Christ Is His Body
Christ and His body are inseparable and one in life, and this unity is achieved through the Spirit, resulting in a life of joy.
G.W. North emphasizes the profound unity between Christ and His Body, illustrating that believers are baptized into one Spirit and made to drink of that same Spirit, forming one Body. He notes the absence of the word 'head' in the text, suggesting that Christ and His Body are so inseparable that it is unnecessary to mention them separately. The sermon highlights that understanding this unity is essential for living joyfully in the life God intends for us. North encourages believers to recognize that in God's view, Christ and His Body are one and the same, urging them to embrace this truth operationally in their lives.
Text
Returning to and re-reading the first half of the chapter, we find that this same thing is borne out by the use of the word 'for' in verses 8,12,13 and 14; it is amazing how much truth God packs into so few words as these. Everything here is of the Spirit and cannot be otherwise, for we have all been baptised in one Spirit into one Body, and in process have all been made to drink into one Spirit. One of the most remarkable features of this short section is the non-appearance in the text of the word 'head'. At first this may appear surprising, but close reading reveals that this is so because Head and Body are so one that God regards it as superfluous here to mention them separately.
To have done so would have been inconsistent with the fact He was wanting to impress upon us, namely (verse 12), 'the body is one, many members ... one body ... Christ'.
That is the life God wants us to see, believe, receive and live in operationally with joy. We are not being shown Christ and His body, but that Christ is His body; in God's view there is no difference, for truly considered they are inseparable. Analytically they could exist separately, but not in life. What is being said here is pinpointed in verse 14. Grammatically it is the ultimate goal which has been reached by the continued use of the word 'for', by which he links the verses.
Sermon Outline
- Christ is His Body
- The inseparability of Christ and His body
- The ultimate goal of this unity
- Reached through the Spirit
- Resulting in a life of joy
Key Quotes
“We are not being shown Christ and His body, but that Christ is His body; in God's view there is no difference, for truly considered they are inseparable.” — G.W. North
“That is the life God wants us to see, believe, receive and live in operationally with joy.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- We should strive to see Christ and His body as one in life, and not separate analytically.
- The Spirit is the source of our unity with Christ and His body, and we should seek to live in operationally with joy.
- We should believe and receive the truth that Christ is His body, and live in accordance with this truth.