Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. I will read
the verses that we've kind of covered. Not exhaustively, of
course, but I'll read down through verse five. I beseech you, therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. Be not conformed to this world,
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye
may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God. For I say through the grace given
unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself
more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly,
according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
And here's what I want to try to deal with. For as we have
many members in one body, and all members have not the same
office. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every
one members one of another. So my title, my subject is this. Oneness in Christ and with one
another. Now God's people, that is those
that are dealt the measure of faith, those who seek transformation
and not conformity, the recipients of God's sovereign mercies, they
are one body in Christ. I'm not going to deal with this
negative side. Not should be one body. Religion
constantly is working on people, hammering on people, instructing
people who claim to be a part of one body, that they ought
to be a part of one body. We are one body in Christ. Those
who are in Christ are one body in Christ. Again, not should
be one body, but we are one body in Christ. And we are, not should
be, everyone, we are everyone members one of another. Now our conduct may not always
manifest this oneness, But the oneness is based upon Christ's
person and work, not us. We ought to conduct ourselves
in light of that oneness. But that doesn't establish or
secure the oneness, does it? And who was it, was it Barnabas?
Got into a rift about Barnabas' kid, wanted Barnabas' kid. And
they had differences about it. And no longer went out and ministered
together about it. But they were still wanting Christ.
They were still preaching the one Christ. You see, religion
usually has, no, religion, false religion, false Christianity,
always skews the truth of God in some form or another. Some
things worse, or skewed worse, but they're skewed nonetheless.
So we being many are one body in Christ, and everyone members
one of another. So again, oh God help us to remember
this. Our oneness is based upon Christ
person and work, not us. And I'm thankful for that. I'm
glad my oneness with Christ and with you doesn't depend on me,
because I'd be in a world of hurt. I'd be in a world of hurt. Now, I want to give you three
things. I'll deal mainly with the third one. Here illustrates
this briefly by the human body. That's verse four, right? For
as we have many members in one body and all members have not
the same office. He's speaking of our human body.
Now he deals with this in more detail in another epistle and
we'll look at that in a moment. But he illustrates this by the
human body. Now let me try to help us with
this. Maybe God will use this to help
us. You see the eye may glance away
and cause the feet to stumble and fall. You look away from
where you're walking and your feet stumble and fall through
no fault of the hands. The hands had nothing to do with
it, but you look in the wrong direction, you trip over a rock
or something that's in the way. Through no fault of the hands,
yet the hands go down as well if you have the fall. The hands
are not free, why? Because it's one body. or on
a, say, a more positive side, the eye may detect oncoming traffic
and the brain move the feet to stay put on the sidewalk and
don't venture out in front of that traffic. And the hands are
spared of catastrophe, though the hands have nothing to do
with it. You see what I'm saying? All of us having many members,
there's many members, but still what, it's one body. Okay, 1 Corinthians 12, Paul
deals a little bit more with this thing of illustrating this
oneness with the human body, or by the human body. 1 Corinthians
chapter 12, and just a few verses. Verse 12, look at what he says.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members
of that one body, being many, are one body, and he said, so
also is Christ. You see, it is, not ought to
be, but is Christ. For by one spirit, we are all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free, and have been made to drink into one spirit,
for the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say,
because I'm not of the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore
not of the body? Now, sometimes we of God's people
say that about ourselves. I just don't feel like I'm a
part of that. It's not based upon your feelings. You're one
with Christ, if you're in Christ, and you're one with everyone
else who's in Christ, whether you feel it or not. whether you
feel it or not. For the body is not one member,
verse 14, but many. If the foot shall say, because
I'm not the hand, am I not of the body? Is it therefore not
of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I'm not an eye,
am I not of the body? Is it therefore not of the body?
These are simple questions. And the answer's clear. The answer's
clear. If the whole body were an eye,
where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were
the smelling? It's simple enough. You see, God made us like we
are, not because this was just some fancy way, but to represent
and illustrate his sovereign purpose. Number two, jealousy
or disappointment about membership placement. Let me just read it. Jealousy or disappointment about
member place is an insult to God's great wisdom. I lost my
spot again. First Corinthians 12. Let's go
on, look at what it says. Verse 18. But now hath God set
the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased
him. Why am I where I am? Because
God put you where you are. You see it? So if I have any
jealousy over someone else's place, or if I have any kind
of disappointment about myself, I am actually insulting God's
sovereign wisdom. See, it's clear enough. And verse
19, and if they were all one member, where were the body?
But now are there many members, yet but one body. Okay, yet but one body. Okay, a person, now think about
this question. A person who just cannot be satisfied
with God's wisdom. They're just always unhappy with
where they're at. Do they really know the mercies of God in Christ? Do they really know the mercies
of God in Christ? John answers this for us. Turn to 3 John.
