One Another Body Building

World class athletes have finely tuned bodies that can perform difficult events better than collegiate athletes and far better than the average citizen on the street. They reach this level of excellence by continual training of every body part involved.

God in the Bible compares each local church to a physical body with individual member parts (I Cor 12:12-27). He gave detailed instructions how a church can only achieve greatness in His sight by every joint and part contributing (Eph 4:16).

If an athlete has a weak body part, maybe his right throwing arm, he will put extra effort and focus into training it so that his overall performance can reach his highest potential. A church does the same, even with uncomely members (I Cor 12:21-26).

This is body building at its finest, far better than the social networking that is the goal of other organizations. Only team sports function like churches in knowing how to perfect individual athletes and coordinate them together for greater team success.

Math helps us appreciate how a church body of members should work together. God chose a special pronoun combination to get your attention – one another. This reciprocal pronoun describes duties each member has to each of the other members.

The Bible says to forgive one another – this is not a vague concept that you forgive the church, but rather that you forgive each member when they offend you, and they do the same to you. Each member must function this way toward each other member.

Now in a small church of 100 members, there are 4,950 combinations of two members. Can you believe that? Believe it! Better yet, since each member in a pair owes one another treatment to the other, there are 9,900 one another relationships!

For a church body to be great in the sight of the Lord, it must build each member up so that the whole body is fitly joined together and compacted into a glorious body of Jesus Christ its Head. This is done by each member loving and serving each member.

A church is not just a place to hear a man preach, or to hear a praise band worship, or to play ball with other Christians on Thursday nights. It is a tight group of disciples purposing to help each other and the overall body achieve greatness in God’s sight.

You need to help your church function like this or find a church that already does it.

Notes: For much more about one another duties … https://letgodbetrue.com/bible-topics/index/church/one-another-duties/.
For much more about church body building … https://letgodbetrue.com/sermons/index/year-2005/every-joint/.
For more about church body building … https://letgodbetrue.com/sermons/index/year-2007/building-up-yourselves/.