We Have Received the Necessity of a New Living (3)

A New Living for the Body of Christ

When we were born again, we were born into the Body of Christ. The life in us that we received by being born again demands a corporate living. That means we can no longer be individualists. We were born into the Body of Christ. Formerly our life was for ourselves. Whatever we considered to be right or whatever we wanted to do, we would just do it. But now, after being born again, everything is different. Now we have been born into the Body of Christ to live the "Body-life." The "Body-life" is practically experienced in our local church.

The Lord's Three Commissions for Us in the Body of Christ

Now that we are in the Body of Christ, we should realize that the Lord requires something from us. The result of our being born again does involve some responsibility. Now that we are in the Body of Christ, we should not focus only on ourselves. The Gospel of John reveals that Christ has three commissions for us.

1. Loving One Another

First, the Lord has told us to love one another. "This is My commandment, that you love one another even as I have loved you" (John 15:12). As Christ loved us, we also should love one another. Christ loved us by dying for us and then imparting His life into us. We have to love one another in the Body of Christ, even to the point that we would forsake our lives. We should learn to lay down our lives for the sake of our brothers and sisters by being absolutely poured out upon them. We should also learn how to impart the divine life into the saints. This is the true meaning of "love one another," the first commission the Lord has given us.

"Among us there should be such a treasure: that we love each other and we are one."

2. Keeping the Oneness

Secondly, the Lord commissioned us to keep the oneness. The Lord prayed to the Father, "That they all may be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that You have sent Me" (John 17:21). This commission of keeping the oneness is closely related to the first commission of loving one another. If we love one another as Christ has loved us, then in such a love we will be able to keep this oneness. We should not argue about doctrines. These are not important. What we need is to be one. Among us there should be such a treasure: that we love each other and we are one. We shouldn't care about anything else. We should only care for the love of one another and for the oneness of the Body of Christ.

3. Feeding and Shepherding

The third and final commission from Christ is found in John 21:15-17. That commission is to "feed My lambs" (v. 15), "shepherd My sheep" (v. 16), and "feed My sheep" (v. 17). From the moment we are born again, we should learn how to feed and shepherd someone. No one is too young in the Christian life to learn this. Don't say, "I just got saved. How can I care for anyone else? I'm the one who needs feeding and shepherding." If we are young in the Lord, at least we can take care of another young lamb. One lamb can take care of another lamb. Surely there are some lambs in the Body life for us to care for. Often this is our problem. We think the problem is ourselves, but the real problem is that we don't have a lamb to care for.

Conclusion

We were born again into the Body of Christ. We should no longer be by ourselves. We should no longer care just for ourselves. We should care for the new ones and care for the young ones. We should love one another, keep the oneness, and feed and shepherd the lambs and the sheep. These are the three commissions in the Gospel of John.

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