The Church & Her Members
Romans 12:3-16
“The reality of God’s family is that people have different backgrounds and personalities and opinions. They will clash. It will be messy. It’s a huge challenge committing to a family like this, but it’s not optional. Adopted sons & daughters of God can’t just throw in the towel and retreat to our just-like-me friend groups and homogenous cliques. We must lean into the awkward conglomeration of people who comprise the church.” ~ Brett McCracken
Main Idea: The church is the body of brothers & sisters in Christ, called to serve and love one another.
I. The Church is a Body (12:3-8)
The imagery of the “body” signifies two things:
1. Unity
Ephesians 4:1-6: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
2. Mutual Dependence
Implication: The church ought to serve one another (12:6-8) in order to build up the body of Christ.
“This truth should give you confidence: your particular gifts have a valuable, God-appointed place. It should also humble you: your particular gifts are simply one part of the body, and you desperately need other people with their particular gifts… this truth should increase your love for the local church: the gifts in the body are exactly what God knows your congregation needs. Because of God’s sovereign choosing, no part is missing, and every part is valuable.” ~ Megan Hill
The various “lists” of spiritual gifts in the NT can be categorized broadly into Speaking Gifts, Leading Gifts, and Serving Gifts. Regardless of gifts or categories, the exhortation is “having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (12:6).
II. The Church is a Family (12:9-16)
As the “household of faith” (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 3:15), the church is:
1. Divinely Selected: Though we did not choose one another, we are given the gift of one another.
“By their simple and repeated use of the term brothers and sisters, the writers of the Epistles underscore that the people in the pews around us are in, in fact, our family. Like the members of our biological family, we haven’t chosen them for ourselves, but they have been chosen for us, and we are therefore inseparably bound to them. Because we are allied with Christ, we are allied with his family.” ~ Megan Hill
2. Deeply Interconnected: We are designed to be with real people, in a particular place, with a meaningful presence in one another’s lives, embracing uncomfortable & counter-cultural accountability as a gift from God (i.e.: church membership).
3. Steadfastly Committed: Despite our inevitable family dysfunctions and difficulties, we are called to commit to one another through the ups and down of ordinary life
Implication: The family of faith ought to love one another, in both affection and action.
Affection: Brotherly affection, fervent in spirit, rejoicing, constant in prayer
Action: contributing to the needy, showing hospitality, turning away from evil, holding fast to what is good, pursuing the lowly & overlooked
“At her best and at her worst, Jesus loves his church. He laid down his life for her (John 10:11). He will never leave or forsake her (Hebrews 13:5). He will complete the work he started in her (Philippians 1:6). In other words, Jesus never looked for more of God by having less of the church. Instead, he married her. The church is the chosen, beloved Bride of Christ.” ~ Scott Sauls
