The twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians, and we're going to read from the twelfth verse of the chapter. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 12. Let us hear God's Word. For as the body is one, and hath many members, And all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And that the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary, and those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour, and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And we end there at verse 27. And we know that God will add his own divine blessing to the reading of his infallible and precious truth. And let's bow together, please, in prayer before the Lord, and we'll unite our hearts, seeking God's blessing and help now in this season that we give to the Word, to the preaching and the hearing of it. And we trust the Lord will draw near and meet with us in a very real way. Let's unite our hearts in prayer. Our gracious God and our Father, we bless Thee today that Thy Word reveals to us that Thou dost come to send to meet with Thy people in the very places where they assemble. Thy Word speaks of the house of God. It speaks of the tabernacle of the Most High. We thank Thee that Whenever we seek Thee, Thou art found, and every place is hallowed ground. Lord, in this very place we ask Thee to draw nigh, to fill the very building with a consciousness of Thy power and Thy glory in Thy presence. O God, bring Thy Word powerfully before our minds. May our hearts this day be taken up with it. May we find Thee speaking to us O Lord, we ask Thee to draw nigh and to breathe on us from heaven and bless us together just now in Jesus' name and for His sake and for His glory. Amen. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. The text to which I would draw your attention that will be the basis of what I want to say, although I will deal with many of these verses, by the Lord's help, is verse 12. It says, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ. Now in the New Testament, the word that is translated church, literally means the called out ones. Therefore, when Scripture refers to the church, It basically speaks of those who have been called out of the great hordes of fallen humanity, called out to be the Lord's people, to know Him, to experience His saving grace in their lives, to serve Him throughout both time and eternity itself. This is the meaning, this is the significance of this word church. Again, as we think about this particular word and its significance, we will find that the Holy Spirit uses it or employs it in a number of distinct ways in the New Testament. For example, it is used to identify believers in a particular place. Like 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 1, just as one example, we read there of the church of the Thessalonians. which means that the assembly of Christians in that city of Thessalonica are actually described as the church they are referred to under this particular word. So it can be used of a company of people, of believers in a local area. But there again, it's also used to indicate a number of congregations that are associated together, that are interlinked and that are interdependent. We find the word used that way in Acts chapter 15 and verse 2, where you'll find that the word church is used of all the believers in Jerusalem. Now the point is that in Jerusalem at that time, there were thousands upon thousands of Christians which means that there were many congregations, obviously, and yet they're all referred to under the word the church. So it does refer not only to a single congregation in a certain place, but the word is used as well in Scripture of a plurality of congregations in an area or wherever it might be. Then it's also used to denote the visible, representation of the church, the visible representation of all who profess the name of Christ and the gospel of our Lord Jesus. That's how it's used in this very chapter, for example. If you go down to verse 28, it says there, God hath set some in the church. Then he starts to mention apostles and prophets and teachers and so on and so forth. And he's referring there, remember, not to the church at Corinth, Now, it's also included, but it's referring in verse 28 to all of the visible church in which there was a ministry and there were all these offices and all these gifts being exercised. In other words, the church in its visible form. Here is how the word is also used, as we see it in verse 28. But then it's used in another way, a very important way in the Bible or in the New Testament, this word church. is used to indicate the entire company of believers, both in heaven and on earth, all who have already believed on Christ or who will yet believe on Him. It is used that way as well. Take, for example, Ephesians 5 verse 25, those wonderful words, Christ loved the church. and gave himself for it. Now, in this statement the word church is used not of the local company in a certain place not of a plurality of congregations in an area, or even the visible representation of the church in this world, but it's used, as you will see, of the entire company, as I put it, of the redeemed people of God. The word is used here, you'll notice, within the framework of the Lord's death. It says, the Lord loved the church. and gave Himself for it. So, there is a particular day in view, the very day when Jesus died. And on the day when Jesus died, the Holy Ghost tells us He died for the church, collectively. He died