John answers this. And I gotta read it all so we'll
get the whole context. John, 3 John. The elder unto the well-beloved
guests whom I love of the truth. Beloved, I wish above all things
that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul
prosper. For I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified
of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in
the truth. Beloved, thou doest faithfully
whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers, which
have borne witness of thy charity before the church, whom if thou
bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt
do well. In other words, keep up the good
work. Keep supporting these people.
When men come into your assembly, they come to where you are and
where God's people gather, you take care of them. Take care
of them. Because that for his name's sake, they went forth
taking nothing of the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive
such that we might be fellow helpers to the truth. I wrote
unto the church, but diatrophies who loveth to have the preeminence
among them receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will
remember his deeds which he doeth, prattied against us with malicious
words, and not content therewith, you see it, neither doth he himself
receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth
them out of the church. Beloved, follow not that which
is evil. So we can say this, jealousy
or disappointment is evil. It's evil. And it's more than
just an inward evil, it's an evil that affects others. Do that which is beloved, follow
not that which is evil, but do that which is good. He that doeth
good is of God, but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. Did he not just answer that question
for us? Oh God, make me. sweetly forced
me to rejoice in my membership where it is as you place me. We've dealt with that. And here's
the third thing. Let's see this oneness in its varying facets. And I certainly don't have time
to cover it. I'm not even able to cover it adequately. I understand
that. But I want us to see, oh God
help us as we look at these things. I want us to take note that Christ
is the key in all of these facets. Not us. Not us. That does not excuse us of responsibility
in this oneness. But thank God the oneness with
Christ and with one another don't depend upon us. And if God has
saved you, you're glad for that too. You're glad it don't depend
upon you. Now first of all, this is not
necessarily my first point, but it is a vital foundation about
this oneness. Turn to John chapter 17. John
chapter 17. Remember, we're talking about
this oneness. And if I'm one with Christ, I'm one with everybody
else that's in Christ. You can't have, well, I'm one
in Christ, but I'm not one with all these others. If they're
in Christ, we're one. Period. That's just the way it
is. Now, first of all, let me tell you, Christ prayed for this
oneness. Yea, Christ willed for this oneness. Therefore, this oneness stands. All right, John chapter 17 is
our Lord's words himself. Verse 18. 17, yeah, verse 18. As thou hast sent me into the
world, even so I've sent them into the world, and for their
sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified
through the truth, So our sanctification, our being set apart under this,
is based upon what? Christ, right? Christ. Sanctified through the truth,
neither pray I for these alone. That's the 11. He did not pray
for Judas in this prayer. He don't use his name, but he
acknowledges there's one of them he don't belong to. Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also, which shall believe on me through their word.
And there's not a person here that said, well, I believe through
somebody else. You heard it from some of these men. That's where
it comes from. Look, that they all may be one. See it? That they all may be
one as thou father art in me and I in thee, that they also
may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me. And I'm gonna tell you something, one day the world will. although
it does not now. When God Almighty presents us,
presents us, that's what he presents us to himself, presents us just
like a debutante. She comes up, she's what, 16
years old? They still do some of that down south. They present
this young woman, huh? The star attraction. God's church
is going to be the star attraction when he presents it to himself.
We don't just show up, Jack. He's going to present us to himself.
Oneness that they all may be one is thou father and me and
I am thee that they all that they also may be one in us that
the world may believe that thou sent me and the glory which thou
gavest me. I have given them that they may
be one even as we are one. I can't understand that but I
believe it. And that's a oneness. Yeah, that's
it. Christ said, has anybody seen
me? Just physically. Those people that physically
looked at Jesus Christ, he said, they've seen the Father. They
just didn't recognize neither him nor his father. Look, I in
them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and
that the world may know that thou has sent me and has loved
them as thou loves me and you loved me before the world began.
So that means he loved us before the world began. Question, since
Christ prayed for it, does anybody doubt it? If you do, you don't
know the Christ of God. If you do, you don't know the
Christ of God. So here are four things, there's four facets.
