Unity in the Body

“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? … But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.” (1 Cor.12:16-20)
 
God wants to use all of you as one body to bring glory to His name. When the Bible tells us that “you” are the body of Christ, God is not talking about “you” only, singular, but all of you as a body. However, many people have the tendency to only think about themselves as an isolated individual. 
 
When you come to Christ, you thank God for your individual salvation. That’s good. But after that, do you only think about yourself — your own life, your business, your family, and your own concerns? If that is the case, that’s not God’s plan when He talks about the body of Christ.
 
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Pet.2:9)
 
“You” alone cannot call yourself a generation or a nation, but “all of you” can be called as a chosen generation or a nation.
 
The same thing with the temple of the Holy Spirit. “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor.3:16). In the Old Testament, if the people wanted to “meet God,” they would go to the temple. In the New Testament, we see that you are the “temple of the Holy Spirit.”
 
That means people can experience the love of God — His presence and His power as “you all” practice the word of God in accordance to the Bible. Can you imagine people coming to visit your house and they see you all as members of a family loving one another, practicing forgiveness as Christ taught, and serving as Christ served? They see the joy of the Lord even when you go through challenges as others go through. Can you envision people coming to your CARE Cell or to our church, and they see how the young people live according to the statutes of the Lord and they see harmony among the families?
 
Can you visualize the unbelievers watching over “all of you” as believers; how you interact with one another, respecting each other, or how you conduct your business? What do you think they will say about you? Is it going to be good or bad? Whatever you do or do not do as a body represents the whole body of Christ. That is why we need to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.