for the whole company, in other words, of His own elect people. But they are called the church in Ephesians 5.25. And as the Apostle Paul uses the word there with reference to the day when the Saviour died and to the whole company for whom He died, he refers to multitudes in that context who at that moment were not even born into the world. He refers to all of the people of God right down to the very end of time itself. And yet He calls them the church. Christ loved the church, the whole company of those who are the redeemed of the Lord. The same is true in Matthew 16 verse 18, that great verse where the Lord Jesus says, I will build my church. Notice that He speaks there of the church. in a singular way that is in a collective sense. And he says, I will build my church. And the meaning of those words is this, I will keep on doing what I always have been doing. That is, I will build my church. But once again, you see, he is referring to myriads of souls right down to the end of time. Multitudes who at that moment were not even born. who were not in the world right down to the very day when He comes again, and yet He calls them His church. So I explain to you. And I trust that you will get the idea here that the word church has a number of meanings, and today we are thinking about it in that latter sense of the entire company of the people of God. Now, with reference to that use of the word church, you find that there are descriptions of the church in the New Testament that cannot be limited to any particular Christian group. or society, or denomination, or group of congregations, wherever you want to talk about it. You find that there are descriptions used of the church that cannot be limited. I refer to such terms as you have in Hebrews 12, the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. Great Statement, or that particular term, is commented on in the Westminster Confession of Faith, our own Confession of Faith, and here's the comment. The whole number, they say that the Confession says that this is the whole number of the elect that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ, the head thereof. That expression, the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, doesn't belong to any particular denomination on earth. It's a description of the whole company of the redeemed. Here's a description that belongs to the entire church of God. Or you could also think of the term, the Bride of Christ, the building fitly framed together, the holy temple in the Lord. These are all descriptions of this entire company, the true church of the redeemed. And I tell you right now, I say again, they don't belong to any particular group. There's no group on this earth that's able to say and say properly and scripturally, we are the church of Christ. We are the bride of Christ. We are the holy temple of the Lord. There are some who will do that, you know. They will take a title for their denomination, just to use that word, that which denominates, in other words, who they are. And they say, we are the bride of Christ. My friend, that term, the bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife, belongs exclusively to the whole company of God's people, like all these other terms. And there's another one that we noticed last week, this word, body, or this term, the body. that is used, as I pointed out to you, by the Apostle Paul in many of his writings, in Romans and here in Corinthians, in Ephesians and in Colossians and other places, the term, the body. That's a description of the church that is frequently used in the New Testament writings of the Apostle Paul. Now, at the end of Ephesians 1, where we have been concentrating for two weeks, We find the word body used there with reference to the Lord's church. It says, "...the church which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." There is the word body and the church. The word church are the two terms inseparably brought together by the Holy Spirit. The church which is His body. And it's a spiritual body, again it's the whole company of those who are truly saved. As I said, it says there, which is the fullness of Him, the fullness of Christ. We noticed those words in closing last week mainly, and we saw the marvellous sense that they hold, just as in the human anatomy. The head would have no completeness or no meaning, indeed no existence even, without its body. So at the spiritual level, the Lord Jesus Christ needs a body. And I say that deliberately. The Lord Jesus, as the head of the church, must have a body. He must have a company who make up his body. And here it is, the church. which is His body, the fullness of Him. In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church, would not be complete in who He is and in what He does as the head, in His whole mediatorial position, in all His offices, in His great work as a mediator. He would not be complete. He could not be complete without the body. And therefore, it is used in this wonderful way of Christ. It is the fullness of Jesus Christ. Now, since this truth of the church as being the fullness of Christ is presented under the analogy of the head with its body, we need to look again at what the Bible reveals about this matter. And we are doing that today here once more, coming to 1 Corinthians 12 where our text lies, where Paul gives a most extensive exposition of this analogy that is between the human head and its body, and then the Lord Jesus Christ and His body. There is an analogy used here, and we need to