Turn over to 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, and let’s begin in verse 14. “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” Here, referring to the Lord’s supper, Paul is making a connection between the body of Christ, which we commemorate every Lord’s Day as we partake of the unleavened bread, and the fact that we are members of that body. Of course, not His physical body, but the body of the church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 20, “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body,” and he, of course, makes that great analogy there of the church and the physical body. Christ is the head of the body and He controls the body as its head, Colossians 2, verse 19 [“and not holding fast to the Head, from Whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.”]. Therefore the body is to be one in purpose. [Ephesians 4:15-16—“but, speaking the Truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him Who is the head—Christ—from Whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 5:22-24—“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”]

Individual Christians are members of the body of Christ, Romans 12, verses 4 and 5 [“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”]. We are all baptized into “one body,” 1 Corinthians 12, verse 13 [“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”]. And God adds us to that body when we obey, Acts 2, verses 41 and 47 [verse 41—“those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Verse 47—“praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”].

As a member of the body, we need to recognize that there are differing roles and differing functions in the body. Refer back to 1 Corinthians 12, beginning with verse 12 through 31. Here again is the analogy that Paul makes of the parts of the body. The analogy is that there are different parts in the human body that have different functions. They have a different purpose, but they work in harmony one with another. So it should be in the body of Christ. Not everyone is an ear; not everyone is an eye; not everyone is a preacher; not everyone is a song leader; and not everyone is a Bible teacher. But we put to use those things that we can do, and we work harmoniously one with another. We must accept our God-given place in the church and work there to glorify God, without being envious of others in their roles.

Now let’s look at THE PURITY OF THE CHURCH. In Ephesians 5, verses 25 through 27 [“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”], Paul points out six characteristics of the church—what the church ideally should be. It is to be sanctified, that is, set apart for God’s special use. It is to be cleansed, or purified. It is to be a glorious church, it is to be without spot or wrinkle, that is, perfect, mature, spiritual. It is to be holy, as God is holy. It is to be without blemish, that is, free from sin.

The point that I would make here is, that in order for the church to be like this, the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the evangelist, the elders, the deacons, and the Bible class teachers. But ultimately, it rests on each one of us individually! As members of the church, a church that is to be all of these things—set apart for a special purpose, without spot or blemish, without sin—we’ll either “make it” or we’ll “break it.” Each of us has a responsibility in that regard. So we must do what we can do to keep ourselves unspotted from sin. Should we fall into sin, as we all do from time to time, we need to seek forgiveness of those sins. We need to pray for God to forgive us, Acts 8, verses 20 through 24 [“But Peter said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.’ Then Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.’”]. We must seek the forgiveness that is available to us as Christians through the blood of Christ, 1 John 1, verse 7 [“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”]. James tells us that repentance and confession of sins by Christians are necessary for forgiveness, James 5, verse 16 [“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”].