Consider this thing concerning Jew and Gentile, Ephesians chapter
two. Ephesians chapter two. And verse 11, wherefore remember
that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision,
and notice it's capitalized. This was a slur. This was a slur,
uncircumcised by that which is called the circumcision in the
flesh made by hands. That at that time ye were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealths of Israel, strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God
in the world. That's a bad place to be. That's a bad place to be. But
now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made
nigh by the blood of Christ. So even when we were the uncircumcision,
when Christ shed his blood, right then, Ellen, we were made. had
nothing to do with us whatsoever. It had to do with this man's
precious blood. Look, and now in Christ Jesus,
ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one. That's the circumcision. and
the uncircumcision. He's made us one. He made us
one. So I'm not telling you you need
to be one. You either are one or you ain't a part of it at
all. It's just the way it is. For he is our peace, who hath
made both one, hath broken down the middle wall of partition
between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in
himself of two, of twain, one new man. So making peace. And that he might reconcile both
unto God in one body. How? Not even by regeneration
and conversion. That's a result of, that's a
benefit of how the wonders took place. And that he might reconcile
both unto God in one body by the cross. Having slain, he killed
the enmity, even if it still resides down in here. Even if
there's still some bigotry down in here. Even if there is. maybe I should say even though
there is some jealousy and disappointment down in here. Yeah, I'm glad
of that. Not glad that I'm stuck like
I am, but I bow to that and God's purpose as well. God is the one
who designed to leave us like we are right now. We understand
that, don't we? And came and preached peace to
you that were afar off and to them that were nigh, for through
him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. Now therefore
ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens
with the saints and of the household of God. If you're in Christ,
it doesn't matter what your background was. It doesn't matter whatsoever,
religious or not. moral or not, knowledgeable or
not, has nothing to do with it. It all has to do with the person
and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the first thing when we
consider this thing of Jew and Gentile. Now, secondly, consider
all the various stations in life, Galatians chapter 3. It's a lot more to it than what
Paul writes here. What we're gonna read from Paul's epistle
to the church in Galatia is not meant to be exhaustive. There's
a lot more that's here, but I'm not gonna try to deal with all
that other than to say this, we're different people with different
likes, different dislikes. Are we not? But we hover around one another
who has more likes like us. and clicks form, and schisms
happen. That's our fault. But if we're
in Christ, we're still one. And listen, if you see the schism,
if you see the click, don't desire to be a part of it. You're not
missing out on anything. It might look to you like you're
missing out on something, but all you're missing out on is
heartache and misery. backbiting, finger pointing. And folks, it's everywhere. And
let's not think we're immune to that because we're so small.
How many do we have here, about eight or nine today? We could
have eight schisms right here this morning, you know why? Because
all of us pretty much like ourselves. Number one's usually what it's
all about, accepting Christ. except in Christ. Now, consider
all these various stations in life. Galatians chapter three,
verse 26. For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you, you could
say for all of you, just another way of saying it. For as many
of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,
there is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free. There is neither. And notice
how the Spirit keeps emphasizing. He couldn't have said there is
neither, and then just listed them, right? But Joey keeps saying
there is neither, there is neither, there is neither, there is neither,
because they're all equally valid things. There is neither Jew
nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free.
There is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ
Jesus. It's amazing to me how, and let me just give you an example
of this. In our day, we got so many women preachers, women pastors. Why? Because they think a man
is hiding something or keeping something back from them. No,
God didn't give you women that responsibility. It's not your
load to carry. This ain't about being the top
dog. There ain't no top dogs here.
The top dog is Jesus Christ the Lord. He's the head of the body. He's the head of the body. That
means all the brains are in him. We ain't got none. We couldn't figure this thing
out if we tried our best. But he's got it all figured out. Neither Jew nor Greek, neither
bond nor free, there's neither male nor female for you're all
one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, We're even
Abraham's seed. Amen. Ain't that something? Yes,
sir. Abraham's our daddy. Mm-hmm. Because this is about being where?
In Christ. Amen. And if you beat Christ,
then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Amen. Every religion but the
truth has men, and I mean the male of the species, exalted
in glory. The woman has to take second
fiddle. In Christ Jesus, we're all what? One. One. And my mind still don't wanna
wrap itself around that. Still don't wanna do it. So all
the stations in life, nothing. Nothing. Here's the third thing.
Consider our reasonable service in light of this oneness. Ephesians
chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. Consider our reasonable service.
Remember, it's not, well, so-and-so goes above and beyond. There
is no going above and beyond. None of us walks in any good
work that God didn't before ordain that we should walk in. And usually
we don't even know what they are. When we think we know what
they are, we fouled it up somehow. We put our hand on it and it's
messed up the good work. It ain't no good work. But every
good work God ordained for us to walk in, we'll walk in it.
So don't be jealous of somebody else or disappointed with yourself
or somebody else. We are where God put us in the
body. But look, chapter four of Ephesians. I therefore, the prisoner of
the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy. Now we're talking
about walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you cannot walk so
you have a vocation. but walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith you are called with all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering. Why? Because this ain't gonna
be no easy task. We're all fallen sons and daughters
of Adam. And we're gonna foul up. We're
going, not we might foul up, we're going to foul up. We're
gonna do the wrong thing a lot of the time. with all holiness
and meekness, with long-suffering for bearing one another in love. You're just gonna have to put
up with each other. We're just gonna have to put up with each
other. If you reach out and grab something
with your left hand, do you start beating it with the right? That'd
be nonsense, wouldn't it? Start pounding on it. But yet
we wanna do that with one another. in the body of Christ, right?