understand that. When you read down these verses, you need to read in a concentrated way. You need to be able to say to yourself, well, in this verse he's talking about the analogy of the human body with its head, and in that verse he's talking about Christ and His body. My friend, it does not do to read the Word of God carelessly. And when we come to expound the Scriptures, it does not do to sit back and relax. You need to concentrate. You need to focus on what the Scripture is saying here in order to get what Paul is expounding. So, let us come here to these verses, and I want to draw some points from them, some truths that will enable you to see the importance of this thought that the church or the body of God's people is the fullness of Christ. Without the body, the Lord would not be complete. That's a remarkable statement. that we find at the end of Ephesians 1. And you will never fully understand that until you really understand this passage, 1 Corinthians 12. Now to begin with, I want you to notice with me two important features of the body. Our text, verse 12, says this. The body is one and hath many members. That's the human body. The body is one and of many members. Isn't God's Word marvelously precise. How well the Holy Spirit puts it, the body as one hath many members. Because in those few words there are the two features of the body both physically And then on a higher level, spiritually speaking, that are of the greatest importance to understand why the church is the fullness of Christ. What are those two features? Well, they are the features of unity and diversity. It says again, get the words into your mind, the body is one, there is the unity. As many members, there is the diversity. Those are the two features that mark the human body and that mark the spiritual body. You'll find the same in other verses down this passage. Verse 14, the body is not one member but many. Verse 20, But now are they many members, yet but one body." Verse 27, "...ye are the body of Christ, and members." In particular, you'll have noticed there, I trust, and as I read through those few verses, that there's a switching from the human body to the spiritual body, time and time again. That's why I say you need to read. You need to concentrate on what the Holy Ghost is saying here. But the point is, the whole way down this, you have this feature, or this point of the two features, the unity and the diversity, the same is seen in Romans 12, 4, where Paul says, we have many members in one body. Again, that's the human body. So, I think you should take note of this. The Holy Ghost has gone to great lengths in the New Testament in using this analogy. He speaks, yes, of the bride. He speaks of the church like a building that's put up. He speaks of other figures, the vine, the branches, and so on and so forth. But I'm showing you today, I trust you'll see this, that far more frequently the Holy Ghost takes this analogy, the human body and its different parts, and He says, this tells us about Christ. and His church. These two features of unity and diversity. Now, in all of these scriptures that stress these two features of the human body, the Holy Spirit is teaching, therefore, that the same features exist within the church or the body of Christ. Again, I want you to read this twelfth verse with me, this text. And notice what it says at the very end. We'll read the whole verse once more. For as the body is one, but this is the human body, and have many members. And all the members of that one body being many are one body. Now up to that point, that is the human body that is being described. Then he comes in and he says this, so also is Christ. And what he is saying there is, so also is Christ the head and His body the church. And was he stressing that just as there are these two features in the make-up of the human body, unity and diversity, so also they are found, they exist in this great body, Christ and His people, He the head and they the body, the two features of unity and diversity. Look with me at how they are produced. That is, these two features, how they are produced with regard to the church. Because Paul goes on to say immediately in verse 13, and notice his language here, notice what he teaches, "...for by one's..." Do you see the connection? At the end of verse 12 he has said, "...so also is Christ." This is true of Christ and His people. They are the features of unity and diversity. Then he explains to you how it comes about. "...for..." by one Spirit. Are we all baptized into one body? Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bombed or free, have we all been made to drink into one Spirit? The reference, of course, is to the supernatural activity and operation of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, in the new birth, symbolized here under the figure of baptism. This, of course, is a spiritual baptism. Frequently in the Word of God you will find that the communication or the giving of the Holy Spirit to men or the operation of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men is presented under the symbol of baptism. Many times you'll find that. John the Baptist said that in Matthew 3 verse 11. He said of Christ, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist said it again in John 1.33, the same as he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. And then in Acts 1.5, ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence. So men and women, in the New Testament we find that baptism is taken and is