Crucified Hearts

If you are a member of the body of Christ, the church, do you know the place God has appointed for you there?

But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
— 1 Corinthians 12:18

Surely God means for us to know our place in the body of Christ. If we do not how can we fulfill our purpose, a purpose given us by his design for the unity and function of the body, the church?

This is what it means to be bond-servants of Christ, men and women bought with the blood of Christ and no longer our own. The meaning of our life is to follow the will of our master, not to roam around like beast, slaves of their instincts, passions, and needs. We are given life and given redemption through the grace of God for a purpose. The purpose is to live for his glory. To glorify him means to live a self-sacrificial life that honors him in his accomplishment of his love for the world. True life is Kingdom Life. And his kingdom is a kingdom of love and righteousness. His glory is our happiness.

Along these lines he has given each of us gifts to accomplish our purpose in him.

Each of us has a place to live, to abide, to work, to serve in the Church of the living God. It is essential to life and our happiness to know our place.

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.”

1 Corinthians 12.13-31