A Nugget from New Life Network
(excerpts from Future Now)
Scripture for the Day (March 31, 2017)
Ephesians 4:16 says, “From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
The Body of Christ, which is made up of very different members, must function together in the unity of the spirit to be truly effective. It would be ridiculous for your elbow to be angry with your hand and to say, “I’m not going to bend for you anymore.” On the contrary, your elbow bends to help your hand without even thinking. We must also serve other parts of the body without even thinking about it. If the elbow couldn’t bend for some reason, the back says I’ll bend over for you so the hand can reach what it needs to pick up. While the knees speak up and say, “No back! We’ll just bend so the hand can reach what it needs to pick up.” Then the back replies, “Let’s just work together. You bend a little and I’ll bend a little and we can get the job done together with ease.” That is a picture of Ephesians 4:16: Every part doing its job, and together we are effective. Glory to God!!!
The Amplified Bible (Ephesians 4:16) says, “For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love.”
The Weymouth New Testament says, “Dependent on Him, the whole body–its various parts closely fitting and firmly adhering to one another– grows by the aid of every contributory link, with power proportioned to the need of each individual part, so as to build itself up in a spirit of love.”
Jesus is the head, and we are the body as Ephesians 5:23 says, “As Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.”
I Corinthians 12:12-20 says, “For just as the body is a unity and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 13 For by [means of the personal agency of] one [Holy] Spirit we were all, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, baptized [and by baptism united together] into one body, and all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one limb or organ but of many. 15 If the foot should say, because I am not the hand, I do not belong to the body, would it be therefore not [a part] of the body? 16 If the ear should say, because I am not the eye, I do not belong to the body, would it be therefore not [a part] of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where [would be the sense of] hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where [would be the sense of] smell? 18 But as it is, God has placed and arranged the limbs and organs in the body, each [particular one] of them, just as He wished and saw fit and with the best adaptation.”
This is so exciting! The people around you are people God placed in your life and they are your greatest resource. Anyone that has called on the name of Jesus to make Him Lord is part of the Body of Christ and is an important part of the body. You just stay ready to do your part.