used in this particular way to present the spiritual baptizing of a sinner into Christ and into the body of Christ. It's a spiritual baptism, it's not water baptism by any stretch of the imagination, although there are those who will try to make it out to be that. There's no water here, this is a spiritual baptism. And of course, water baptism is but the symbol of the spiritual baptism of which the Apostle Paul writes in this verse. But verse 13 brings before us these two features very clearly. Notice the unity here. Notice what it says. By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body. Notice the pronoun we. Paul includes himself. By one Spirit are we all. We all. Those are important words. We all. He's not talking about him and the Corinthians only. He's talking about all God's people. He says, we all are brought into this body by the work of the Holy Spirit, by the miracle of the new birth. All believers are baptized into Christ and into the body of Christ and they are formed into one body. My friend, here is the production of this unity. It is brought about by the Holy Spirit of God. That's the essential point that I want you to notice. All differences here are set aside. For He says this, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, simply saying, whatever our background, whatever our nationality, whatever our status, whatever our position in society, if we are God's people, then we are all in one body, intimately, Spiritually speaking and organically too, it's one body. It's a union or a unity that is produced by the work and the power of the Spirit of the living God. My friend, that's the important point to notice. Now, you can see that when you take the analogy of the human body. Because in the human body there's one principle of life. You know that. You have one principle of life in you. You have many members in your human body. But remember that the one principle of life is what animates, is what we call it, animates every member. You take the eye, you take the ear, you take your heart that beats within your breast, or any other organ or part or faculty of your entire body. Everything is animated by the one principle of life. the seeing of the eye, the hearing of the ear, the pumping of the heart, the breathing of the lungs. These are all parts with various functions in our body, and yet there's the one, as I put it, the one principle of life that pervades and animates the entire body. And my friend, what does our text say? By one Spirit. There it is. There's just one principle of life in the whole body of believers. The entire body of Jesus Christ. And whatever part or role any given individual believer plays in the body of Jesus Christ, each one is, again I use the word, each one is animated or given life. by the one principle of life, and that one principle of life is the marvelous operation of the Spirit of God. Isn't it, my friend, a marvelous thing to think about it in this way? Here we are gathered here right now in this building, in this town of Balaamina, part of the body of Christ. In every true believer in this company, the Holy Ghost is present. This one principle of life is in you. Think of that spread throughout the entire company here today. All who are saved, I mean. Because remember something, there are some of you sitting here this morning who don't have the principle of life. May I say that in passing? You do not have the Holy Ghost in you. Therefore, you are not part of the body of Christ. You are not part of this company at all. I mean the company of the redeemed, for you have not the Spirit. But all in this meeting who have the Holy Ghost are joined together thereby. And then you widen that out, and you take our brethren and sisters across the whole of the free church, and you widen it even farther. And you take others of light, precious faith, wherever they're gathered right now. Because, my friend, we don't have a monopoly on God. We're not the only company of believers that exist. God has His church in this earth under various names or titles to identify them in some particular way. But wherever you go and whomever you speak who is a child of God, that person has the principle of life within him or her. And therefore that person is part of this great unity. One body because there is one Spirit. If you go to the end of the verse, verse 13, And I just mention that because these are words that have often puzzled Christians. It says, "...are all made to drink into one Spirit." And they have wondered, now how do you explain that? We can certainly see it's in the context here. It has to do with this unity of believers. They're baptized into the one body by the Holy Ghost and it says, "...they're made to drink of one Spirit." One Spirit again, you see that term. Well, these words simply employ the symbol of drinking. And when you drink, you receive. And isn't it true, in many places in the Gospels, for example, this whole matter of receiving Christ and receiving salvation is set forth under the symbol of drinking? Didn't the Lord say, if any man thirsts, let him come on to Me and drink? Didn't He say to the woman at the well, Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I will give him will never thirst." Yes, drinking is used extensively in the Bible to signify the thought of reception. And therefore, all who receive the Holy Spirit, and of course they receive Him as they receive Christ as Saviour, all who receive the Holy Spirit, As it puts it here, are made to drink into one's spirit. In