God created the body of man to function, and every part has a purpose. The church is the body of Christ and Jesus is the head of that body. This means that He is in charge and that everything that goes on in His church should meet His approval. It also means that the church cannot exist without Jesus Christ just as a headless body would be a dead body.

Only by grace have we been delivered from the body of Satan and placed in the body of Christ. We are now a part of His sinless, perfect body. Yes, I know that’s hard to imagine given our sinful, natural tendencies which are still hanging around. But God is not going to have anything to do with sin and since we are a part of His body, obviously He has a lot to do with us, so He had to take our sin away. He did that on the cross of Calvary. We’ll never ever be able to get good enough, or do enough to merit membership in His church. The truth is, we don’t have to, for He has already done it. Actually, our unworthiness is the greatest proof of our salvation.

Everybody wants to be a part of something and the local church is the perfect platform to jump into a meaningful life on Earth. Now we all don’t have the same spiritual gifts or abilities, but just like the parts of our bodies, every part matters, especially the parts on the inside which we can’t see. Also, when any part of the body is injured or infected, it affects the entire body. An ingrown toenail can adversely affect the way one walks and an upset stomach will keep us away from the dining room.

Realizing we are a part of the body of Christ gives us a new dimension of worship and service as a church family. The person sitting beside you Sunday morning is not just a warm body, but is a part of Je- sus’ body. If you look close, you will see some scars!