THE BODY OF CHRIST

THE BODY OF CHRIST

Todd Nibert



The church is called "the body of Christ" several times in the New Testament, and individual christians are referred to as "members," different parts of the body of Christ. There are several things we learn from this beautiful description of Christ and his church.

(1) How precious every individual believer is to Christ himself...a member of his body! (2) The way you treat a fellow christian is how Christ considers that you treat him. How you treat a part of my body is how you treat me. In Christ's description of judgment day in Matthew 25, the ones who had heaven prepared for them from the foundation of the world were the ones who treated the least of Christ's people well. He said, "inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Those who were sentenced to "everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his ange1s," were those who did not treat the least of Christ's children well. "Inasmuch as ye did it not unto the least of these my brethren, ye did it not unto me." Your own, personal commitment to Christ can be seen and proved genuine only by your commitment to "the least of these (his) brethren." (3) We see from this how all of the children of God are to treat each other. Paul said, in I Corinthians 12:25-26, "There should be no schism (division) in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it."

Take heed how you treat any child of God. Treat them all with love, honor, respect and tenderness. Remember, how you treat them is, literally, how you treat the Lord Jesus Christ himself! Be especially attentive to "the least of these (his) brethren." Do not form a clique in the body of Christ. That member that is needing attention is the one to whom you are to give your attention. What a joy it is to be a member of the body of Christ. Child of God, do not be a spectator. Get involved! Be a friend! Give yourself! In doing this to "the least of these (his) brethren, you actually do it to Christ!



Todd Nibert is pastor of
Todds Road Grace Church
Lexington, KY