When Jesus walked on this earth almost 2,000 years ago, He was the full embodiment of Christ, the manifestation of God in the flesh. He came in the express image of God the Father with the brightness of the Father's glory indelibly stamped upon His personage. He was given the Spirit without measure that He might fully express the Father's image and glory to all who witnessed His coming.
John 3:34-35 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.(NIV)
The death of Christ was an eminent part of God's overall plan to bring many sons to glory. In order for us to be made acceptable in God our sins had to be atoned for.
Hebrews 2:10-11 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren
When God's call of salvation goes out to people, it knows no boundaries. It goes out to all peoples of all races, cultures, backgrounds, genders, personalities, classes, political backgrounds, etc. God's idea is to create one new man out of all these diversities of people. This is where the fun begins and where the work of the cross comes into play.
When we are baptized into the Body of Christ we enter into covenant with the body where we are now being joined together to form one body. This means we give up our personal rights and come into a relationship with one another whereby we actually belong to one another. When I have a true understanding that I belong to you and you belong to me, it makes it easier for me to receive and accept you no matter who you are, race, background, gender, strength, weakness, etc.
God has given to each person in the body a measure of faith and gifting in Him, but for the body to come together as the glorious body of Christ that He has destined it to, there must be a meshing together.
1 Corinthians 12:21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you."
Our problem is that we have been groomed in a culture that breeds independence and some of us honestly do not feel the need to be connected to the other members of the Body in the way Christ has designed it. For us to remain in this mode will mean a lack of growth and development in our faith. The truth is the more we begin to drink of God's Spirit and accept the changes He is bringing into our lives, the more we will begin to realize our dependence for one another. His Spirit will create the need within us.
