“And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1:22-23
The Church is the body of Christ.
So, what does it mean for the Church to be the body of Christ?
Let’s dig deeper.
- Jesus is the Head of the Church
This means Jesus is the authority over the Church’s power. A church is just a church if Christ isn’t the head. A church that doesn’t acknowledge Christ and submit to His authority not only separates itself from the reign and rule of Christ but also separates itself from the life and power that comes from Christ alone. Just as a body without a head is dead, so a church without Christ as the head is dead.
You may say, “Is this even necessary to talk about? Doesn’t everyone already know that Christ is the Head of the Church?”
Let me ask: Are there churches that have watered down the Word of God or walked away from teaching and preaching the truth of God’s Word? Are there churches that have affirmed what the Word of God condemns? Are there churches that have walked away from the authority of Scripture?
Sadly, the answer is “Yes.”
So, the answer to “Doesn’t everyone know that Christ is the Head of the Church” is sadly, “No.”
When the church refuses to humbly submit to the authority of Scripture, it becomes powerless and lifeless. It should no longer be called a church because a true church submits to the authority of Jesus Christ.
But when the church submits to Christ’s leadership, it is an unstoppable force empowered by the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth. The most important statement in the Great Commission is not what the church was told to do but about the fact that Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).
We can only live the mission, go into the world, and make disciples of all nations if we are connected to and empowered by the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth.
- As the body of Christ, we are reminded how much we need each other.
The Christian life is not a solo sport.
We were never meant to live in isolation. We need one another, and it is God’s gift that we connect in Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the example of the human body. We have one body with many parts. Each part of the body has a role and a function, and each part needs the other parts. At the end of this description of the body and its many parts with many functions, he says, “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
Think about what happens when part of your body gets hurt. Your entire body feels it. If you throw your back out, every part of your body knows it. One of the greatest gifts of the body of Christ is knowing during struggles or suffering that we are not alone. The Body feels it with you and prays for you and loves you and cares for you. I honestly don’t know how people make it through difficult times without the body of Christ.
“It is through a local body of believers that we carry out the word of the church in the world. It is within the church that we commit ourselves to intimate relationships with fellow believers and submit ourselves to accountability, duties, and responsibilities. In this community, our Christian character is shaped, and our spiritual gifts are developed and exercised. It is the family whose ties cannot be broken. It is the training camp that disciples and equips believers to be God’s people against the world and for the world. If we don’t grasp the intrinsically corporate nature of Christianity embodied in the church, we are missing the very heart of Jesus’ plan.” – Chuck Colson
What a gift it is to be part of the body of Christ!
Are you connected to the body of Christ in a meaningful way?
Who can you invite into the body of Christ?
Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Read “To Become Fellow Citizens” also by George Wright
