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NASB | Romans 12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 12:5 so we, who are many, are [nevertheless just] one body in Christ, and individually [we are] parts one of another [mutually dependent on each other]. |
Bible Question: Thanks for your reply. It is indeed helpful and remindful. I am actually refering to being an active member at two churches. You do bring up a good point that it is difficult to be wholeheartedly commited to both. However, I was thinking that if the 2 churches meet for corporate worship at different times then it becomes possible to attend both for corporate worship and then become active in other activities and commitments by dividing up my time at both. Admitedly then each church has only 50 percent of my time as it would otherwise but is not that time still 100 percent of my time that I have available still spent in active duty in Christian life? Thereby, am I really robbing God of my Christian duties of commitment and time to active service for him? |
Bible Answer: good morning again and a blessed day to you. i think you've hit the nail on the head and perhaps don't even realize it. the issue is not that you are robbing God as He needs nothing from us. you are however, robbing the local body. Scripture tells us that we are to use our gifts (time, talents, service) to build up the local body. again, i have to wonder about the level of wholeheartedness when you are serving 2 church bodies. not attempting to make light of your question, please consider this example. what if, as a mom of several children, you decided that you would provide food, care, love and tenderness to your kids every monday, wednesday and friday but on the other days you would provide those (or similar) service to your neighbor's kids? now an argument could be made that you are very fond of your neighbors kids and that they are in need. while this may (or may not) be true, God has given your kids to you to wholeheartedly serve. who is taking care of your kids on the days that you are not? also, by serving your neighbors kids you may well be robbing God of an opportunity to provide for them via someone elses service. does this make any sense? i know that no "example" is perfect but i'm hoping that this makes a point. it sounds like you have a wonderful heart for service and we know that pleases God. while engaging in other local Bible believing and teaching churches is not prohibited anywhere in the Bible, our wholehearted commitment of service is to our local church and i would wonder why you would not want to commit to that church wholeheartedly. perhaps if its because there are not ministries of as much interest to you in one body as another, keep in mind that ministry isn't about you, its about the body. God bless you as you continue to seek God's will for your life of service. |