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Scripture Reading: Eph. 4:12-13, 15-16
One of the most important aspects of the walk of a person who lives for the Lord and who is free from the self is his function in the Body of Christ. In the Body of Christ, every member has a function. This is a fact. If you do not function as a member, this proves that you do not live for the Lord and that you are not yet free from your self. If you are free from your self inwardly, your living will spontaneously manifest the particular function that you have as a member of the Body of Christ. Whether you are a brother or a sister, you have a function in the church. You may feel that you are living for the Lord and that you are free from your self, but your feeling is not reliable as long as you are not functioning as a member in the Body. If you are truly free from your self and truly living for the Lord, you will surely have your function as a brother or a sister in the church. Brothers and sisters, we should not deceive ourselves by thinking that we are free from the self and that we are living for the Lord. If we have not reached this stage yet and our function has not been realized in the church, this is a strong proof that we are not yet living for the Lord outwardly and are not free from our self inwardly. If we are truly freed from our self inwardly and living for the Lord outwardly, we will function in the Body of Christ spontaneously.
Brothers and sisters, we should never think that the grace we have received is too small and that we have no function in the church or in the Body of Christ. As long as we are members, we have a definite function. Everyone who has the life of God is a member of the Body of Christ, and no member is so small that he does not have any function. Even the least of all the members has a function in the Body. We must never despise any member or consider him to be so small that he does not have a function. Every member has a function, and his function cannot be replaced by any other member. No matter how small his function is, no one can replace that function. The greatest function cannot replace the smallest function. Every member has a particular function, and no one else can replace him. I cannot replace your function, and you cannot replace my function. If we see this, we will jump with joy.
It is no wonder that there is a need for so many apostles. The Gospels in the New Testament were written by four people. When we read the Gospel of Matthew, we see one aspect of Christ. When we read the Gospel of Mark, we see another aspect of Christ. When we read the Gospel of Luke or the Gospel of John, we see yet other aspects of Christ — His holiness and His glory. When we read the Epistles of Peter, we see the greatness of Christ. When we read Paul's Epistles, we find things expressed in another way. When we read the Epistles of John, we find that he described the excellencies of Christ in a way like no one else. Our Lord is so great that He requires all the believers past and present, here and everywhere, and throughout all the ages to express Him adequately. Brothers and sisters, the outflow of life is the expression of Christ. The Body is where life is manifested. This life is one; however, when it is expressed in different members, it is manifested in different functions. When this life flows to the ears, the ears hear. When this life flows to the eyes, the eyes see. When this life flows to the feet, the feet walk. When this life flows to the mouth, the mouth speaks. When this life flows to the teeth, the teeth bite. The life is one, yet there are many functions. Although the functions are different, the life remains one. Brothers and sisters, what flows into you is the same as what flows into me; it is the life of Christ. Yet the function that is manifested in you is different from the function that is manifested in me. Many times the work that one brother is able to do could never be done by another brother. For certain things you have to go to certain brothers, and for certain other things you have to go to certain sisters. It will not work if you use another person. As a member you have a special function. The function which is manifested in you through the inflow of Christ's life can never be replaced by another. It does not matter how small you are, you will always have a function as a member.
Brothers and sisters, you can test yourself in the following way: If you are in a local church and your function has not been manifested, this proves that your living outwardly is not for the Lord and that your life inwardly is not yet freed from the self. This is a very specific test. I am not saying that you have a small function; I am saying that it does not seem to matter whether or not you are in the church. If your function is not manifested, you are not living for the Lord outwardly, and you are not yet broken by Him inwardly. We must realize that in order for the Lord to preach the gospel, carry out His work, and fulfill His will on earth, He must work through His Body. The Lord's will and way cannot be accomplished through one man. He cannot carry out His work through one man; He has to do it through the church.
The vessel that God uses is not individuals but the church. The life and power of Christ can only be fully manifested through the Body. Hence, the chief work of Satan is to "disintegrate" the Body. He is trying his best to do this. If we consider everything from this view, we will see the seriousness of Satan's work of disintegration. Brothers and sisters are suspicious of one another, and misunderstandings abound; this is the disintegrating work of Satan. We may complain about a brother or murmur against a sister, but if we looked into the reason for this, we would find that there is no great reason other than Satan's disintegrating work among us. Satan wants to divide God's children; he wants to disintegrate them. God's work is to integrate us, whereas Satan's work is to disintegrate us. He is doing his disintegrating work through our corrupted flesh, our strong self, and the world we love. Strictly speaking, the most crucial matter is not whether we deal with the flesh, deny ourselves, or love the world. The crucial matter is that Satan is doing his disintegrating work through these things. When we allow these things to remain in us, we are giving ground to Satan.
Brothers and sisters, what is oneness? Oneness is God Himself. Why do we say that oneness is God Himself? When we drop all the things outside of God and live in God, He Himself becomes the oneness within us. Oneness is God gaining the full ground within us — we are after God and God is filling us. Only when God's children are filled with God can they be in harmony with one another. Satan does not need to make us argue or fight with one another. As long as he can put a little impurity within us and as long as there are things that usurp the place of God, this is enough to disintegrate us. Whenever mud sticks to the sand that is used in mixing cement, the resulting concrete will not be compact. In order to destroy the oneness, Satan does not have to do much; all he has to do is sprinkle a little dust within us — things that are incompatible with God's life — and we will be disintegrated. There is no need for us to argue or fight. As long as he can sprinkle a little dust within us, that is enough. We can still break bread and drink the cup together, but we are disintegrated. The Body of Christ is absolutely not a doctrine or an organization; it is a life. What is the church? The church is not a matter of scriptural doctrines or scriptural ways. The church is a life; it is the expression of the life of Christ. Oneness is only in life. There is no need for argument or dispute; as long as Satan can put a little impurity in us and others, we will become disintegrated unconsciously! May the Lord be merciful to us and remove all impurities in us, and may He sift us with the cross and the indwelling Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, do our own inclinations occupy a place within us? Do our own goals occupy a place within us? Does our own work occupy a place within us? Or do we allow the life of Christ to have all the ground within us? Every one of us has to turn back to God. We do not need outward revivals. We have only one need — to turn back to God, allowing Him to cleanse us and sift us with the cross and the Spirit. We pray that the sifting work of the cross and the Spirit will remove the satanic mixture within us. In order for this to happen, we have to turn back to God. May the Lord be merciful to us so that we will not put any trust in ourselves. Brothers and sisters, even right things can be used by Satan to disintegrate us. We have to learn to turn back to God and receive His enlightening, and we have to learn to go to the brothers and sisters and receive their corrections. We have to learn to pay the greatest price to receive the dealing of the cross so that we can function as members in the church. Have we not said that we love the Lord? Have we not said that we are consecrated? If we have, we have to leave no ground for ourselves and be ready to pay any price. May the Lord cleanse us and remove the mixture and elements that cause disharmony so that the life of Christ can be expressed through us and so that through this same one life we can manifest the functions of the members and live out the testimony of the Body of Christ.