other words, there's again the thought there of the unity. It's really spelled out, isn't it? This unity, this feature of the body that's seen in the human body. There's only one body. There's a unity there. There's only one body of believers. There's the counterpart in the spiritual realm, and it's produced by the Spirit. But He also produces diversity. Verse 14, just take it as an example. Here's the diversity. For the body is not one member, but many. It says the very same thing back in our text. The body is one, have many members. Then verse 14, the body is not one member, but many. Now my friend, there is diversity, plainly in view. Many members. And the apostles say that just as the human body is not comprised of one member or one part, so the church is not comprised of one member, but many. There is the diversity. Now the word member there, that's used in these verses, signifies a part, what's called a constituent part, something that truly, really belongs to the body. In other words, my friend, your hand is a constituent part of your body, like your ear or whatever you want to mention. It is a part that contributes to the constituting of your body. And therefore, this is the meaning of the word member. It signifies that which belongs to the body. It signifies that which is part of the body, and furthermore, it has its own function. We'll get into that, by the help of the Lord, a little later. But the point is, there's diversity in the human body, but it's not a multiplicity of the same part. Your body is not made up of a hundred legs. And I'm not being funny when I say that. I'm just making the point. The human body is not comprised of a multiplicity of the same parts, or the same part is constituted of a plurality of different parts. Have you got that? That's the diversity. That's the real essence of it. And if then that diversity marks the body of Jesus Christ, it's made up of a plurality of members or people, and each one has his or her own place, talent, ability, role within the spiritual body. Turn to Ephesians 4, because here are verses that really underline this. Ephesians chapter 4. And look at them with me here, these particular verses. Verse 4, we'll just come in right there. There is one body. There's the same body, the same company, the company of the redeemed. There's only one body of believers. And one spirit. Because I'm going to talk about all these other features of our calling and so on. But go down to verse 7. Now, here's the diversity. See, in verse 4 you have the unity. one body. Then verse 7, listen carefully, but unto every one of us. Do you see it? Verse 7, those opening words are essentially speaking of the plurality of members Unto every one of us is given grace. And what that is saying is this, unto every individual member of the body of Christ, grace is given to that person in a particular way to suit the role that he or she has in the body of Christ. So there is diversity as well as unity. And it's produced by the Spirit of the living God. Because by one Spirit, as we've read, turning back to 1 Corinthians 12, we are brought into this one body. And therefore, He's the one who produces the features that mark this body. There is therefore the production. But let me say this, and this has taken us right into the heart of all this today, and listen carefully, my friend. There is what I want to call the prerequisite of this unity and diversity. And what I mean by that is simply this. Unity and diversity must mark, first of all, the human body. and then the spiritual body. It is a prerequisite for the very life and the very existence and indeed the very functioning of the human body that these features are there, that they are in place. And my friend, it is a prerequisite for the body of Christ. Now, that is unity and diversity. Now think about this with me. Unity is the framework within which this diversity actually exists. If you take verse 12 again, those words, the body is one and half. Notice the thought there. The one body hath or has many members. And the idea there is that within the one body, within the confines and the framework of the one body. The many members live and exist and therefore the point is clearly made that there has to be unity in order for there to be this diversity. You just cannot have the diversity unless first of all there is the unity. Do you see the point I make? You have to have that basic framework that is your human body. in order for the diversity. that marks your whole being to exist and to live, to function, to be what the Lord intended all your different parts to be. There has to be a unity within which the diversity is able to live and exist and function. And my friend, that is true therefore. This is a prerequisite for the body of Jesus Christ. God's people need, as I put it, a framework. or this unity within which to function. You can't have, in other words, you can't have a church functioning and living on the earth, I talk about all God's people, unless there is a unity in which that diversity of members with all their talents are actually able to live and function. It just cannot be. It's a prerequisite. And then, if we look at verse 14, just to take us a little farther with regard to this prerequisite, notice in verse 14 that it's being taught that the diversity is then essential to the unity of the body. Verse 14 says, For the body is not one member, but many. Then verse 19, it says, Now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it hath pleased him. The unit that