Romans 12:4-8

DISCOURSE: 1907
CHRISTIANS ARE ALL MEMBERS OF ONE BODY

Romans 12:4. As we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

TO have the mind well instructed in religious principles is good: but we must never forget that the end of principle is practice; and that all the knowledge, whether of men or angels, will be of no service, if it do not operate to the renovation of our souls after the Divine image. Hence St. Paul, having established with irresistible force all the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel, proceeds to urge upon the Church at Rome a practical improvement of them. The first improvement of them is, to surrender up ourselves unfeignedly and unreservedly to God in a way of devout affection. The next is, to employ ourselves diligently for him in every office whereby we can benefit his Church and people. To the former of these the Apostle calls us in the first verse of this chapter: and to the latter, in the words which we have just read. But to this latter we are yet further called by the relation which we bear to the Church of God, whereof we are members: and in this view it is inculcated by the Apostle in our text.
Let us then consider,

I. The relation which we bear to one another—

As descendants of Adam, we are all members of one family, of which God is the universal Parent: but, as the redeemed of the Lord, we are brought into the nearest union with Christ, so as to be members of his body, and consequently to be “members also one of another.” To elucidate more fully this important truth, we will distinctly notice,

1. Our general connexion—

[All true Christians are parts of one great whole, even as the different members of our corporeal body are. All have their appropriate sphere of action, and ought to fulfil the peculiar duties for which they are fitted. Those who have a higher office in this mystical body have no ground for pride, seeing that “they have nothing which they have not received:” their place in the body, and their faculties, having been foreordained and given by Him “who divideth to every man severally as he will [Note: 1 Corinthians 12:4.].” On the other hand, they who have the lowest office have no reason for discontent: for they, in their place, are as necessary to the perfection of the whole, as any other member whatever. If they have a lower office than others, they have comparatively less responsibility: and, if they discharge their office conscientiously for the good of the whole and the glory of God, their improvement of their one talent will as certainly be acknowledged and rewarded by God, as the improvement which others may make of their ten talents.]

2. Our mutual dependence—

[No man is independent: no man is sufficient for his own welfare: no man can say to any other, I have no need of you [Note: 1 Corinthians 12:14.]. Every one is in want of many things that must be sub-plied by others: the eye needs the foot, as much as the foot needs the eye. No member possesses any thing for itself alone: the eye sees not for itself, nor does the ear hear for itself: it is for the whole that every member’s faculties are given; and for the whole must they be employed. If any member be afflicted, all the rest must sympathize with it, and administer to it: and if any member be particularly benefited, all the others must be partakers of its joy. Every one must consider the concerns of others as its own [Note: 1 Corinthians 12:25. with Philippians 2:4.]: nor must any one draw back from the most self-denying offices for the good of others. Is a hand bruised? the feet, the eye, the tongue, the ear, must all exert their respective talents to procure relief. No one must refuse to do what in him lies for the good of the others. The same members that now put forth their powers for the relief of one that is afflicted, may soon need from it a return of the same kind offices: and if any should say, I will give myself no trouble about this afflicted member, he will soon be made to see, that, by producing a schism in the body, he does the greatest injury to himself; it being impossible either to impart, or to withhold, the required assistance, without participating in the effects of its own conduct.]

3. Our individual interest—

[The interest of every individual member is, to get its own powers invigorated and enlarged. The more penetrating the eye, or the more expert the hand, the more it will be able to advance the good of the whole. Now every member of the Church being united unto Christ as his living Head, he should seek from Christ such gracious communications as may fit him more for the discharge of every office to which he is called. Whatever situation the member may hold in the body, its duty, and its interest also, is the same. It will not be advanced by-intruding into the offices of another, but by fulfilling its own, and getting a greater measure of activity and vigour in the discharge of them. In truth, each is advanced only in proportion as it contributes to the welfare of others. The feet, whilst keeping the whole body in health, enjoy health themselves: the hands, whilst they procure sustenance for the whole body, are themselves strengthened: and in seeking the good of the whole, each advances most the glory of that blessed Saviour, whose members they are [Note: 1 Corinthians 10:24.]. The Saviour’s glory and the welfare of the Church are so identified, that they cannot be separated from each other [Note: 1 Corinthians 10:27. with Ephesians 4:15.].

Thus we see the truth and propriety of the comparison in our text: for as all the members of our body are united to the head, and to each other by the head; as they also receive life and nourishment from the head, and act in subserviency to it and by its direction; and finally, as they all have precisely the same interests, and have a perfect communion with each other in all that relates to their welfare; so it is with the Church of God: all are united to Christ by faith: all, by virtue of their union with him, are united to each other in him: all have their separate endowments for the good of the whole: all should look upon each other as members of their own body, as much as his hands or feet are: and all should feel with, and act for, every other member, precisely as for himself. O that this our relation to Christ and to each other were felt and realized among the saints of every communion under heaven!]
But our view of this relation will answer no good end, unless we attend to,

II.

