Blessed are the Ties That Bind

"For the body is not one member, but many.If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him."

     - I Corinthians 12:14-18

Dear Friends,

The Body of Christ has been set in place by God. One body with many members is what the scripture lesson teaches us.  We are not all the same. We look different on the outside.  We possess different gifts.  Yet, all are important.  No one more important than another.  

Being one body in Christ is a blessing.  It is a magnificent opportunity to function on earth as representatives of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  His Body set in place member by member to accomplish His work.  His work is the focus not personal agendas.  The Word tells us in Philippians 2:4-16: 

"Do all things without murmurings and disputing:

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."

As the Body of Christ we are to strive to get along.  Folks like to say "get on the same page."  However, most important is that we are guided by the same book, The Bible.  The ties that bind us as Christian are blessed.  For it is the Lord Himself Who established the ties.

"But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him."  I Corinthians 12:18 cf

To be set in place by God is blessed.  His Word is sure. His faithfulness cannot be broken.  Bound together by Christian love. Love the greatest commandment. We are bound by love.  

St. John 13:35 states: 

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

We are blessed by the ties that bind us. Our faith in God binds us.  Our hope in Christ binds us. Our love for one another by the power of the Holy Spirit binds us.  (See I Corinthians 13:3)

Blessed are the ties that bind!

in Christ, 

Sis. Stephanie