Romans 12:3-8 NKJV

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

One Body in Christ

As followers of Jesus Christ we are all one body, the body of Christ. But we are all different. We are all uniquely who we are individually. God didn’t make us all the same. He didn’t gift us all the same. And we are not all called in the same way to the same exact ministries. And even if we were all teachers, our teaching style may differ one from the other. For God did not make us to be clones of each other. He made us uniquely who we are by his design, for his purposes. And he is not going to use us in all the same ways.

Yes, in the gatherings of the church, the biblical body of Christ, i.e. those of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus, there needs to be law and order. We need to have overseers to make sure things are done in order and according to the will and purposes of God. But just because a man is a pastor, elder, deacon, or overseer, it does not make him superior to the rest of us, and he should not treat us as though he is a cult leader who we must follow blindly wherever he leads us. Overseers must lead by example, not by an iron fist.

Also, in today’s world, many of these pastors, elders, deacons, and overseers are not following in the ways of the Lord, but in the ways of the flesh. Jesus is not their commander in chief, but they are following business models for how to “do church.” So many of them are not leading the church, the body of Christ, in service to the Lord, but they are teaching them lies, and they are training them in the ways of the culture and not in the ways of the Lord. For many of them are acting just like cult leaders.

And so many gatherings of the church are not biblical gatherings at all. One man serves as king over all, and he does all the preaching, and no one is testing what he is teaching to see if it is of God or not. The people are not given opportunity to minister to one another, for the “pastor” is considered the sole “minister.” And he is raised up above all the rest. So he is more like a cult leader almost to be worshipped as though he is a god. And what he says goes whether or not it is of God and is biblical and righteous.

Not a Business

So, please understand that the church is not a building or an organization incorporated under the state called “church.” The church is the biblical body of Christ comprised of all who are of genuine biblical faith in Jesus Christ via dying with Christ to sin, and being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as servants of God and of his righteousness. And all of us are given gifts of the Spirit and assignments from God called our “body parts,” and all of us are necessary parts.

So our gatherings should not be for the purpose for all of us to sit in pews or in chairs and in rows while we all listen to one man do all the preaching and one small group of musicians do all the ministering in music. But, in an orderly and biblical way, we should be ministering to one another, using the spiritual gifts given us by God in our body parts assigned to us by God. All of us should be speaking the truth of God’s Word to one another in love in order to help each other to grow to maturity in our walks of faith in Christ.

We are to be those who are exhorting one another daily so that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And we are to be stirring up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, but encouraging one another. And we are to be addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, with each body part doing its work. For when each part is working properly, the body grows and builds itself up in love.

We are All Necessary!

So God did not design his church, the body of Christ, comprised of all who are of genuine biblical faith in Christ Jesus, to just be bench warmers while only a select few get to do all the ministering. We are all necessary to the proper working of the body of Christ. And the Bible teaches that in the last days that both men and women will prophesy (preach, proclaim the Word of God) and will dream dreams and see visions (Acts 2:16-18). So we need gatherings of the church where each part is able to do his/her work.

And this is why the Lord put me on the internet 22 years ago, so I would have a voice, so I would have a place where I could minister using the spiritual gifts given me by God in my body part assigned to me from God. And here I am able to connect with other Christians (other body parts) and we can and do encourage one another in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord. We each have a voice and a place where we can be used of God to share his gospel message and to help each other to grow in Christ Jesus.

[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; John 4:31-38; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Acts 26:18; Romans 10:14-15; 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 5:11-21; 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; 1 Peter 2:9,21; 1 John 2:6]

The Peace of Christ

Based off of Colossians 3:1-17; Ephesians 5:19-20
An Original Work / October 31, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Let the word of Christ dwell in you,
As you teach with all wisdom,
Teaching one another to not
Think on earthly things;
Think instead on things above,
Where Christ sits with God, in love,
Saving us from all of our sins,
Cleansing us; made new within.

Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts,
As you sing songs unto Him;
Speak to one another with psalms,
Hymns, and spir’tual songs;
Always giving thanks to God,
In the name of Christ, His Son,
Who gave His life up for us all,
And gave us eternal life.

Let the love of Christ within you
Rule in your hearts; grace within,
Purifying you from your sin,
Make you whole within.
Forgive as the Lord forgave.
Show His kindness ev’ry day.
In word or deed, whate’er you do,
Glory give to Jesus Christ.

Let Us Use Them
An Original Work / June 7, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love