The apostle Paul taught that the human body is a type or model of the Lord’s body, the church. Just as the human body is made up of many parts which function differently but fit together to make one body, so is the church. Just as our body is a unity of diversity and not conformity, so is His body. So, why doesn’t the body of Christ  reflect this?

A simple answer is the same spirit of racism and bigotry that has created deadly divisions among the nations now dominates much of the church. Racism is a fundamental enemy, because it is the result of two fundamental evils: fear and pride. We become racists when we fear those who are different from us, or when we arrogantly think we are better than those who are different from us. When we subject ourselves to both, it is a deadly combination which keeps us separated from and hostile toward others.

My physical body does not need five hearts, or even two, but just one good one. If my lungs want to start functioning like my heart, that could be catastrophic and lead to serious problems. It is the uniqueness of each individual part and how they fit together that enables the body to live and function properly. The same is true of the Lord’s body. If a body of believers is alike or trying to be alike and functioning in the same role, it will not experience the true life of Christ.

One profound aspect of Christian maturity is deliverance from the fear and/or pride of spiritual bigotry which would compel us to gather only with those who act and think like us. This is the same tendency that keeps all the evangelists in one movement, all the teachers in another, and all the pastors in yet another, etc. Each body needs evangelists, pastors, teachers, and prophets properly equipped according to Ephesians 4. True apostolic works create congregations that have and receive from all the equipping ministries listed in Ephesians 4, since all are required to “grow up into all things into Christ,” not just some things.

In place of the boring uniformity found in most churches today, Christ’s body is called to be one of exciting diversity. When people who are unique and different unify under a common purpose, it has a much greater glory and witness than when those who are alike gather. Consider the remarkable statement made by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 1:4-7:

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus,

that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge,

even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you,

so that you are not lacking in any gift… [italics added]

Here we see a stunning picture of what the Lord’s body is supposed to look like. First, “in everything” they were enriched in Him, not just in some things. Next, and most importantly, we see “the testimony of Christ” was confirmed in them because they were not lacking in any gift. The testimony of who He is can only be fully manifested when all He is (not just some) is manifested in a church body, as it obviously was at Corinth.

All the ministries and gifts are in Jesus, and He manifested them all when He walked the earth. Now He seeks to manifest all He is through His body, the church. A congregation will fully manifest Him when all the gifts and ministries are functioning in it. When we only want to be with those who are “likeminded” instead of rightly appreciating and connecting with the diversity of all He is, especially those who are different from us, there’s no opportunity for Him to be manifested in all He is.  In that case, there is no opportunity for the “testimony of Christ” to be confirmed in us.

Of course, some who seek fellowship with those who are “likeminded” truly and sincerely mean to connect with those who have a vision for the body of Christ functioning in all its glory and diversity, which can only reflect Him. Yet, remembering He so loves diversity that He made everyone unique is fundamental to becoming like the Lord. Therefore, His is a unity of diversity, not a unity of conformity. Thus, an important question to ask is, if He so loves diversity and uniqueness that He created every snowflake different, why is the church, which is created to reflect and manifest Him to the world, so boringly uniform?

© 2022 Rick Joyner. All Rights Reserved.