Benefits

Colossians 2:¹⁹ “But they are not connected to Christ, the Head to which all of us who are his body are joined; for we are joined together by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.” (LB, emphasis added).

God uses at least four metaphors in the scriptures to represent the church. The first is God’s Eternal Temple. The second is The Body Of Christ. When we connect to the church, it connects us to the body of Christ. I want you to write this down, I cannot fulfil the purpose of my life by myself. You cannot because you are a brick in the temple and a part of the body. Ephesians 2:^21-22 “Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.” (MSG).

Have you heard people say, ‘I do not need the church, it is just me and Jesus’? Such people are confused and sadly mistaken. Imagine a young man speaking to the lady he intends to marry saying, ‘You are so beautiful on the inside, but you are ugly on the outside. I like you, but I do not like your body.’ If the lady is wise, she would cut him off. The point is, you cannot like the person and hate the person’s body. Jesus says He is not ashamed to call us brethren (Hebrews 2:11). Jesus is not ashamed of His church. He is not happy with how things are, but He is washing His church, getting her ready for His coming.

Colossians 2:¹⁹ “…for we are joined together by his strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God.” (LB, emphasis added). You cannot grow to maturity by yourself. You only grow by being connected to the body of Christ. What is the ultimate sign, the ultimate goal of spiritual maturity in a Christian? Love. Guess what? You cannot learn to love by yourself. You cannot learn to love except you encounter unlovable people. Some people are like ‘heavenly sandpaper’, they consistently rub you negatively.

Sometimes, it is as if God is using them to smoothen and sharpen you. But you get upset because you think the problem is the people when the problem is not the people. Some people are what we call E.G.R.—extra grace required. But the moment you take your eyes off the E.G.R.’s and realize that it is ‘the coffee’ in your cup that is spilling, that is when you begin to grow. But when your focus is, she is so nasty, or he is so arrogant, you remain as you are. When you realize that God is actually exposing your heart, you begin to learn, grow, and love. You cannot love in isolation. The benefit of being connected to the body of Christ is you get life and growth.

Prayer: Father, help me understand and leverage the full benefits of being connected to the Body of Christ, to get life and growth, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!