marks the human body is not that it is comprised of only one part. We've already mentioned this. And those two verses I just read make that absolutely clear. You can't have a human body that's made up of only one part. That would be a horrid monster. And that's not how God made man. So what we're saying here is, there has to be diversity. in order to the unity of the body. Do you see the point that is being made by the Apostle Paul here? The unity within the human body is comprised of various parts or members, each with its own ability that enables that part to function right in that body. And you see that diversity then of parts and gifts create the unity that marks the body. The two go together in other words. Unity is essential for diversity. You can't have all these parts floating around, if you want to put it that way. You take your body. You didn't leave your head behind this morning, I hope. We speak metaphorically, of course. But how ridiculous it would be to think of part of your body sitting on the shelf at home. No, you have a unity in your very being in which The diversity of parts exist and live. And then the diversity of parts that make up your human body, they contribute to the unity because they are all joined together in that one body. And therefore you can't have unity without diversity. And you can't have diversity without unity. These are prerequisites and they are produced by the Holy Spirit. And there's a very clear application of all that. It is simply this. Believers should seek to be part of a body of Christians who worship Christ, who believe His Word, who stand for His truth. Christians should seek to be part of such a body or such a congregation where Christ is preached, where Christ is lifted up. The Word is central. Prayer is seen to be indispensable. all those important marks that must characterize a true church of Jesus Christ. My dear friend, the application of what I have been saying is very, very obvious in that realm. You need to be part of that, that God has provided for you, that the Holy Ghost has produced. He has produced the one body. in which every member is a part, and therefore the application is that where you find a body of true believers, as John Calvin put it, where you find the true church, and the true church has three identifying features, where you find that, that is where you are to be. What are those three features? The preaching of the Word, the exercise of discipline, and the dispensing of the sacraments. You see, in so many places today, they will dispense the sacraments supposedly, but the preaching of the Word is non-existent. And the exercise of discipline never takes place. And therefore, it's not a true church. Calvin was right. And therefore, We're a Christian. Maybe there's a Christian here today, and may I put it to this way, friend. You're floating. You're a member of Christ's church, that is, the true church. But you're simply floating around here on earth, and you don't really belong anywhere. That is not the will of God. Let's get it absolutely clear. That is against the very ethos of Scripture and the very presentation of what the church actually is, as we see this symbol of the human body being used, this analogy being taken by the Holy Ghost, featured by unity and diversity. And my dear friend, you cannot be a maverick and do the will of God You can't. You must endeavor by all the grace that God gives you to be within the framework or the unity of a body of believers made up of a diverse company. That's right, and we'll see more about that, but that's where you ought to be. And furthermore, there you'll receive counsel and oversight and guidance and preaching that are necessary to the well-being of your soul. I often say to people who are searching, maybe for a church home, and they come along and they ask me about this church, and so on and so forth, which is fine. And there's one thing that I always say to those people invariably, if it goes down that road, and that is this, you come, you listen. You test it for yourself. You make sure that this is where God wants you to be. And I put to them the test that should always be exercised. It's this. Is Christ preached in all His fullness? Because, my friend, where Christ is not preached in all His fullness, then you'd better not be there. That's a very solemn test. It's a very solemn statement I make, because that really sums it all up. Is Christ central? Is Christ preached? Because He is the Head. And if He's not there in the rightful place, then, my friend, there's really no work of His being done. And you who are in the body of Christ right here in this congregation, you must consistently endeavor by the grace of God to contribute in these areas that I've just mentioned, this matter of unity and diversity. You must, my friend, contribute by your attendance and by your praying. And you must benefit the whole body thereby by whatever diversity God has given you, being employed and harnessed and channeled in the right direction to contribute to the unity of the body of Christ in this very congregation. For that's the will of the Lord. And that takes us into that next major point, which I'll mention here quickly. We've looked at the features, unity and diversity. But look at the functioning of the body. You see, a human body is designed, it's made to function in a profitable and in a beneficial manner. And that's a fact that's true, you see as well, of the body of Jesus Christ, the church of Jesus Christ. Remember what we said, the