If you were to ask me what my most precious things in life are, then my local church would be in the top three of that list, and I truly do not take that for granted. I moved to Glasgow in 2016 with the plan to stay two years, but God brought me back to Scotland. Here I am almost six years later! When praying about this decision, my biggest concern was whether I would find friendship, community, and people to serve alongside. The church I had been in during my first couple of years in Glasgow had not provided that in a way that I had seen in Scripture. I knew that I would not be able to make it in this city without a fellowship which more closely reflected Biblical reality. Still lacking a clear answer on this, I made the decision to come back not knowing what the future held in terms of thriving in the local church. But in God’s abundant grace, He has provided this in so many ways! These verses in 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 1 mean so much more as I see them lived out in our small, Glasgow East End church family.
The Value of Our Differences
In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul shows us how valuable each member of the body of Christ is through comparison with how our own body functions. If we are missing a part of our body, then we will not function as efficiently or as effectively. Likewise, without a diversity of members within the local church, we also are not able to be as kingdom effective. This is why it is crucial we understand the value we have within the local church and seek to use the gifts God has given us within that context. Our gifting may look vastly different than the person who sits next to us on a Sunday morning, but there is no less value.
In Ephesians, we clearly see where the strength comes from in a church that is filled with diverse members. It is because Christ is the head. We can all attest to times when we have experienced fallen people seeking to be the head of the church. It always crumbles and falls. Praise God for that because it shows how true these verses are when the church is submitting to Christ. Paul here is quoting Psalm 8:6 (ESV), “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,” to show the fulfillment of Christ being given authority over all creation and as head of the church. Jesus’s place does not change or shift with times or seasons; His authority remains. The question for us is: will we submit to that authority as believers within the church?
Role of Our Gifting
We can hear these verses in 1 Corinthians 12 and allow ourselves to become proud of all that we can give to the church, thinking they must need us to survive. When we read it through a self-focused lens, it distorts the image that Paul is painting here. But, if we choose to read it in light of Christ’s position and the role of the church, then we will see its beauty and how it allows us to be about disciple-making and kingdom growth on a local and global level.
To be part of the body of Christ, with Him as the head, should mean we do not function individually for an isolated goal. Functioning as a body is something we do together. We are all equally filled by Him to be used by Him – none less than another! Likewise, this does not only mean in serving but in bearing with one another through caring relationships (1 Corinthians 12:25-26). When one person within our local church suffers, we bear with them. When they rejoice, we rejoice with them! Our experiences will be vastly different, but our head is the same. That is why we are one through Him. Because of the gospel, we are given the joy of being one with each other in all seasons and situations. What, other than the gospel, would provide this opportunity? It is only through the grace of God, which we have so freely been given, that we can be grace-filled vessels to those around us as we dwell within the body of Christ. His grace frees us to live this way, and His Spirit equips us to faithfully walk this out.
A Privilege and Delight
I see all of these things so clearly played out in my local church (even if we mess it up sometimes), which is a joy and a gift. If you look around on a Sunday morning, you see a variety of people, many of whom I have almost nothing in common with. But Christ and His gospel are our commonality, which makes working together for His Name’s sake a privilege and a delight! If I highlighted our differences in a way that kept us from unity, I would be neglecting the beauty of what God has ordained through His local church. Instead, I am able to strive alongside people who have different backgrounds, gifts, and abilities from me for the sake of knowing and making much of Christ!
