REMNANT

The Body of Christ

There are many scriptures which teach that the church is the body of Christ, but the greatest of these texts is 1 Corinthians 12. The church at Corinth was sorely divided and Paul took this analogy and spiritualized it into a vivid scriptural illustration and teaching; “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Cor. 12:27). He wrote in another place, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Rom. 12:4-5). “And he is the head of the body, the church...” (Col. 1:18). “...the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness oh him...” (Eph. 1:22-23). “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, of his bones” (Eph. 5:29-30).

Jesus Abides, The Holy Spirit Dwells

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:6-8

The word “abide” and “dwell” are used almost interchangeably in our English translations. The word “abide” used by our Lord in John chapters 14 & 15, “If ye abide in me...”, is MENO, which, according to Strongs #3306, means: to stay, remain, abide, or dwell. Jesus used this word to describe His future place of residence as well as the coming Holy Spirit, “He may abide with you forever,” John14:16. In the next verse (17) the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus to the apostles, “dwells with you and will be in you.” Again, Jesus uses the same word MENO, which He continues to use throughout the John 15 Vine & Branches discourse (verses 4,6,7,10). In his first epistle, John continues to use the word MENO, though it is translated “dwell,” revealing that God Himself abides/dwells in us, through the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by Christian love (1 John 4:12, 13, 15, 16.)

Another word for “dwell” is OIKEO, Strongs #3611, which literally means: to occupy a house, inhabit, cohabit, or dwell. This word is used by Paul in 1 Cor. 7 of a husband and wife living at home in a sanctified state. This is the same word that Paul uses to speak of the Holy Spirit making his residence and habitation of the Christian believer in Rom. 8:9 “if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you,” In verse 11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. “

What is the point? Location, location, location. We are learning to let Jesus make Himself at home in our home, because that is where we reveal who we really are, and that is the person that Jesus most needs to reach. Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” If we invite Jesus into our home, we take a risk at what He might discover. Would we tell Jesus to “make Himself at home?” What if He looks into our bedroom closet? He is coming for dinner; what if He decides to “help Himself” and looks in our refrigerator? In our medicine closet?

It is the same with the Holy Spirit. He exposes the hidden compartments and secret places where we keep our treasure and sometimes our idols and sin. The indwelling Holy Spirit wrestles with our spirit, (James 4:5) and guards us jealously. He bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Rom. 8:16). He separates the soulish part of us from our spirit, (Heb. 4:12). He penetrates our conscience to the innermost recesses. That place is called the “heart.”

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

Jesus wants our heart. He wants our treasure, our affections, our lifestyle. He wants first place with us. There can be no second place with Him. Either Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all! This is the place where Christ and the Holy Spirit affect us the most. When we surrender to Jesus, He takes us where we are and changes us into whom we should be, what He wants us to be. As we read the New Testament, we see that the Christian faith is not something contained in a building, but rather in the hearts of men. God’s Holy Spirit dwells in the earthly house, or tent, of our body, (2 Cor. 5:1-8). We are the temple of God. The congregation of the Lord’s people, also known as the church, is the Lord’s body. It does not matter WHERE we meet, what matters is WHO we’ve met (Jesus). Those who repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38. To be baptized into Christ is to be clothed in Christ, (Gal. 3:27). The Holy Spirit is God’s down payment to us on eternal life. Having the Holy Spirit dwell in us is living in the Spirit and abiding with Jesus. It is the only life there is.

[1] [2] [3] [4]