Now I wish to ask you, why has the Lord regenerated you? The answer to this question is the main point of this message. Why has the Lord regenerated you, and what have you become as a result of being regenerated? Some might answer, “I am a Christian.” Of course, this is correct. Others may say, “I am a child of God,” or “I am a branch in the vine.” All of these answers are correct, but we must also realize that regeneration has made us members of the Body of Christ. There is a big difference between being a member of the Body of Christ and being an individual person. Once we are regenerated, we are no longer an individual person; we lose our individuality. Once we are regenerated, we become members of the Body of Christ. If we realize that we have become members of the Body of Christ, this will change our entire Christian life.
After you have heard such a word, if I were to ask you, “What are you today?” you might answer, “I am a member of the Body of Christ.” However, what would you answer if I asked, “Are you in the Body right now?” Consider this question, “Are you in the Body of Christ right now?” If I were to ask you this question, you may have some trouble answering me in a definite way. You realize that you are a member of the Body, so you cannot say no. However, you also realize that you are still so individual and independent of all the other members, so you dare not say yes either. If you were able to say yes in a definite way, then I would ask you a third question—“Who are the ones you are related to in the Body?” The first question is, “What are you?” If you answer, “I am a member,” then I would ask you, “Are you in the Body now?” If you answer yes to this second question, then I would also ask you, “To whom are you related?” In response to this third question, some may answer, “I am related to Christ.” While this answer is not incorrect, consider the members of our body. Take my hand for instance. Suppose that I were to ask my hand, “What are you?” If my hand could respond, it would say, “I am a member of the body of this man.” Then I would ask my hand, “Are you in the body now?” The hand would answer, “Yes, I am in the body.” Then I would ask the third question, “To whom are you related?” The hand would then say, “Mr. Lee, it is quite clear that I am related to the arm on one end and to the fingers on the other end.” Our relatedness to the other members proves that we are in the Body. If you say that firstly you are related to Christ the Head and secondly to the apostle Paul (because he was the most spiritual apostle and you like him the most), then I would say that you are not really in the Body. You are a member of the Body, but in your practical daily life, you are not in the Body. You may know the Scriptures so well, and even preach them and teach them much, but you are still an individual, independent Christian and are not related to anyone.
One of the leading brothers may say in response to this, “I meet with the brothers and other believers every day.” This may be the case, but to meet with the brothers and sisters is one thing, and to be related to the brothers and sisters is another. As a leading brother you may meet together with the brothers every day, but I would still ask you, “To whom are you related in a definite way?” The relatedness that I am referring to is not a matter of friendship. Friendship is not good enough. We must be related in the Spirit of Christ, in the Spirit of life. To whom are you related in the Spirit? This is something very vital.
We all have to be related to some other brothers or sisters in the Spirit in a definite way. The New Testament reveals that we are living stones for the purpose of being built together (1 Pet. 2:5). Stones that have been used to build a building are all related to each other. Each stone is related to at least two or three other stones. If the stones are not related, then there is no real building. If we say that we have been built up, then I would ask, “With whom have you been built up?” If you answer, “The brothers,” then I would ask, “Which specific brothers have you been directly built up with?” The proof that you have been built up is that you are related to some specific brothers and sisters. If you do not know whom you are related to, then I am afraid that you have not been built up. You are in the air, not in the building. If you really are built together with the saints then there will be some that you are related to. This is very practical.