body of Christ.

Romans 12 opens the understanding of this truth.  The foundation required is verses 1-2. Transformation comes through enlightenment, which flows from the renewal of the mind.  That new mind or way of thinking enables us to discern God’s will.

Verse 4 presents the vital truth that we are part of a multi-membered body, the Body of Christ.  But do we truly see ourselves as a body?  Where is our focus?  If our fleshly bodies operated like the church (universal and local), we would die physically.

The natural body does not wait for the hurting or needy part to ask for help.   The parts that can help automatically, without hesitation, respond to the need.   The strong parts do not begrudge the weak parts the help they need.  They do what is needed when it is needed, as long as it is needed.  We tend to be unaffected individuals, unaware or unmoved by others’ needs and struggles.  We say, “I will pray.” James addressed that.  It’s not words but actions that meet needs.

Romans 12:4-16 provides a guide to Body Life.   Romans 13:14 provides an incredibly powerful directive: “(You) clothe yourselves with our Lord Jesus Christ and disregard the lusts (inward focus) of the flesh.”   Then Romans 14:7-8 is a reminder, “None of us lives to (solely focused on) himself, and none of us dies to himself.”

Romans 15:1 verifies God’s desire and purpose – Body Life.   “We who are strong ought (are directed to and obligated to) bear the weaknesses of the weak and not seek to please ourselves.   I’ve heard believers say, regarding a fellow believer who was in a mess, “They made their bed, now they have to lie on it.”   The callousness of that destroys Body Life.

Again, I ask, “Are we the Body of Christ?”   Are we seeking ways to utilize our gifts, talents, and resources to benefit others?  Do we focus on our needs, wants, ambitions, desires, and plans, largely unmoved by the plight of our brothers and sisters?

Are we the Body of Christ?  Maybe we should rethink how the natural body functions and use that reality as our guide, spiritually. If the church learns to become the Body of Christ, we will see the power of God manifested beyond our ability to imagine.

We need to discover which Body member we are and thereby discover our gifts and responsibilities.   God desires us, and the world needs us to be the Body of Christ!  Together, we are unstoppable!   Victory is even more available than we think if we become the Body of Christ!

May you discover the power of unity and numbers in your walk with Jesus!