Some members of the New Testament church at Corinth felt like they didn’t belong because of their differences. Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 that the church is “One body with many parts.” Just because we’re different, Paul asserts, doesn’t mean we don’t belong.
I talk to a lot of people who feel like they don’t “belong” these days. Because of their differences on politics, race, or culture they feel like they no longer fit in at their workplace, school, or even in their own family. Sadly, the church is not immune to this trend. We have a lot of differences pulling us apart.
And this is precisely what the Devil wants!
The Evil One’s scheme is to cripple the Body of Christ with division. His ploy is to separate, isolate, and divide. He knows that when the Body of Christ isn’t working together in all its parts, it is benign and ineffective. In contrast, the Holy Spirit of the resurrected Christ calls us out of our “partial and piecemeal lives… into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything.” (The Message, 1 Cor 12:13). The Devil divides, but the Holy Spirit mends. The Devil tears us apart, but the Holy Spirit puts us together.
If you missed yesterday’s message, you can
listen to it here.
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