Holding Christ as the Head and being properly related to the other members in the Body of Christ

This morning I was so impressed with the fact that, as members in the Body of Christ, we have no direct relationship one with another – we are related one to another and we fellowship one with another through the Head. All the members of my physical body have no special or direct fellowship one with another, rather, it is all done through the head that they are related. When we see that the Lord is the unique Head and the unique authority in the Body of Christ, we will be properly related to Him – we will seek Him, enjoy Him, take Him as our Head. And this proper relationship with the Head affords us and brings us into a proper relationship with the other members. We may have the same disposition or we may be totally different – but the only thing that really makes us one and binds us together is Christ the Head being enthroned in our being. The only way we can fellowship with one another and be one with another is in Christ – the basis of our mutual fellowship is our holding Christ as the Head. When Christ has His proper place in our being and our life, we are also properly related to the other members of the Body.

The fact that we’re related to one another through the Head means that there’s no special relationship, no special feeling, no clique, and no special fellowship with any other particular member or group of members of the Body of Christ. We may have our natural preferences but when we take Christ as the Head, holding Him as the Head, we deny our natural preferences and are one with one another. The ones who form parties(1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20) and groups based on doctrines, preferences, and “common goals” have not seen the Head, Christ, and are not holding Christ as the Head – rather, the prefer to “have a direct relationship with another members of the Body”, without being under the authority of the Head. When my right hand is hurt, there is no special member in my body that prefers to help this hand; rather, the head coordinates what to happen, and all the members are under the head and one with the head. If we have a special relationship of feeling towards groups of saints or other members shows that we need to come to the Lord and hold Him as the Head.

All our relationships with one another are based on our relationship personally with Christ the Head. As we enjoy Christ and eat Him every day, He becomes part of our being – He is being constituted into us. This Christ in us is the only thing that makes us one! In the Body of Christ as it is expressed in the local churches there are many people from many different backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, colours, educations, dispositions, feelings, opinions, statures, etc. We are so different outwardly! – but the Christ in us is the same, and this Christ makes us one! When we enjoy Him and hold Him as our Head, we have a sweet and proper relationship with one another! We don’t fellowship with the other saints because they are nice and gentle, they make us happy, they care for us, or they want to help us – NO! We have fellowship without preferences towards one another – we fellowship simply because we have Christ in us and this Christ is one with the Christ in every genuine believer on the earth! We should not be like Absalom in the Old Testament – whoever liked him, he would embrace this one and listen to him, gaining his heart for himself and not for David the king. No, we don’t base our fellowship on man’s character and attitude/situation – we hold Christ as the Head and we have a proper fellowship with all the members!

Of course, this means that as we take Christ as the Head and hold Him, we also allow the cross to operate in us and put to death all our preferences and likes/dislikes, all our moods, our attitudes – everything that stands in us and blocks the way for the real fellowship in spirit. Also, we learn to walk in Spirit as we behave ourselves in the house of God – we’re not “naturally related” to one another, but we rather exercise our spirit and walk according to the Spirit as we meet, as we fellowship, as we coordinate, as we do anything. We die to ourselves, and we live by the mingled spirit. [enjoyment from the Mystery of Christ(W. Nee) and other portions from the Collected works of Watchman Nee]

Lord, keep us holding You as the Head and save us from having any special fellowship or relationship with any other member or group in the Body! We want to learn to be attuned into the same mind and the same opinion by holding You as the Head! Keep us coming to You, Lord, even as we’re about to fellowship / be related to other believers! Strengthen our fellowship with You and our holding You as the Head! Thank You Lord for being the One in us that makes us one with all the other believers in Christ! We are one in You, and we are related to one another in You and through You!