The Body of Christ is, on the one hand, a mystical and spiritual entity that is universal, transcending time and space, and is composed of all the believers in Christ as the many members of the Body of Christ. On the other hand, the Body of Christ is a reality and a life we live today in the church life.
For us to know the Body, we need to be under the limitation of the Body – we are both protected, fed, supplied, nourished and – at the same time – limited by the other members of the Body. To be in the Body of Christ in reality means you don’t function beyond your measure and you don’t desire to do what other members do.
In His wisdom and sovereignty, God has placed all the members of the Body – you, me, and millions of other believers – even as He willed. God assigned each one of us a special place in the Body, and He gave each member a special function (see Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:15-21).
Many Christians today live an individualistic life, not being in the reality of the Body of Christ in their daily living. We need to see the Body and realize the limitation of the Body – all the members of the Body have a certain measure and function, and we cannot go beyond our measure!
Just as in our human body, when any member overgrows or overfunctions, something is wrong. When we under-function or over-function in the Body of Christ, we go beyond the authority of Christ the Head, and we disturb the proper order in the Body.
Oh, Lord, may we see the Body and be under the protection, the supply, and the limitation of the Body for the building up of the Body!
Every Member has its Special Place and Function in the Body
The Body of Christ is a living organism composed of all the believers in Christ as the members of the Body. God Himself has placed all the members of the Body as He willed – the Head sets us up in our special place in the Body and points us to our special function.
Just as in our human body the eyes are placed in a special place and are meant to see, the ears are placed in a different place and are meant to hear, the hands are on the side of the body and are meant to do certain things, etc – so in the Body of Christ all the members have a special place and also have a special function.
Each member of the Body of Christ has its own characteristics, function, and capability. According to the measure of faith given to us by God, we all function in a certain measure for the building up of the Body.
It is crucial for us to see our place in the Body, our position in the Body, and our function in the Body. No one can replace our special place and function in the Body. As we grow in life and increase in function, we don’t “grow out of our function” to become another member – we simply have an increased measure of function in the Body, for the building up of the Body.
All the members of the Body are necessary and valuable – the members are many, but the Body is One! We need all the members of the Body, especially those who seem to be weaker – they merely “seem to be” weaker, but they are indispensable!
By God’s sovereign arrangement, all the members of the Body have a special place and a special function in the Body, being vitally necessary for the building up of the Body. As we see in Rom. 12:4-8 and 1 Cor. 12:15-21, each member has a definite place and assignment, and each member has a particular portion with which he serves the Body of Christ, the function of each member being necessary!
Recognizing our Measure in the Body and Not Going Beyond it
If in our physical body there’s a certain member or area of the body that overgrows, that is an anomaly and the order in the body is not respected. In the Body of Christ a similar principle applies: a basic requirement for the proper growth and development of the Body is that we recognize our measure and don’t go beyond it (see Eph. 4:7, 16).
Our God is a God of measure, and in the Body of Christ each member has a certain measure. We need to seek revelation and experience from Christ so that we may not only know the supply of the Body but also know the order in the Body. We must be willing to be limited by our measure.
If we speak too much in the meetings, if we over-function, we annul the order in the Body. In the same way, if we do not function at all or function too little, less than our measure, the Body suffers. As soon as we go beyond our measure, we go beyond the authority of the Head and we move out from under the anointing.
Since the Body of Christ is organic, a matter of life, it operates without human arrangement or organization. It is not men who organizes or arranges things and people in the church life, but it is God Himself who is in control. We need to be willing to be limited by our measure.
This means we shouldn’t think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, but as the God of measure has apportioned to us a measure of faith. If we think that we have a greater measure than someone in the Body who actually does have a greater measure than you, you annul the order in the Body and place yourself outside of the blessing coming from the Head. When we go beyond our measure, we interfere with the order in the Body.
We need to seek the Lord and be open both to Christ as the Head of the Body and the other members of the Body that we may see what our measure is in the Body and not go beyond it. When all the members of the Body are properly related to the Head and to one another, the Body can be built up and grow to become the full-grown corporate man God needs for the fulfillment of His purpose.
Lord Jesus, give us a clear revelation of our special place and our special function in the Body. Thank You for putting us in the Body, where we have a certain measure in which we can build up the Body. Save us from functioning less than our measure, and save us from going beyond our measure. Keep growing in us, dear Lord, and keep us within our measure in the Body. Thank You for assigning us a place and designating us with a function in the Body. We want to keep the order in the Body and not think more highly of ourselves!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration (besides the Word of God and my Christian experience): bro. Ed Marks’ speaking in this message and portions from, Collected Works of Watchman Nee, vol. 44, “The Mystery of Christ,” (chs. 100, 103), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Entering into the Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life to Arrive at a Full-Grown Man for the Fulfillment of God’s Purpose, week 2 / msg 2, The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (1) – Knowing the Body.
- Further reading recommended:
# The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6;
# The Oneness and the One Accord according to the Lord’s Aspiration and the Body Life and Service according to His Pleasure, ch. 2;
# Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans, msg. 10 - Hymns on this topic:
# In the Body we’ll be fitly framed / As the many members Christ supply; / Working in the measure of each part, / All by growth in love the Body edify.
# Oh, may Thy Cross within me / Deepen its work and burn / In me enlarge Thy measure, / And me to ashes turn. / Oh, may Thy Spirit fill me / Each day more than before, / And may Thy living water / On me and thru me pour.
# In the stream! in the stream! let us work / with the Lord / In the flow of the Spirit, as taught by / His Word; / Never working by self, independent and / free, / But in service related in full harmony.
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