Now we must consider the view from our side. In chapter one we saw that we were sinners and that neither culture nor religion could help us. Regardless of the kind of people we were, we were all under God’s condemnation. Our problems began to be solved in chapter three with God’s redemption. Then came justification, reconciliation, identification, sanctification, conformation, and glorification. Following this, we come to chapter twelve where we find ourselves, being transformed, in the Body. We have become members of the Body. Many Christians are satisfied with the experience of Romans 8. As long as they are holy and spiritual, they are content. However, others proceed further and talk about the Body revealed in Romans 12. Nevertheless, if you inquire of them, you will find that many of them are disappointed and say, “We know that there is such a thing as the Body, but we have no way to practice it. Where is the Body? How can we have it and practice it?” Some Christians use the terms “Body life” and “Body ministry,” but by Body ministry they mean a few persons ministering instead of one pastor. That is their concept of Body ministry. Therefore, I must ask you, Where is the Body? Many seeking Christians cannot find it and have no way of realizing it.
Most of those who talk about the Body in Romans 12 have neglected the practice of Romans 14. However, it is impossible to have the reality of chapter twelve without the proper practice of chapter fourteen. Without Romans 14, we cannot have the Body, because without the practice of receiving the believers revealed in this chapter, Christians will remain divided over doctrinal concepts. Doctrine divides; life unites. Christian history has fully proved that no doctrine builds up; every doctrine is divisive. Whether or not a doctrine is scriptural or unscriptural, right or wrong, it still divides. Christianity has been cut into thousands of pieces by all the different doctrines. Without exception every doctrine has produced a sect or division. There is no need to say that cultic doctrines divide; even the proper, sound, fundamental, scriptural, spiritual doctrines are divisive. Therefore, we should not devote our attention to doctrine. Instead we should pray, “Lord, rescue us from all doctrinal concepts. Lord, bring us into Yourself. You are our unique concept. Our concept is Christ.” Christ is one; doctrines are many. Christ must be our unique concept.
This was Paul’s meaning when he told us “to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus” (15:5). The Jewish believers in the ancient times held many doctrinal tenets. Also, a number of the Gentile believers held certain philosophical concepts. We learn from church history that during the time of the Apostle Paul the religious background of the Jews and the cultural background of the Gentiles created problems in the church life. Although the Jews and the Gentiles were genuine believers in the Lord Jesus, they brought with them into the church life their concepts from their backgrounds, the Jews bringing their religious beliefs and the Gentiles their philosophical concepts. Some so-called Gentile believers considered that their philosophy corresponded to much of biblical teaching. As a result, the saints found it difficult to be one. Thus, Paul told them to drop their doctrinal concepts for the sake of unity. Paul told the Jewish and the Gentile believers alike to come to Christ and take Christ as their life and concept. Thus, Paul told the believers that Christ is for both the circumcision and for the nations. Christ is the root of Jesse, the source of supply for all the Jews, and He is the One who rises to rule over the nations. Christ’s rule over the nations is sweet, gracious, and full of healing. Christ embraces both Jews and Gentiles together as one Body. Thus, we must forget our Jewish or Gentile background, our religious or philosophical background, and keep Christ as our unique concept. We must have nothing but Christ. If someone should ask you about philosophy, you should reply, “I don’t know any philosophy. What I know is only Christ.” If someone asks you a question about religion, you should respond, “I have no religion. Christ is my life and my everything. I only have Christ.” Christ is the root of Jesse and Christ is the One who will rule over the nations.
In the book of Romans we see that the Apostle Paul was absolutely for the local churches. In 16:1 he recommended Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea. Paul’s first recommendation was of a sister serving in a particular local church. Do not recommend any believer who does not have a local church. Do not say, “I commend to you sister So-and-So who belongs to the Body of Christ and who is traveling around the world.” I have no doubt that such a sister belongs to the Body of Christ, but where is her church? Once I know her church, I would then like to know what kind of sister she is in that church. Does she attend meetings only on Sunday mornings to receive teachings? Is she a sister who serves the church? How does she serve the church? The church is practical. It should not be just a term or a theory. So, we have to be practical in the church life, participating in some definite function in the local church like Sister Phoebe did in the local church at Cenchrea. We were sinners under God’s condemnation in chapter one. Through the process in chapters three through fifteen, in chapter sixteen, we are the saints composing the local churches. Praise God for His redeeming, sanctifying, transforming, and building work! This is the masterpiece of His work.