CAC LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL November 1, 2021 (UNITY IN DIVERSITY)
TOPIC: UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Read 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 d gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
MEMORISE: Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually (1 Corinthians 12:27)
EXPOSITION
One of the lethal instruments the devil has ever used to attack the Church is disunity. Thank God the early Church quickly nipped something similar in the bud before it blossomed (Acts 6:1ff). The body of Christ, though has many parts, ought to be unity, and that is why he causes divisions and contradictions among Christ’s believers.
We are to be actively involved in building bridges, and not walls. Bridges link one separate side of the road to the other for mutually beneficial purposes. Conversely, walls are partitions that serve as blockage to having contact with others. Satan is assiduously in the business of employing disunity against us. He strives to blow away the bridges that connect God’s people.
What unites, not what separates believers should be what we dwell on. As the body contains different parts, so does the body of Christ contain different members and ministries. Yet, Christ is the Head of all. How can the members of the same body continue to work against themselves? Because you serve in a capacity you think is very unique, doesn’t mean that others serving in other capacities are less important. If we are going to be finally united with our Lord and King in Heaven, we had better cultivated true unity right from here and now.
It is in unity that we can successfully fight Satan to stand still. The unity of the early Christians really helped them to spread the Gospel. It is being united in spirit that made Deacon Philip to send to Peter and other leaders that people in Samaria had accepted the Gospel. Shelve your ego, and let the heavenly goal be your watchword. Endeavour (put every effort, try with all strength) to keep the unity of the Church (Eph. 4:1ff). May we be united as Christ demands. Amen.
PRAYER POINTS
1. I refuse to be an agent of disunity in the body of Christ, in Jesus’ name.
2. Lord, help the Church to cease from working against herself.
3. Lord, help believers to concentrate more on what binds us together in Christ than our differences.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:
Jeremiah 14:9 – 17:7; 2 Timothy 1:11 – 2:13
Author: C.A.C WORLDWIDE
Remain blessed!