Building up believers and the New Testament church

Discipline in the Body of Christ

Involvement

All of what we have been saying may be summed up in the one word "involvement." We must be involved with God and we must be involved with one another. There is no other way. What God is doing, He does in and through man. It is costly to be involved. It takes commitment. It takes spiritual vision. It takes time. It takes grace. It is spiritual work. This is not just preaching sermons and reading a few scriptures or mentioning a few principles to live by. This is laying down our lives and living His life. This is living in union with God. It is demanding. Christ did not preach from heaven. He proclaimed love from the cross. He calls us to do the same. We must take up our cross and follow Him.

There is much religion in the world today that has no cross. There is little or no involvement. It does not require a relationship with God or with each other. God is not in it. If we want God we must go His way. We must be willing to pay the price. If we do not pay the price, we will not see God's results. God only has one plan and it is the body of Christ, functioning under the Head. It is every member connected to the Head, under His authority at all times. It is total commitment, not just a Sunday religion or meetings. The real question before us is this: Are we crucified with Christ? Are we living His life? Are we being led by the Spirit?

Again, as we have said above, we may be looking at the problems around us, and the problems are real. But what is the solution? We may be pointing at somebody else and yet the real problem is us. We may not have been willing to be involved. Perhaps we have not yet laid down our life. We may not have known the direction of the Spirit or the wisdom of God. We may not have been consistent in our movement. These and many other things may have contributed to the stagnation that we see. There is only one solution and that is to come before God with diligence until we know we have heard from God and that we have His mind. Then we can move in faith for God's glory.

Brethren, this short word of exhortation is directed to those who care about the testimony of God and are willing to be counted with Christ. The body of Christ is a reality, not just a theory. The body of Christ is here to do the will of God. What Christ began while He was here on this earth in bodily form, He is continuing through His body of believers. Are we part of that body? Do we see our responsibility? Are we willing to believe God and to move as He moves? Time is short and souls are at stake. Let us be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and in faith before God, let us move as one man for the purity of His testimony and for the salvation of souls. God will give the grace as we respond to His word and glorify His name.