For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 ESV)

v. 12 — The church is the body of Christ. v. 13 — The baptism of the Holy Spirit places each believer into the body of Christ to function in a particular fashion. vv. 14-31 — There is one body but many members. Members of the body of Christ function in the body of Christ. (J. Vernon McGee outline blueletterbible.com)

12, 13. Unity, not unvarying uniformity, is the law of God in the world of grace, as in that of nature. As the many members of the body compose an organic whole and none can be dispensed with as needless, so those variously gifted by the Spirit, compose a spiritual organic whole, the body of Christ, into which all are baptized by the one Spirit. (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown bluetterbible.com)

“Unity, not unvarying uniformity, is the law of God in the world of grace” (A.R. Fausset)…sadly, we cannot witness this in the Body of Christ today. We have fractured ourselves into various tenets, doctrines and denominations. While we hold in common the belief of Jesus Christ – his life, death and resurrection – we bicker and divide over most everything else.

If the Body of Christ (the church) is unable to unite under the head of Christ, what impact can we really have this side of heaven? We stand on our soapboxes, firm on our beliefs, holding our preferred Bible versions and tear down everyone who does not walk out their faith like we do. Love is far from our thoughts, our words and our actions  If we argue over tenets and doctrines but cannot with grace and love consider the truth of another Christ follower, we are nothing but a lot of noise.

Consider…

• Are you patient with another? Do you really want to engage and understand their viewpoint? Or is yours the truth?
• Are you kind in how you speak?  Or are your words harsh, critical and judgmental?
• Arrogance can come in many forms, even in “righteous” thinking. The Pharisees and the Sadducees thought they knew how the Messiah would come but what they “knew” left them blinded to his very presence in their midst.
• Are your thoughts, words and actions honoring to others – most especially with those you don’t agree with?
• Are you spending your time trying to convince others your “rightness” by proving someone else’s “wrongness.”
• Does the passion that is driving you often lead you to indignation? Outrage? Anger?
• Are you able to see truth beyond your own or does truth stop with what you believe?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

FOR WE KNOW IN PART AND WE PROPHESY IN PART, BUT WHEN COMPLETENESS COMES, WHAT IS IN PART DISAPPEARS. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. FOR NOW WE SEE ONLY A REFLECTION AS IN A MIRROR; THEN WE SHALL SEE FACE TO FACE. NOW I KNOW IN PART; THEN I SHALL FULLY, EVEN AS I AM FULLY KNOWN.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:4-13

Here in lies the truth…WE DON’T KNOW IT ALL.

We can’t.

God has given us the gift to walk out our salvation in the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. As much as he has given to us, he asks us to give to others. This is what we can stand firm on. This is what we can pontificate. The rest is like straw on the foundation. (1 Corinthians 3:11-13)