church is His fullness. And therefore, within the eternal purpose of God, Christ the head needs the body. And I do not retract that. Christ the Head needs the body of His people in the execution of His will on this earth. My friend, the Lord does not come down from heaven physically or send an angel either for His work to be accomplished. He has a church on this earth. He has a body of people. They are His fullness in the sense that He, the Head, takes them, works through them, uses them, and therefore they are His fullness. They complete Him in that sense. If you talk about completeness again, Doesn't the Bible teach so clearly that when a man marries his wife, she is his fullness? She completes that man. God said of Adam, it is not good that he be alone. I will make him and help me for him. And there you see glimpses and views of this great truth concerning Christ and His church. And if it should be the desire of every believer to function within the body as the Lord directs, And as the Lord leads, in order, now listen carefully, in order to glorify the church, no. In order to make a name for ourselves, no. But in order to honor and glorify and magnify the head. I hope you get the point. We're not out men and women. to build a little empire. We're not out in the business or in the business of saying, the less you come to Balaamina Free Presbyterian Church, you're not right with God. That is pride and arrogance of the worst kind. And I repudiate that. We are here to function as the body of Christ in this place for Christ's glory, for Christ's honor, for the magnifying of His name, the features, the twin features of unity and diversity that mark the makeup of the body of Christ. I stress this to you. I know you see the full application of God when you get into the functioning of the body. But the outcome, the ultimate goal, is to magnify the Son of God. Whatever your part is, friend, whatever your role, whatever you can do as a member of the body of Jesus Christ, it is for the great sovereign purpose of fulfilling the will of Christ, glorifying the name of Christ, honoring all that He is and all that He means to His own dear people. We are to function as those who are members of the same body. Now, I'm going to leave it there today because I haven't time to deal with The subpoints, as we might call them. May I just close with this? Just bear with me. Again, I come back to those sitting here today who are not saved. And I trust, my friend, that you will realize as never before, from what we have said, that could we have stillness? May you realize as never before, my friend, that you are lost. absolutely lost. You may be identified with a denomination. You may even say with great pride, I wouldn't go anywhere but to the Tomb Road Church. You may tell people, I agree with its stand against apostasy and ecumenism and all the rest of it. But you don't realize, my friend, you're going to hell. You can be the most vociferous voice and protagonist for free Presbyterianism, and end up in the pit. Do you realize that? Because we seem to do something that is so important. You can only be part of the company of God's people through a spiritual birth and through this marvelous work of grace that unites men and women with Christ and brings them together and makes them one body. Oh, yes, they're all very diverse. And if you as an unsaved person watching on say to yourself sometimes, oh, what a motley crew they are! Because you can still see our faults, can't you? And you could start to talk, couldn't you, about all the hypocrites you know. And you could tell me, if you're sitting down at conversation with me, about all the people who say they're Christians and they have let you down and they have maybe even diddled you and been dishonest with you. My dear friend, I've met them too. But let me tell you something, your soul is far too precious to be damned over the head of some carnal hypocrite. Do you get what I mean? You need Christ. You need Him desperately. You need to be brought into this body. And you're not brought in by church attendance or any other outward observance or form. You're brought in by faith alone, in Christ alone, and joined to Him. And therefore, I warn you today, of your desperate need to come into union with the Savior and with His own true people. And you know, my dear friend, fine well that there are genuine Christians, maybe in your own family, maybe most close to you in this life, And that individual is a child of God, and you don't realize there will come a day when you will be severed one from the other forever. And you will go to hell, and that person will go to heaven. All because you would not come to Christ. Come to the Savior. And then, be brought into His body. Let us bow together before the Lord. Eternal God and our Father, we pray this day that the Holy Spirit will take the Word. O Lord, we ask Thee to give us understanding of what we have before us in these marvelous verses. Help us to see the reality of what Paul teaches here. Help us to see, Lord, the truth of this marvelous section. May thy people see its meaning and its significance. And, Lord, may there be a desire to function within the body as we should. Deal with the unconverted. Draw such to Christ. Save them even this day. by your sovereign grace. And part us with thy blessing, give traveling mercies, and watch over us. And may the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Spirit be the abiding portion of every child of God, both today and forever. Amen.