Relying on God/Lord VS Relying on the Body/Brothers and Sisters

 

Relying on God/Lord VS Relying on the Body/Brothers and Sisters

1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

Aspects	Relying on God/Lord	Scripture References	Relying on the Body/Brothers and Sisters	Scripture References
Meaning	- Complete dependence on God's leading and supply - Denying self and following the Lord - Building intimate relationship with God	- Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Psalm 62:8 "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."	- Relying on the Body of Christ - Building close relationships with brothers and sisters - Being built up in the Body	- Ephesians 4:16 "From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." - 1 Corinthians 12:21 "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'"
Distinction	- Vertical relationship - Direct connection with God - Spiritual dependence	- John 15:5 "Apart from me you can do nothing." - Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you."	- Horizontal relationship - Connection through member - Practical life dependence	- Ephesians 4:25 "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body."
Expression	- Taking up the cross daily - Denying self - Following the Lord	- Luke 9:23 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." - Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."	- Not being independent from brothers and sisters - Building proper relationship with the Body - Functioning in the Body	- Romans 12:4-5 "For just as each of us has one body with many members... so in Christ we, though many, form one body." - Ephesians 4:16 "From him the whole body... grows and builds itself up in love."
Examples	- Seeking the Lord's guidance in prayer - Waiting on the Lord in decisions - Seeking the Lord's presence in all things	- Philippians 4:13 "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." - Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD..."	- Accepting help from brothers and sisters - Participating in church life - Coordinating with members in service	- Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds... not giving up meeting together." - 1 Corinthians 12:12 "Just as a body, though one, has many parts..."
Application	- Practicing reliance on the Lord in daily life - Cultivating trust in the Lord - Building personal prayer life	- Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." - Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the LORD whatever you do."	- Active participation in church life - Being built up together with members - Maintaining proper relationships with members	- Colossians 2:19 "They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body... grows as God causes it to grow." - Ephesians 2:21-22 "In him the whole building is joined together..."
Results	- Experiencing the Lord's presence - Gaining genuine peace - Growth in life	- Isaiah 26:3-4 "Perfect peace... for they trust in you." - Psalm 125:1 "Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion."	- Being built up in the Body - Harmonious coordination with members - Corporate life manifested	- Ephesians 4:15-16 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body..." - Colossians 2:19 "The whole body... grows as God causes it to grow."

 

Relationship Between the Two:

1.      Mutually Inclusive:

o   Relying on the Lord naturally leads to relying on the Body

o   Relying on the Body is an expression of relying on the Lord

o   Scripture: Colossians 2:19 "Holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body... grows with a growth that is from God."

2.      Inseparable:

o   Being independent from the Body equals being independent from the Lord

o   Scripture: 1 John 4:20-21 "For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen."

3.      Key Principles:

o   Both aspects are essential for spiritual growth

o   The self is the greatest hindrance to both

o   True peace comes from proper relationship with both the Lord and the Body

o   Scripture: Ephesians 4:15-16 "Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

Note on the Self:

The self (independence) is the greatest obstacle to both aspects of reliance. When we are in the self:

• We cannot truly rely on the Lord
• We cannot be properly built into the Body
• We lose genuine peace
• Scripture: Luke 9:23 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

 

*Please refer to the International Training for Elders and Responsible Ones - October 2024

General Subject: Living in the Reality of the Kingdom of God

Week 4: The Exercise of the Kingdom for the Building Up of the Church