The Jesus Bible Reading Plan / MEMBERS OF ONE BODY

The Jesus Bible Reading Plan

Day 298 of 365 MEMBERS OF ONE BODY Christian unity is one of the imperatives of the gospel. When someone is born again, he or she is born into a family of faith for all eternity. This family, God's people, is the church. Unlike any other earthly entity, the church is not divided according to physical boundary, race, culture, education or any other reality. Instead, the church is unified because of its members' common experience with the grace of Jesus Christ. Unity, however, does not mean uniformity or a lack of diversity. Indeed, the great diversity of the church's members is one of its unique aspects. Though each member is gifted differently, every member comes together to form the whole church. Furthermore, because of the variety of gifts possessed, every member is integral to the church's healthy functioning. There is, then, no member greater than another, just as there is no part of the body that would boast over its position. The proper response of the Christian is to love and value the other members of the church because of their essential contributions to the health and well-being of the church worldwide. Jesus, help me to appreciate the diversity within your body, to see and celebrate our differences, while also rejoicing in the unity we have in you. Amen. Romans 12:3-8 NASB 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 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; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.