Believer's Boot Camp
Basic Training
Student Workbook
JOINTS AND SINEWS As the verse says in Ephesians, the body is "fitly joined together". Joints are necessary if a body is to have any flexibility or movement. The joints are also the supply connection with the rest of the body. Have you ever had a shoulder or arm get out of joint? It causes a lot of pain and can restrict the blood flow to the limb. You become unable to move the arm until it gets put back into the joint. When that happens there is instant relief. Only a soreness remains. However, the sinews or ligaments around the joint have been stretched or even torn, making it very easy for the joint to come out again. Usually, the arm is put in a sling for a period of time until the ligaments can heal and tighten up again around the joint. We have the same problem with the body of Christ. People get "out of joint" with others in the body. Life flow is restricted and pain results. Someone usually has to help put the person "back into place". The relationship has been stressed and it will be easy for a while to get "out of joint" again. We must strengthen the ligaments. Within the body of Christ, ligaments and sinews are the covenants which bind us together. While I have a covenant with the Lord and through Him a covenant with all of His people, I must especially recognize that I a covenant relationship with those who have been "fitted together" with me. It is these covenant relationships which hold us in place and keep us from getting "out of joint". This is the same concept used by Jesus in John Chapter 15 when He talked about abiding in the vine. The analogy is different--vine instead of body--but the concept is applicable to both. Jesus is the vine and we abide as branches. If we don't abide, we are not connected to the vine. If we are not connected, we die because there is no life flow from the vine. With the body, we are members one of another. That is, we are connected to each other and life flows from the Head to every member of the body. This life flow is interrupted when we get "out of joint" with each other. It is the same as a branch being separated from the vine. If the situation is not corrected quickly the branch or member will begin to die. That is why Paul said that many partake of the Lord's supper unworthily, not discerning the Lord's body. He means that members are out of joint with each other and because of that many of the members are sick and some have died. The life of the Body was unable to flow to them because they would not discern the Lord's body. It is easy being spiritual by ourselves, but when others are brought into relationship with us it becomes much more difficult. After all, the scriptures say that we are a "peculiar people"! God has some strange kids! We each are convinced that we are the only normal person around. However, we are not members alone but "members one of another". God has so structured His body that no one member can do everything by himself but requires others in order to accomplish the work that God has called him or her to do. We need each other. Psalms 133:1-3 Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity! [It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As Š 1998, 2004 Lifestream Teaching Ministries
Art Nelson
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