“Then God said, Let Us make
man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the
earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth”. Genesis 1:26
When God wanted to create
the real intent in His heart, He didn’t embark on it on His own. He needed a
team to carry out His original intent-it was an “US” affair. He went on to give
the mandate to “THEM”. We were never wired for independence but interdependence.
When people say, “I just
want to mind my business/I just want to serve God”, that’s an antichrist
statement. You cannot truly be in fellowship with God and not be in fellowship
with men.
When we hear the word
church? What comes to mind? The church is the body of Christ; it is also known
as the army of Christ and the army is made up of soldiers. Just like a soldier
cannot function alone except with the army of soldiers, so also, the body of
Christ cannot function alone. There are different parts in the body, each with
its own unique feature, but nevertheless, each part needs the other to function
effectively. However, what is common to both is STRUCTURE. This means there’s a
part for everyone to fit in and it must be respected.
Sadly, we tend to have more
regard and respect for human structure and less regard for the structure of
God.
“For this reason I bow my knees to the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth
is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may
dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in
love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length
and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that
you may be filled with all the fullness of God”. Ephesians 3:14
The terms being used in this
verse of scriptures gives one a picture-that of a family-God was referred to
here as Father. Thus, it gives the picture of a family, coexistence. Strength
is a requirement for the journey of life. You can never come into the fullness
of God in isolation no matter how much you live Him. What you know of God is as
He reveals to you per time, to know more of God, you need the contribution,
partnership of others to come into more of God. Daniel had a company while in
Babylon, he didn’t walk alone.
Anyone who has genuinely
encountered God will love the people of God. It is an antichrist spirit to
believe it is only God you are in fellowship with or just with the man God sent
you to. Life is about relationship. Every dealing with man is dealing with God.
To come into the fullness of God, you have to fellowship with the saints. It
was at the point we began to embrace strange cultures and lifestyle that are
alien to scriptures, we also began to see strange culture and lifestyle creep
into the church-His body.
“…There is one body and one Spirit, just
as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one
baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in
you all…When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to
men." (Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that
He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is
also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all
things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for
the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come
to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect
man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…from whom the
whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to
the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the
body for the edifying of itself in love”. Ephesians 4:1-16.
Looking at the scriptures
above, we know that this is the structure of God. The saints cannot be equipped
nor perfected without the input of these ministry gifts ordained by God. In
order to play your role effectively in the body, you must give yourself to be impacted
by the ministry gifts. We cannot be built up in isolation nor can you build
yourself by yourself. Our unity is an internal one. Every part has a part to
play, every part should know it’s connected to the body and should be supplying
what it’s meant to supply. This structure must be regarded if we must get ready
and prepared for His coming.
“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for
they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so
with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you”. Hebrews 13:17.
If the scripture says to
obey, obey. You mustn’t be forced to obey those God has set over you. Don’t
frustrate them so they will not become grieved. And truly, it is for your
benefit if you make up your mind to obey them. If you do not see beyond man,
you would be at variance with God’s instruction and structure.
“Early the next morning the
people went out to the wild country near Tekoa. As they were starting out,
Jehoshaphat addressed them with these words: People of Judah and Jerusalem! Put
your trust in the LORD your God, and you will stand your ground. Believe what
his prophets tell you, and you will succeed”. 2 Chronicles 20:20 GNB.
God is in heaven and
whatever God will do on the earth, it is a combination of both man and the Holy
Ghost. Believe God’s Prophet-the one who has been sent by God because he has
not come on his own behest but as sent by God with His word.
