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DRAWING NEAR
January 31
Complementing Christ
God exalted Christ "and gave Him as head over all things to the
church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in
all" (Eph. 1:22-23).
The church was designed to complement Christ.
Here Paul uses a graphic analogy to illustrate the relationship of
Christ to the church: He is the head; believers are His body. Paul
elaborates that we're to hold "fast to the head [Christ], from whom
the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and
ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God" (Col. 2:19; cf.
Eph. 4:15-16).
Just as the head controls the human body, so Christ governs His Body,
the church (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-31). By His Spirit and His Word He
supplies all the resources the church needs to function to His glory.
In that way He guarantees that His purposes will be fulfilled.
The church is in fact "the fulness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph.
1:22-23). The implication is that the incomprehensible,
all-sufficient, all-powerful, and utterly supreme Christ is in a
sense incomplete --not in His nature, but in the degree to which His
glory is seen in the world.
A synonym for "fulness" is "complement." The church was designed to
complement Christ. He is the One who "fills all in all"--the fullness
of deity in bodily form (Col. 2:9) and the giver of truth and grace
(John 1:14). Yet He chooses to reveal His glory in and through the
church. Therefore, until the church is fully glorified, Christ will
not be fully complemented.
Does your life complement Christ? Do you "adorn the doctrine of God
our Savior in every respect" (Titus 2:10)? Do you "let your light
shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and
glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16)? You have every
spiritual resource to do so, so don't let anything hold you back
(Heb. 12:1-2)!
Suggestions for Prayer:
Read Psalm 139:23-24 and pray with David that God will search your
heart and reveal any sin that might hinder you from complementing
Christ today.
For Further Study:
Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-30
1. What spiritual gifts are mentioned in this passage?
2. How does Paul deal with the misconception that some gifts are more
important than others (see vv.14-30)?
3. As a member of Christ's Body, you are gifted by the Spirit to
minister to others. Are you doing so?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Colossians 2:19b
....the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by
joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
Ephesians 4:15-16
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into
Him who is the head; Christ;
16 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.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members
of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
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.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the
body," is it therefore not of the body?
16 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?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the
whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body
just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor
again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be
weaker are necessary.
23 And those members of the body which we think to be less
honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable
parts have greater modesty,
24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the
body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members
should have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if
one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all
workers of miracles?
30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all
interpret?
31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more
excellent way.
Ephesians 1:22-23
22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head
over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Colossians 2:9
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth.
Titus 2:10
not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the
doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily
ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set
before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for
the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God.
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my
anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way
everlasting.
1 Corinthians 12:1-31
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be
ignorant:
2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols,
however you were led.
3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit
of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord
except by the Holy Spirit.
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God
who works all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the
profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to
another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings
by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to
another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues,
to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing
to each one individually as He wills.
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members
of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
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.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the
body," is it therefore not of the body?
16 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?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the
whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body
just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor
again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be
weaker are necessary.
23 And those members of the body which we think to be less
honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable
parts have greater modesty,
24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the
body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it,
25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members
should have the same care for one another.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if
one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all
workers of miracles?
30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all
interpret?
31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more
excellent way.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@wowway.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425
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There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
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