1 Cor. 12:14 For 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, it is not that because of this it is not of the body. (16) And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body, it is not that because of this it is not of the body. (17) If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were the hearing, where would the smelling be? (18) But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, even as He willed. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...
Our relationship with the Head is that of obedience, while our relationship with the Body is that of fellowship. Among the children of God, fellowship is a matter of reality and necessity. The life of the Body of Christ needs fellowship, without which there is only death. What is fellowship? Fellowship implies receiving of assistance from other members of the Body. For instance, I am the mouth; I can speak. But I need the fellowship of the ears in order to hear. I need the fellowship of the eyes to see. I need the fellowship of the hands to take things. I also need the fellowship of the feet to walk. Therefore, fellowship means that I receive a benefit from the special features of others. Some Christians do not understand the principle of fellowship. They want to seek spirituality as individuals, to pray by themselves, to do everything by themselves, to be the mouth, the ears, the hands, and the feet at the same time. But those who know the Lord are not so; they need fellowship. Fellowship implies the fact that we are limited, inadequate, and willing to accept what comes from others and take it as our own. Fellowship is not a mere doctrine but a reality. Experience tells us that occasionally on account of poor health or for other reasons we cannot pray or read the Bible well. Then do we fail? Do we fall? No. This is because there is a supply from the life of the Body. Many children of God have a similar experience, not once or twice but many times. Though we are weak, God carries us through because the members of the Body can mutually supply the needs of each other. Someone is praying, "May God be gracious to all His children." As life from another member of the Body flows into us, we are sustained. The life from the Body flows into us and carries us through. So we must realize that we live not merely by our own life but through the life that comes from the Body.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Watchman Nee, General Messages, Vol. 37, in The Collected Works of Watchman Nee, pp. 28-29. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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