Love & Devotion (2 of 21)

Romans 12:5 (New Living Translation) "so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other."
-Believing Includes Belonging

When I hear about the church of Jesus Christ, I immediately think of the phrase 'assembly required'. Hebrews 10:25 admonishes believers in this way "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Don't let anyone fool you into thinking (and don't fool yourself) that you can be saved but not need the church. Hear me clearly when I say. that believing includes belonging!

The body of Jesus Christ is composed of various parts. The implication is that all of us (believers) are a body part, which makes us valuable to it's function. Our local body known as Grace Corner, needs you in order to operate properly. I urge you to not slow down, back up or sit down. If you do, it hinders the progress of the body's purpose because all of our parts are attached to the same body.

Watch how love arrives in this text, in grand style. Paul (the author of this passage) says that 'we all belong to each other.' What sense would it make for a body to hate parts of itself! That's an incredibly unhealthy and dysfunctional scenario. I've got a big nose, I'm short and I'm of an extra chocolate hue, but I certainly don't hate those parts of myself! As a matter of fact, I love those parts of me all the more because I don't see them as flaws but as perfect imperfections that make me unique.

When I declare that I love my church, I'm really saying that we don't have it all together and we're not even close to getting there. We are a unique people that loves God and is determined to live tomorrow better than we lived today. We lie, cuss, fuss, fight, cheat and steal but we are nothing like we use to be and don't want to go back there. We love each other, not because we're perfect. Rather, we agape (loving in spite of imperfections; unconditional; without restraint) each other, the way God intended. I know I just took the long way around, but I'm simply suggesting that we 'belong to each other' and we don't have any receipts to make returns! You're stuck with us!

As your pastor, I want you to seriously thing about where you fit on the body. Get in where you fit in! After you've thought about it, and if we don't have a ministry that you feel drawn to then start it! Don't pour cold water on the Holy Spirit that's at work within you (1 Thessalonians 5:19). If you believe, then belong! You've found brothers and sisters that aren't judgmental of your past, we just want to be your family and push you to be better than you've ever been before!

***Tomorrow's verse...1 John 4:16-18 'And You Know This Man!'