God makes this kind of arrangement to show that the function of the universal Body of Christ should be the function of the church in any given locality, regardless of its size. We all must see that the expression of the church as the Body of Christ is one. Seeing this will preserve us from being divided. In addition, in regard to the function of the church as the Body of Christ, we need to see that we are all members of the Body of Christ and that we should all fulfill our function as members. In the church life there is a basic matter that we need to pay attention to; that is, the function of the church in relation to Christ is that of a body. Thus, every member of the Body must fulfill his function.
The church is the Body of Christ, and all the saved ones are members of the Body. As a result, for the past few years we have paid much attention to the principle of service in the Body. The principle of serving in the Body is that every saved one needs to fulfill his function as a living member. This principle is crucial. When we come together, we are not merely gathering together as an assembly to express Christ within a certain locality; rather, we are members one of another, each one fulfilling his function, so that the church can be Christ’s living Body in practicality. According to the biblical viewpoint, in addition to our own experience and study of church history, there are two necessary conditions that must be met for the accomplishment of this matter.
The first condition is related to the saints’ personal growth in life. The saints are not only saved individuals but also members of the Body of Christ. In order for these members to fulfill their function, they need to grow in life. The brothers and sisters who study medicine can tell us that when a baby is born, he possesses all the members of a body, but initially the functions of these members are not fully manifested. For example, although a baby has eyes, he cannot see clearly; although he has hands, he cannot hold things well; although he has feet, he cannot walk; and although he has a brain, he cannot think clearly. He cannot do these things because he is immature, not because he has a disease. Hence, the baby needs to gradually grow in life until his eyes can see clearly, his hands can hold things well, his feet can walk, and his mind can think clearly. Furthermore, while he is growing, he must not encounter any serious illness. If any member experiences too much illness, it will not be able to carry out its function.
For the believers to grow without any hindrance is altogether a matter of life. After the brothers and sisters are saved, they are all members; nevertheless, if they fail to grow in life, or if they experience hindrances in regard to their growth, they cannot be expected to fulfill their functions as members. For this reason, we need to lead the brothers and sisters in the matter of life, help them grow in life, and deal with any hindrances that arise. This kind of leading is necessary for the brothers and sisters to grow properly, manifest their functions as members, and realize their position as members one of another. In this way, Christ will be able to express Himself in their locality, and they will become a miniature expression of Christ.
The subject of Romans is not merely justification by faith. Much more, Romans speaks concerning how we sinners are constituted into the Body of Christ, which is expressed as local churches. Romans 1 speaks of sinners under God’s wrath, chapter 2 speaks of sinners under God’s condemnation and judgment, and chapters 3 and 4 speak of being justified by God and saved through God’s grace. Chapters 5 and 6 speak of the believers’ old man and old nature being crucified with the Lord. Chapter 7 speaks of believers still having the flesh and still being under the bondage of sin. Chapter 8 speaks of believers having the law of the Spirit of life, which enables them to live not by their self and flesh but by the spirit. Chapters 9 through 11 are an insertion that speaks of God’s choosing. Then chapter 12 says that once a believer has been saved, he becomes a member of the Body of Christ and should practice the Body life. Furthermore, the brothers and sisters who enter into the Body life manifest their functions through the exercise of gifts.
In Romans 12, once a believer consecrates himself (v. 1), he learns to live in the Body and to coordinate with the brothers and sisters as the Body of Christ. This shows that function is primarily related to growth in life. If we live in Romans 3 through 5, even though we are saved and are members of the Body of Christ, our function as members will not yet be manifested. One of us may be an eye, but the function of an eye will not yet be manifested. Likewise, one of us may be a hand, but the function of a hand will not yet be manifested. Thus, we need to grow. At the same time, we need to avoid developing any troubling hindrances but should learn to coordinate and function together with the saints.
Prior to Romans 12 there is no mention of how Christians should serve and live. These chapters show only that Christians were formerly sinners and that they have been justified by God and crucified with Christ in order to live in the Holy Spirit. These may seem to be individual matters. However, the Christian life and living are matters entirely related to the Body. If we truly live in the Spirit, we will immediately see that we are members of the Body (Eph. 4:4). This is the reason Romans 12 begins by telling us how to serve God in the Body, live the Body life, and function as members one of another. Even the loving of others and the prayer spoken of in verses 9 through 12 are matters in the Body. In other words, loving others and praying are functions of the members of the Body.
The entire Christian living is a living in the Body, and the entire Christian service is a service carried out in the Body. To function as members in the Body is not only to serve but even to live. This is the Christian living and service spoken of in Romans 12 through 16. It is the result of the growth of the Body unto the manifestation of its functions. Hence, if we want the brothers and sisters in a locality to function as members one of another, we must lead them to properly and healthily grow in life.