In Christ, we have been given much - eternal life in Jesus, the beautiful simplicity of our faith - we are righteous in Christ by the grace of God and faith in His love - Jesus’ person and work (on the cross).
Now, being made children of God, we get to be imitators of God! What we are, children of God, is in Jesus, by God’s generous gift of grace through Jesus (Jo 1:12-13; 3:5-8; Ro 8). With what we are given as God’s children, we can now be generous as our Father is generous (Eph 4:7-8,11-16) what we are privileged to do is to imitate our Father as dearly loved children (Eph 5:1-2), living too as He does, a life of love and to act on that love for the common good - of one another - as Jesus loves us, we are to love one another.
So, being made in God’s image and likeness, and now created in Jesus, as God is to Himself, love, and it overflows to us, so we are to be with one another so that our love might too, overflow to others. (1Thes 3:12-13)
What does this privilege look like? To love, serve, and bless, with all that we have been made to be - the image and likeness of God, and are being given as children of God to express that love - we are called to live and love according to our making and our being created in Jesus for obedience and good works and do those works with all that we have been given - loving God and one another, as ourselves. (1Pet 1:2; James 2:14-26; 1Jo 3:17)
1Corinthians 12:1- 13:4
1Corinthians 12:1-3 Who, what, is, the body? Those with the Spirit, who proclaim and see and treat Jesus as Lord. (Ps 45:6-7; John 13:13-14; Heb 1)
1Cor 12:4-6 How is the body assembled? In the image and likeness of the Godhead as They are assembled: 1 God made up of 3 unique and distinct Persons working in harmony, by honor and mutual submission, with one mind, spirit, and purpose - and this for the common good - His and ours. Remember, God commands us to do the very things He does, and works in us to do them. (Ep 5:15-21; Phi 1:6; 2:1-16; Ro 12:16; 1Co 1:10; Pe 3:8)
1Cor 12:7-11 Just like God, we too are assembled together as 1 body with many unique and distinct parts working together in harmony, by honor and mutual submission, with one mind, spirit, and purpose - and this for the common good - God’s and one another’s.
1Cor 12:12-20 How we reflect God’s divine and loving community - image and likeness - each of us being a wonderfully unique and distinct part of the body, arranged just as God would have it, to do the very things He is creating us each to be together within the body that He is assembling to reflect His glory and goodness. (Ep 2:8-10;4:1-16; 1Pe 2:4-5, 9-10)
1Cor 12:21-26 blessed mutuality - seeing and treating one another with respect and honor, value and significance, esteeming one another, even as better than self - each one as essential. Again, just like God acts toward Himself, so we are to act toward one another.
1Cor 12:27-30 this is the order of the body for God’s glory and the body’s good - each acting, serving, humbly for the sake of Christ and His body - one another. (Matt 20:20-28; 23:11-12; Mark 9:30-37; 10:43-44; Luke 22:24-27; Jo 13:12-17)
1Cor 12:30-13:1, 4 …and here is how the body of Christ functions in the most excellent way - when it loves and esteems one another as (like) God does. (Lev 19:18,34; Jo 13:34; 15:12-13-17; 17:21; Ro 12:10; 13:8,10; 1Jo 2:8-10; 3:14-18,23)
And this is so important…
As in the Trinity, the divine Community, where no One is greater than the other, so it is with us. Just as in God, each one of us is unique and distinct, given places, roles, and responsibilities to accomplish, with gifts given by Him to each one of us, according to His glorious goodness and infinite wisdom, to accomplish the work that He has saved us for, those good works that He’s prepared in advance for us (each and everyone) to do - just as He has made us and is creating us in Christ Jesus, each one, esteemed by God, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. (Rom 8:29-31; Heb 2)
As Aaron reminded us that we should continue to take into account:
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Some of us are endowed with gifts that will cause us to do much and suffer much for the sake of the Kingdom like Paul. We must be content with this.
Others of us are endowed with gifts that will cause us to live largely unnoticed, quiet lives of faithfulness to God known only by God and those blessed to know us. We must be content with this.
Remember! One is not greater than the other. We are all called, justified, sanctified, and glorified through the Son of God and Man himself - Jesus Christ. We are called to pour ourselves out for God. Let Him decide when and if to raise us up. Do not revere the talented, because he is talented. Revere him because he is faithful. Do not revile the quiet, faithful, background workers because they are not outspoken and loud. Instead, honor both because of their faithfulness to Christ. Do not fixate on your recognition or platform. Instead, glory that God has blessed you, and take joy in the work he has apportioned to you. Whether or not anyone ever knows you’ve done it.
THINK & PRAY:
What & who has God given to me to steward? What opportunities are available to me?
What would it look like to live as if God was the kind of God who loved to bless faithfulness, who produces growth out of nothing, and who has called us to be faithful and fruitful? What would I do differently?
DO:
Repent of any lethargy or laziness in being faithful to what God has given you. Confess your sin, and accept Christ’s forgiveness. Set aside your guilt and shame and false ideas about yourself so that you can follow Christ faithfully into what he’s calling you to as a Child of God, confident that he is faithful.
After praying through these things and repenting, list out what actions you will take to better invest your time, talents, and resources on behalf of the Kingdom. Not goals. Actions. What changes for you moving forward and why? If you must tell someone, make sure they’re willing to check in on your progress and join you in your efforts to faithfully serve.
