“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.” These famous words are attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. He saw very little of Christ in the lives of Christians. As Gandhi observed Christians in Europe, he saw racism and self-righteousness instead of love. Once he was asked to leave a church service because he was not white, and he was routinely denied rooms and tables at Christian-owned hotels and restaurants because he was a Hindu.[1] Gandhi saw very little of Christ in the lives of Christians. Unfortunately, Gandhi was not alone in his negative experience with Christians and the church.
Today’s passage is about Christ and the Church. It tells us about what the church is supposed to be, and what the church can be. Perhaps Paul would not explicitly intend, but through his words and his life he shows us a shining example of what it means to be a church member. We meet the people saying, “I love Jesus, but not the church.” But it’s like saying, “I love your head, but the body,” because the church is the body of Christ. Being a Christian and being a church member are inseparable. They are one and always together, like hand in glove. So what does it mean to be a church member? Today’s scripture may not give the complete picture, but it does give us a sufficient enough picture to live out our faith as a member of the body of Christ.
Prisoner for Christ
First of all, a church member is the one who pledges the highest allegiance to Christ. In today’s scripture Paul describes himself in this way: “I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles” (v. 1). Humanly speaking, he was not Christ’s prisoner but Nero’s. When Paul wrote this letter to Ephesian Christians, he was in prison. At that time he had appealed to the Emperor, and so to the Emperor he had been committed for trial. But Paul never let his circumstances define him and his identity. He always let Christ define him. He was so convinced that the whole of his life, including his suffering, his persecution, his imprisonment, was under the lordship of Jesus. Paul firmly believed if he was a prisoner, he was Christ’s prisoner. By this, he expressed his greatest allegiance to Christ. Paul was a true Christian, a true church member.
Once Rick Warren interviewed Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. Warren asked, “Your life and ministry have been so blessed and fruitful in many ways. What is the secret?” Then, Bright told his story. He was living without God and without hope in his early 20’s. But through his pastor, he received Christ. And he just fell in love with Jesus. One Sunday morning, led by the Holy Spirit, he and his wife literally wrote out a contract of total surrender of their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they signed the contract to become Christ’s slave. During the interview, Bright said, “My wife and I have been slaves now for 50 some years, and I must tell you it's the most liberating thing that's ever happened to me… My life's message is be a slave of Jesus. And all that involves. Love your master, trust your master and obey your master. Obviously, I'm a son of God, heir of God, joint-heir with Christ, and if He was described as a slave… this to me is the highest privilege anyone could know. I evaluate everything I do in light of what He wants me to do. I try to relate every move, every day, in light of how I can help fulfill His Great Commission and fulfill His commandments.”[2] Church members are those who always live under the lordship of Jesus Christ and let Christ define them.
Unifier for Christ
Secondly, a church member is a unifier. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul stresses the unity of the church over and over again. Unity is the theme that dominates particularly chapters 2–5. In today’s scripture Paul uses the word “mystery” at least four times. This mystery was hidden for ages, but now it has been revealed, that is, “the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (v. 6). So God’s mystery and eternal purpose is to unify all people, both Jews and Gentiles, and to make them fellow heirs together, fellow members together, fellow partakers together through Jesus Christ.
I think Martin Luther King Jr. and Billy Graham showed us a great example through their friendship of what it means to be a unifying member. They both came from very different backgrounds in terms of their theology, their culture, their experience. However, they saw amazingly positive things to each other’s ministry and expressed their appreciation to each other. This is back in the 50’s and 60’s when racial tensions ran high. Once Graham said to Martin Luther King, “I will stay in the stadium and make them integrated. And you go ahead on the street and do your thing.” Graham was well known for integrating his ministry and insisting on integrated crowds at many of his rallies – including demanding integrated seating at a 1953 crusade; integrating his own ministry staff in 1957, etc. In his later years, but still Graham lamented, wishing he’d done more for the cause of racial equality. And he publicly repented and asked for forgiveness, even though he had done so much. While Graham and MLK were in Latin America together for mission, Dr. King said, “Had it not been for the ministry of my good friend Dr. Billy Graham, my work in the civil rights movement would not have been as successful as it has been.” True church members never put down another member, another human being. They always unify, always strengthen, always build up the body of Christ.
Sufferer for Christ
Thirdly, a church member is the one who sacrifices himself or herself for the greater good or to help others. As Paul closes today’s passage, he prays this way: “I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory” (v. 13). Suffering is a mystery. Though we may not fully grasp the mystery of suffering, what we know is, Christ lived among us as the Suffering Servant (cf. Isa 53), and there is still the kind of suffering the church, Christ’s body, has to take on today. If I don’t take my share in the church’s part of that suffering, another church member has to take mine in addition to his or her share. In Colossians 1:24 Paul welcomes the chance to take his share and is willing to take more for the church, saying, “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” (Col 1:24, NRSV; also, cf. MSG). As we so freely give up our interests and preferences, as we so willingly give ourselves in the work of Christ’s church by our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness, God’s name will be honored, God’s kingdom come, God’s will be done.
In June of 2002 a group of nine coal miners made national headlines during a 77-hour ordeal to rescue them from a flooded underground mine in western Pennsylvania. The story about how they could possibly survive for those long hours is inspiring. When they recognized that the path was closed and the water was rising, they were willing to give themselves to save the lives of the others and share everything they had. A sandwich and a soda they shared. They huddled together to share body heat. They even took turns sharing the little piece of dry space above the water. They tied themselves together to keep anyone from floating off in unconsciousness. They bound themselves one to the other with the commitment that they would live or die as a group.[3] I think this story gives us a vivid image of what it means to be the church and a member of it. True church members are not self-seeking or self-serving, but rather self-giving and self-sacrificing.
I Am a Church Member
So what defines you? And how do you describe yourself? Let Christ define your identity, not circumstances. Paul describes himself as a prisoner for Christ, unifier for Christ, and sufferer for Christ. And he did it not as a lone ranger, but as a church member. Paul was keenly aware that at the center of God’s eternal purpose is the church. He knew that God would accomplish his purpose through the church (v. 10). To God, the church is central to human history, central to the gospel, central to Christian living. So Paul always made every effort to build up the church, the body of Christ, as a church member.
Are you a Christian? Then, you are also a church member. If you are the member, you are then invited to live as a prisoner, unifier, and sufferer for Christ. John Wesley always encouraged his people to live out their faith by doing good to the household of faith and to all people, saying, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” As we put this into practice as a church member, people will see it and say, “I like your Christ, and I like your Church.” And God will get the glory. Amen.
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[1] Scott Sauls, Jesus Outside the Lines, (p. 117). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
[2] “Rick Warren Interviews Bill Bright,” http://www.nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview011.htm
[3] Bryan Chapell, Ephesians (p. 148). P&R Publishing. Kindle Edition.
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