Thinking through literal relationships

Last Sunday, in outlining the number of times Paul's epistles emphasize the need for practical unity, Preacher Alex Kurz explained, "We know we enjoy this positional oneness, but how is that channeled in our literal relationships one with each other? The doctrine is given to the Body of Christ for the proper maintenance of this body life we share; this vital union we enjoy.

"It's interesting that it all begins with a way of thinking. Understand that practical unity does not happen spontaneously, or without willful deliberate effort. We can't enjoy it naturally if we're not careful. It just doesn't happen. Like anything else in life, you know, the laws of thermodynamics. If you aren't maintaining, caring, working at it . . . by nature, division and dysfunction is actually the natural outcome.

"Things don't get better over time; things get worse over time. Take an automobile or any piece of machinery. Take your physical body. If you don't care for it, if you aren't intervening, it's going to naturally break down.

"These truths are intended to bring health and functional vitality to all of the individual members. I want to stress again, this doesn't just happen when we all sit in the same room. Unity is the result of deliberately applying specific doctrines and there's a lot of information the Apostle Paul stresses here.

"It all starts with the thinking process. Practical unity has everything to do with the way we're thinking, not only about ourselves, but just as importantly, our thinking about the other members of the body.

"Romans 12: [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

[3] For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
[4] For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: [5] So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

"I want you to notice something very carefully. When Paul exhorts the Romans (by default the rest of us, the church the Body of Christ) we're supposed to be renewing our mind. The exhortation is we have to change the way we're thinking; we have to displace our old patterns and habits of thinking with the new.

"The first area Paul addresses in relationship to our renewed way of thinking is verse 3. From there onward he tells us what is 'that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.'

"When Paul talks about the will of God, he doesn't leave us to tread in a vacuum; we don't have to make up what is 'that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.' Paul's going to TELL us what it is.

"Notice he begins verse 3, 'For I say.' He's going to tell us what he's talking about. You see how Paul's appealing to the renewed mind here?

"By nature we have a tendency to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. That results in crippling division. That's what Paul's talking about in I Corinthians 12. How can any body part suggest, 'You're not as valuable or as important'?"

(new article tomorrow)