“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” (Romans 12:4-8,10-13 NASB1995)

The church is not a building we go to once or twice a week and then we leave until the next week. The church is not an incorporation under the state united and partnered with the ungodly and with the government. It is not a business to be marketed to the people of the world, like any other business. And it is not to pattern its gatherings after the world in order to attract the world to its gatherings. But this is what “the church” has largely been turned into, which means it is not the biblical church, the body of Christ. God forbid!

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

And the purpose of the gatherings of the church is not to entertain and to attract the people of the world via worldly means and methods and marketing gimmicks and schemes. And it is not for us, the people, to sit as spectators singing a group of songs picked out by one person, led by one person, and sung by a small group of select singers and musicians. And this is not to be followed by one man doing all the preaching with no one testing what he is preaching to see if what he is preaching is actually biblical.

The biblical church is the body of Christ, the people of God via genuine biblical faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. And the purpose of our gatherings is for mutual encouragement, where we share with one another in the areas of giftedness which comes from God, and where we exhort one another in the Christian faith and practice in order to help one another to grow to maturity in Christ in walks of faithful obedience to our Lord’s commands. And each of us has a part, and all of us are necessary!

And not one of us is to be seen as superior to the others. Even the overseers are to be humble, and they are not to rule harshly, but they are to lead by example. For their purpose is not to be dictators and cult leaders, but it is to make certain that the gatherings of the church are biblical, that they are being conducted in the proper order, and that every working body part has the opportunity to utilize their spiritual gifts for the proper working of the body, as a whole. And so these cannot be huge gatherings of Christians.

The early church met in the temple courts (when the temple was still standing) and from house to house. And their houses probably did not hold more than 20 to 40 people, so these were not large gatherings, and they could not be in order for every body part to be able to do its work. And they met daily, and for the purpose of mutual encouragement and edification and spiritual growth and development. And those who prophesied (preached) were being tested by the other prophets to make sure they were biblical.

For, as the body of Christ, the church, we are to be committed to the mutual encouragement and spiritual growth of one another and to meeting one another’s legitimate needs (things necessary for life). And we are not to treat one another as though some are less or some are greater or some are not necessary while others are, if all of us are walking in obedience to our Lord in holy living, and if we are following after God’s plan and purpose for our lives. We are all needed, and we are all necessary to the body of Christ.

And we who are following Jesus Christ in surrender to his will, and in obedience to his commands, who are listening to the Spirit’s voice, and who are not yielding control over to the devil, are to be speaking the truth in love to one another within the body of Christ so that none will be taken captive to false doctrines of people in their deceitful scheming, and so none among us will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For the body is able to grow spiritually together in love, in Christ, when each part is working properly.

[Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

In Harmony

Based off Romans 12:9-21; 1 Peter 3:8-17
An Original Work / September 2, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Love each other truly.
Cling to what is good.
Hate all that is evil.
Never lack in zeal.
Serve the Lord with fervor.
Joyful in hope be;
Patient in affliction;
Praying faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people
Who are found in need.
Do not be conceited.
Sympathetic be.
Love, and show compassion
In humility.
Keep your tongue from evil.
Peaceful you must be.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;
Listens to their prayers.
But He’s against evil –
Is His to avenge.
Do not fear what they fear.
Suffer patiently.
In your hearts, make Christ Lord.
Serve Him faithfully.
Honor one another.
Live in harmony.

One Body in Christ
An Original Work / December 25, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love