The Church is Us Pt.3

We can not do things by ourselves - but we can with God's help.

We are part of the Body of Christ by the grace and atonement offered to us through the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.

Without Christ, there is no body.

Being part of the Body gives us access to the rest. The Church (Body/Family) is capable of anything when it is working in unison with the rest of the Body, and most importantly with Jesus who is the Head of the family, Head of the Body.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Ephesians 4:13

Through the Holy Spirit we are granted access to the same power that Jesus used to heal, prophesy, raise others from the dead and ultimately we have been given power to be raised from the dead too through Him.

The Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are its Temple. This is where the phrase "My body is a temple" comes from.

Jesus taught:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

This picture of a Vine, from which we stem from and use for our nourishment, strength, life and support is where all of our ability lies. We can only bear fruit when we are part of the vine. The fruit we bear when we are with Him is:

"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" Galatians 5:22-23

These attributes are the key to Godly and Holy lives. Would you not agree?

All we have, including our own bodies, do not belong to us. It has been given to us by God.

All the things we think we have made for ourselves:

+ Money

+ Houses

+ Cars

+ Skills

+ Friends

+ Safety

+ Security

+ Position

… have been given to us.

The way of thinking about this is being a steward of what we have. A caretaker or a babysitter. We are responsible for it and accountable for what we do with it.

Even if you don't agree with me on this, just think about it hypothetically - if everything we have does not belong to us, and is a product of gifts and generosity, how would you treat it?

If someone knew that you were in desperate need of a car and gave you one, without the need to repay, would you deny someone else the opportunity to use it if they were in need, just as you were? The same for if someone gave you a house, would you not open the doors for people to have warmth and comfort. If someone gave you food, would you not share it with others who don't have any food? How could we not?

If we live our lives with this attitude, our outlook transforms, we become generous, kind and compassionate, we can love others by helping them out - the world would also transform. If everyone used what they had to help others, we would not see the inequality in living conditions and safety, poverty would be eradicated because those who have would share with those who have-not (all that would happen in this case is the 'haves' would have a little less, but the 'have-nots' would also become 'haves'). Everybody wins!

Without God we have nothing. Without God we can do nothing. With God, we can do anything.

I mean anything too. It is truly remarkable what can be done on the name of Jesus, I have seen amazing things with my own eyes, things that cannot be explained through science or the natural world.

God promises that we can do anything through his Son. Jesus said:

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

John 15:7

Would you like to be fulfilled? In a way that will never end, you will want for nothing more. The first step is to become part of the Body, part of the Vine. The second is to ask Him who gives us everything and anything that we need.