“Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites!”
We hear slams like this one over and over again by unbelievers and believers alike. Yet, in all honesty, there is a bit of truth to this statement—at least at times in our lives, right?
Face it: Those of us who label ourselves Christian can be some of the most prideful, self-righteous people on the planet. We’ve made for ourselves a subculture with our own music, television stations, magazines and newspapers. We manufacture our own line of jewelry with crosses and purity rings. We post bumper stickers on our cars claiming, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven” right next to silver fish symbols.
There are “Christian-only” housing communities. Some business owners give discounts to those who say, “I’m a Christian” or “I work at [fill-in-the-blank] ministry.” We have our own buzzwords, such as cell groups, megachurch, born again and on fire. The church we attend determines our status. Some of us even dress the same.
But hey, we’re all caught up in the perks and quirks of subculture Christianity. Besides, saving a few bucks in car repairs with the Christian discount isn’t so bad—right?
Actually, maybe it’s time to readjust our thinking.
Do you find yourself following the Christian crowd? Is your faith based on the latest self-help book written by a respected Christian author? If someone asked you why you believe in Jesus Christ and the Bible, can you give an answer without using Christianese?
What does it truly mean to be a member of the body of Christ?
United in Faith
We’re talking about real faith and real Christianity here. To find out what this faith is all about, we must look to the source, to the foundation of our faith, the very cornerstone: Jesus Christ.
What did He say about His body, the Church? Fortunately, John’s Gospel outlines in detail Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. Without John’s insight, we would still be speculating on what was going through Jesus’ mind during those early morning hours before He was crucified. In this particular prayer, found in John 17, our Lord prayed for Himself, for His disciples and for all believers—which includes you and me! He thought of us that night. What exactly did He petition His Father for on our behalf?
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you” (John 17:20-21).
His desire was for the body of believers to be united with each other and with Him. OK, so maybe it isn’t necessarily wrong for us Christians to love the time we have together. Even complete strangers can be instantly bonded with one another through a common commitment to Christ.
Fellowship with the body of Christ is a good thing. It’s necessary for the good health of a believer.
Christ’s Love Is the Key
In John 17:23, Jesus prays, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
How convicting! Does the world around me know that God sent His Son, Jesus? Does my life indicate that Jesus loves them as much as God loves Jesus?
Again and again, Jesus emphasized unity in the body. If there were disunity, the world would have a hard time believing in Christ as Savior. If we do not love each other, we cannot show Christlike love to others. This love must be flowing inside the body and flowing to all those we encounter.
It’s a Global Thing
The body of believers is not defined by a church building. It spans the entire globe. The body works together, not just to host potlucks after Sunday morning service but to feed the physically and spiritually hungry. The body must be united in the cause of Jesus Christ. It must tell the world that God loves them so much that He put His Son on the sacrificial altar so that we can spend eternity with Him.
Here’s something you can do during a quiet time this month: Pick out your favorite instrumental song and load it onto your MP3 player. Read Jesus’ prayer in John 17 as your music plays in your headset. Listen to His words come alive with passion and thank Him for praying for you that early morning in Gethsemane.
A guy who wants real faith . . .
. . . sees the body of Christ as one functioning unit. There will always be disagreements in the church. It is to be expected with imperfect humans. However, God desires unity in purpose. We must strive toward that goal of a unified body.
. . . encourages other members in their purpose. Some communities of believers worship God by dancing and waving flags. Others worship God by reverent singing of hymns passed down from believers long past. We could write an entire 12-volume set of differences in the body of believers, but we won’t. We’d rather encourage our brothers in their own gifts and talents and finding ways to work together to be Christ in a lost world. 
