Outline For Building-up And Equipping The Body Of Christ

This Biblical Christianity website encourages people to know and to live, God’s Word; thus enabling us to live now as God intended for us to live, and preparing us for eternal life in God’s kingdom.

Site Navigation:This left-column outline contains links to website pages and sources pertaining to helping the Body of Christ gain the potential for which God designed it. The menu below pages down to the individual sections of this outline from which you can navigate to other web pages. There is a fourth level to some of the third level or decimal elements of this outline that is hidden, to view this level click on the (c) symbol in the outline; to hide the fourth level, double-click upon it (I found out, the last time I checked, that Mozilla's Firefox browser doesn't support this fourth level expansion feature, sorry).

Introduction to Building-up And Equipping The Body Of Christ

Spiritual growth is very important, not only to us but also to our Lord Jesus Christ. He has made adequate provisions in our behalf by giving special gifts and abilities to individual members of His body to accomplish this much needed task. "And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers. His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church), [that it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead. Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed one). For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love" (Eph. 4:11-16).

Just as a physical body needs proper food, exercise and rest to take care of itself and function properly, so does our spiritual life. It is commonly accepted that as individuals we are composed of a body, a soul and a spirit; our spirit and/or mind uses our physical brain to interact with our bodies, and the world around us, to develop our soul or the person that we become. Obviously we can be greatly affected in numerous ways and from many sources, which can in turn alter or mold us into the person that we eventually become. Therefore, we need an effective program to equip God’s people to be spiritually fit and adequate for every occasion. "Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

It will help us to understand the seriousness of the need for preparation if we remember that we are in a battle for survival against the devil and his world system, which the Bible makes very clear. God has also given us clear instruction as to how to prepare and wage this warfare, but many Christians have been drugged into a stupor by the very world system that we have been warned not to conform ourselves to.

Many people who call themselves Christians spend very little time reading and studying the Bible, and thus lack the knowledge required to know the difference between God’s ways and the world’s ways. As a result they are easily deceived into following after and joining movements or groups like the Purpose Driven and Emerging Church movements, and postmodernism. Purpose Driven churches preach the social gospel, accept interfaithism, and try to get the people interested and involved through the use of the world’s consumer-oriented marketing approach in an attempt to give the people what they want, instead of what the Bible teaches; the Emerging Church movement leads into greater deception by trying to get the peoples’ interest and involvement through the use of Roman Catholic and Eastern Religious mysticism, as well as accepting some of the elements of the postmodern worldview; and postmodernism is a rejection of all truth claims, Biblical and otherwise, in favor of accepting the consensus of the local group or community. Obviously these groups have departed from the authority of God’s Word, to accept whatever works for them or feels good – they are no longer the salt (preserving from sin and death) nor the light (dispelling the darkness by revealing the truth) that Jesus said they should be! "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:13-16).

The statements and comments concerning these groups are general observations that do not always apply to everyone who is involved with them. Most people and groups are picking and choosing whatever appeals to them personally, but nevertheless any participation only draws them deeper and deeper into the global worldview.

These groups and others like them have become so broad-minded that they accept anything and everything except true Biblical Christianity. This is the mind-set that is accepted not only by the global community, but many Christians and churches as well. Those who try to compromise with them will find themselves increasingly absorbed into this God-rejecting worldview from which it will be very difficult to escape. Those who refuse to go along with them and chose to remain faithful to Christ instead will be rejected as intolerant, and increasingly persecuted and prosecuted by the global community and its hate-crime laws. Jesus said of the times we are living in, "Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity, but he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matt. 24:9-13).

Our only hope of escape from the above deception is to know God’s Word and to abide in Christ. The following portion of Scripture first warns us to avoid the ways and practices of this world, and then gives us a pattern to follow to help us live as God intended we should.

The Basic Admonition For The Church

ROMANS 12: 1-21.... I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him.

⁴For as in one physical body we have many parts (organs, members) and all of these parts do not have the same function or use, so we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah) and individually we are parts one of another [mutually dependent on one another]. Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [he whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; [He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching; he who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness.

⁹[Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good. Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another. Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of God's people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief]. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. [Prov. 3:7] Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. [Prov. 20:22] If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. [Deut. 32:35] But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. [Prov. 25:21,22] Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.