No Place for Pride
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.Romans 12:4-5
The cause of the fall of man was pride. Pride assumes (unreasonably) that one is better than another, have skills higher than another and behave in a manner that places oneself above another. The bible tells us that GOD resisteth the proud. It also teaches that the presence of pride is the beginning of the fall of man, and the destruction of his life.
The first step towards salvation is humility: blessed are the poor in Spirit, those who realise poverty in the innermost being, and those who realise we are empty before the Lord: that begins the first step towards salvation. We who are deserving enemies of GOD and of everything that is good, has nothing that is attractive to a wonderful Saviour and yet, despite our enemity to Him, He saves us.
Salvation changes us from within: it gives us a new direction for our life and provides a fresh avenue for change: to become more like the Lord Jesus in every aspect of our lives. When we obey the Lord, and follow Him in believers’ baptism, He places us in the local body the church, to serve and to grow. Within this provision of church membership is the integration of multiple will of GOD for the church: to build te body as one, to grow each individual in the spirit, and for the work of the ministry. The essential building block that accomplishes is the Christian. This Christian is made differently, given different roles, have different offices, possess different abilities and personalities and yet that Christian is part and parcel of the plan of GOD to do His will in the church. God has three precious truths for every believer:
The body (the local church) comprises of many members who have different offices
– “all members have not the same office:” the word office means function, work, and practice.
Every member of the church is important: because GOD places us within the church (1 Cor 12:18), He gives us each one different gifts (1 Cor 12:7), and therefore we all are important building blocks to the local body of Christ. We are different pieces of the same puzzle. We are a team, with different players and different skills. God’s intention was to ensure that we realise that there is no comparison with each other: we are all unique in the eyes of GOD, special in the sight of the heavenly father and equally important to Him within the local church.
Although different, and unique, God makes us ONE in Christ.
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ,” It is the will of GOD for our oneness as a church. God has already make us one in the body of Christ. The unity of the Spirit has already been given (Eph 4:2), and we are admonish to guard it, preserve it, and defend it. We cannot defend something that we do not have. We are different in our make-up, but GOD has made us one in the church
And we are members one of another:
How is this oneness to be achieved in such a diversity of personalities and abilities? The Lord placed each member, like a puzzle with different designs but it is carefully crafted to fit the position that GOD intends for us to fit. IF WE ARE NOT PRESENT, IF WE ARE NOT WHERE WE SHOULD BE, WE BECOME THE MISSING PIECE TO THE WHOLE DESIGN THAT GOD INTENDS FOR THE LOCAL BODY.
There is no place for pride in the local body of Christ. GOD has already planned the individuality of each Christian: we are all unique in His sight, with differing gifts and functions. He has also planned our integration with each other that we may function effectively as one for the sake of Christ. From Salvation to sanctification, GOD has planned for us to grow to be like Him, stripped of pride and arrogancy, GOD intends for us to be filled with humility and meekness: because He intends for us to be like Christ. Lord, humble me to know that I am but a part of your plan, an important part, and so is my brother and sister in the Lord. Remove all semblances of pridee from my life that I may be like You.