God desires to gain churches for the local expression of His Body. No matter how large a locality is or how many saved ones there are in a locality, God desires that the saved ones in that place be the local expression of the Body. God desires that we not only maintain the oneness of the church in our locality, bearing a testimony of oneness, but even more that we express the Body of Christ in our locality. In fact, the oneness of the church is the oneness of the Body. Most people, especially medical doctors, readily admit the fact that the best example of oneness is our physical body. Very few things are more one than a body. Although there are many members in a body, the members are one.
Medical students have to spend several years in order to study the human body in depth. After they have diligently studied the human body for a number of years, they realize that it is difficult to commit every body part and detail to memory. There are many parts in a human body, and each part is complicated. Although there are many parts, they function entirely as one body. Since we have a body, we have some realization of the extent to which a body functions as one. If there is something lacking in the oneness of our body, we sense it immediately and are hindered in our movement. Similarly, if something is wrong with the oneness in the Body of Christ, the whole Body is hindered in its movement. When we serve together on the ground of oneness, not only do we need to be one in our condition, but even more we need to express the Body. The brothers and sisters may not have much feeling in regard to this point, but if the Lord opens our eyes to see the Body of Christ, such a seeing of the Body will subdue our whole being.
If God desired that each one of us be an individual Body, it would have been very convenient. However, God desires that we, though many, become one Body; this is rather difficult for us. When the Lord Jesus was on the earth, only twelve disciples were with Him, and they had quite a number of arguments and disputes. Today there are more than twelve people in the church. In the church in Taipei alone we have more than two thousand people. How can we become one Body? If we desire not to fight but to become one in the Body, one basic issue needs to be resolved; that is, every one of us needs the Lord’s dealing. Being dealt with in this regard is not to be dealt with in regard to defects or mistakes but in regard to our person. If the brothers and sisters continue to have the “I” in them, they cannot be members of the Body. If we would be members of the Body, our “I” must go.
To be a member, we must not have the “I.” We may use a simple illustration. Suppose a few brothers and I are serving the Lord together, either as elders or as responsible ones in the districts. In order to serve together, we must come together to discuss things. Hence, one day we may need to go to the place where we meet, and one brother may suggest that in order to save time we should hire a taxi. However, I may think that hiring a taxi costs too much and that we can get there by each riding a bicycle. While one party wants to save time, the other party wants to save money. Consequently, there may be an argument among us, and some may end up going by taxi, but I may declare that I dare not ride in the taxi. I may say that I dare not, but actually I am declaring that since my suggestion was not adopted, I do not want to be one with those taking the taxi. To be in coordination means that we need to put aside our own opinion. It is good to go by taxi, by bicycles, or even by foot. None of these ways offends the Lord or damages the Lord’s testimony. It does not matter which way we take. While the motive of some brothers is to save time, others may want to save money. In any case, if the brothers decide to go by taxi, I should not have another feeling and should simply go joyfully with the brothers in a taxi. Not only should I not have an opposing attitude, I should not even have any negative feeling concerning the matter.