Because you're hitting your own man, your whole body, the body
that you're one with. Now look, forbearing one another
in love, endeavoring to keep the unity, the unity is there.
but endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace. There is one body. Well, somebody says there's all
these bodies of believers. No, there is one body. There
may be different local assemblies where they gather, but there's
only how many bodies? One body. There is, and actually
it is, one body. That's the way it'd be put in
the Greek. There it is, doesn't hurt it nothing, but one body.
You see it? One body and one spirit. Even as you're called in one
hope of your calling, we all have the same hope. If you don't,
you're not in the body. If your hope's different than
the members of the body, you ain't really a member of the
body, no matter how much you think you are. One body, one
spirit, even if you're called one hope, you're called one Lord.
This is so simple. And yet so difficult for us to
walk, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond
of peace, isn't it? Because the flesh just says,
I don't like that. And we're not talking about immoral
stuff here. We're talking about just being lowly and meek, being
long-suffering and forbearing one another. One Lord, one faith,
we all believe the same person. You heard what I said. We all
believe the same person if you're a part of that body. And so what
about all those other people out there that don't believe,
God, y'all believe, they're not in the body. Period. Now maybe God will put them in
the body, or he will if they're one of his chosen before the
world began, but when he puts them there, they will start believing
the same God we do. And it's just that simple. but
that impossible to be done by man. One Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through
all and in you all. See it? But unto every one of
us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. You got enough grace to get the
job done, given you by God. You don't need the amount of
grace I got, it might not be enough for you. It might not be enough for me.
But God gives us grace to deal with where we are, where he put
us. Where he put us. That's just
like they say, God help us. Men who know the truth but then
vying for a position in the church. Sometimes you know what you do?
You just back out. Back out. So consider the Jew and Gentile
in Christ, it don't matter. Bond, free, male, female. Is
this service, our service, our station in life? But here, turn
to 1 Thessalonians 4. I'm just about done. 1 Thessalonians
4. There's a lot more to this than
what I've given you. I understand that, but here's
the fourth thing. Consider an, I said an, not the. There's more
than one end goal. But consider an end goal of this
oneness. First Thessalonians four, verse
13. But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, as those
who have died in Christ. That's what he's talking about.
That ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. Now remember, It is what it is. When we sorrow
for a fellow believer, especially if that fellow believer, you
were really close to him, marriage or a spouse or a sibling or something,
God takes them away. You're going to be sorrowful. But don't be sorry for them.
If you're going to be sorry, be sorry for yourself because
God left you here. But even then, that's your station
in life. Uh-huh, that's our station in
life But I would not have to be ignorant brethren concerning
them which are asleep that just sorrow not even as others which
have no hope For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again
even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
him We stopped just a moment When God Almighty takes one of
the members of our body Members in Christ away from us we do
experience a lopping off of an arm, don't we? But they haven't. You understand? They've entered
into eternal glory. They're already with the Lord
and he could bring them back with him. So we're going to sorry. Let us feel sorry for the evil
and the wickedness and the jealousy that's down in here. Look, for
this we say unto you by the word of the Lord. Paul said, God told
me this. You see it? That we which are
alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede.
That's what that old English word there meant. It doesn't
mean we're gonna hold back. We shall not precede them which
are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout. with the voice of the archangel,
and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise
first. Then we which are alive and remain,
and he told the Corinthians, we're still in these physical
bodies, okay? That quick, we'll be changed.
There won't be no something you gotta go through, contorting,
that quick, blink of an eye. Look, then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words. We've experienced a lot of lopping
off in our time here, haven't we? We've seen a lot of members
be removed. We're left here, but one day
it'll be our turn. Yes, sir. And we'll be done with
ourselves. Yes, sir. And that's the whole point. It
ain't me being done with you. No. It's being done with myself.
You see, I could get along a whole lot better with you if I was
perfect. But I'm not perfect. Exactly. And neither are you.
Neither are you. Our oneness, our oneness, whether
with God in Christ and with one another, never, ever, ever depends
upon us. If it did, we wouldn't exist
now. We'd have broken apart years
ago. All that we've had to go through.
Where we are now, most people wouldn't put up with this, wouldn't
they? No, it's like that? That's so
poor, so pitiful. Yeah, that's what we are. We're nothing but beggars before
God. Beggars before God. Thank God it was purposed by
God the Father, it was prayed for and wrought by God the Son,
and it is applied by God the Spirit. Our oneness is. It is. Not should be. It is. God sweetly forced us
to walk in that oneness. That's the tough part. Force
us to walk in that one. Heavenly Father, we thank you
for this time together, for your word. And Lord, we thank you
for the food. Bless it for our bodies. May
we enjoy the food and the fellowship and the socialization as we continue
here this day. In Christ's name, amen.