The duties arising from it—

The offices mentioned in our text, were, if not wholly, yet in a measure distinct, in the apostolic age. There were two great leading offices; the “prophesying,” or preaching of the word of God [Note: So the word frequently means; and does not necessarily include miraculous gifts. 1 Thessalonians 5:20.]; and “ministering” to the temporal necessities of the Church, as the deacons did [Note: The Greek word shews this.]. Under these two classes all the remainder may be arranged. Connected with those who prophesied were those also who “taught” and “exhorted:” and connected with the deacon’s office were those who “ruled,” or superintended the temporal concerns of the Church, “giving,” and dispensing its alms, and “shewing mercy” to those whose afflictions called for more than ordinary tenderness and compassion. But it is obvious that these various offices, even admitting that some of them were in the first instance associated with miraculous powers, are, in substance, of perpetual use and authority in the Church of Christ: there must still be persons to administer both spiritual instruction and temporal relief; and in many instances, the offices are most advantageously united. Without entering into any minute distinctions of this kind, we will content ourselves with saying in general, that, whatever station any of us hold in the Church of Christ, or whatever office we be called to execute, we should execute it,

1. With care and diligence—

[Certainly “prophesying,” or preaching the word of God, ought to be prosecuted with all imaginable care and diligence. We should, as “stewards of the mysteries of God,” administer to every one his portion in due season. We should “give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine,” “that so we may save both ourselves and them that hear us.” We should “take heed to our ministry that we fulfil it.” In like manner, if we perform any other office, visiting the sick, instructing the ignorant, relieving the necessitous, we should bestow much attention on the work, to execute it most for the benefit of the Church and the glory of God. It requires no small care to act so as most to counteract the effect of prejudice, and to render our efforts most beneficial to those for whom they are used. We must take care “not to let our good be evil spoken of,” and not to defeat by imprudence what, by a due attention to times and circumstances, might have been advantageously accomplished [Note: Matthew 7:6.]

2. With patience and perseverance—

[We must expect to meet with difficulties in every service which we are called to perform. But we must not be discouraged by them. We must go forward, like St. Paul, “not moved by any trials,” “nor counting our lives dear to us,” if we be called to sacrifice them in the way of duty. Whatever we may meet with, we must “not faint or be weary in well doing,” but, “by patient continuance in it,” approve ourselves faithful unto death. Sometimes the difficulties will arise from one quarter, and sometimes from another: sometimes they will assume the garb of humility, and make us pretend unfitness for the work we have undertaken. But we must guard against this delusion: it may be true enough, that we are unfit; but that unfitness may proceed from our own sloth and want of spirituality; in which case it is not an excuse for us, but an aggravation of our guilt. We should rise to the occasion: “If the axe be blunt, we should put to the more strength [Note: Ecclesiastes 10:10.]:” and if we feel ourselves beginning to faint, we must entreat of God to “strengthen us with might in our inward man,” and to “give us always all-sufficiency in all things.” We do not mean by this to encourage any to undertake offices for which they are altogether unfit; but to guard you against “putting your hand to the plough, and looking back again:” for “if any man draw back, my soul, says God, shall have no pleasure in him.” Possibly a want of success may be pleaded by us as an excuse: but that is no excuse. If, like Hosea, we were to labour for seventy years with little apparent benefit, it would be no reason for abandoning the Lord’s work. “To plant and water,” is our part; “to give the increase,” is God’s: and whether we have any success or not, our duty is the same, both to Christ our Head, and to all the members of his body. It should be sufficient for us to know, that we have laboured to do the will of God. If we see the fruit of our labours, well; we have reason to be thankful for it: but, if not, then we must be satisfied with the assurance, that, “though Israel be not gathered, yet shall God be glorious,” yea, and our reward also shall be equally great: for “every man shall receive,” not according to his success, but “according to his own labour [Note: 1 Corinthians 3:8.].”]

3. With love and cheerfulness—

[We must do “nothing grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth in all things a cheerful giver.” It may be that the conduct of those whose benefit we seek, may be less amiable than might be wished. In every department, whether the more public one of preachers, or the more private one of visiting the sick, we may find much perverseness and ingratitude. But our delight must be in our work: we must enter upon it readily, and perform it cheerfully; and heap coals of fire on the heads of those who render evil for good. By kindness we may remove prejudice and conciliate regard: and by a want of it we may defeat our own most benevolent purposes. Study then a suavity of manner: if called to “speak the truth,” speak it “in love;” and, as the Apostle says, “Let all your things be done with charity.”
If it he said, that to practise this is difficult; true, it is so; yea, and impossible to those who know not their relation to Christ, and to one another: but to those who look to Christ as their living Head, and who receive out of his fulness, nothing is impossible: “Through Christ strengthening us we can do all things.” Nor, if we regard our brother as a member of our own body, shall we find this so difficult: for who ever was backward to assuage his own pains, or relieve his own necessities? If, moreover, we consider the Lord Jesus Christ himself as relieved in the relief conferred on his distressed members, shall we then need any stimulus to exertion? No: it will be our joy to perform towards him every office of love. Thus think ye then, and thus act; and know, that “not even a cup of cold water shall lose its reward.”]