A favorite New Testament metaphor for the church is the body of Christ. This image reveals much about the complex nature of the church.
As is true of the human body, the spiritual body – the church has but one head and that head is Christ (Colossians 1:18). The head gives direction to the body and the body follows the lead of the head.
Members are joined to Christ and to one another (I Corinthians 12:12-27). One member is not the body. God places each member into the body as he sees fit and every member serves a purpose to the building up of the body of Christ.
God is not a God of confusion. His creation is detailed, orderly and wonderfully made. Consider the complexity of the human body. Consider all the built-in systems: digestive, circulatory, respiratory, nervous, immune and consider the complexity of the human brain!
Organized Christianity is the only kind the Bible knows. Christianity was never intended to be individualistic, disorganized, or chaotic.
The church is the manifestation of Christ in the world, loving, serving, and seeking the lost. The spirit of God dwells in the church and as each member exercises his or her spiritual gifts, the body of Christ is built up and people see “Christ in you – the hope of glory!” (Colossians 1:27)
Ken Haskins is head pastor at First Christian Church.
