The Body = The Church = Unity Reference Philippians 2:1-4

What is the Purpose of the Body of Believers

1. The body carries out action to glorify God.
2. We are called to unity.
3. We should “esteem” others and “look to the interests of others”.
Take the following action and interpret it in relation to the church and it’s ministry:

“Raising Hands In Praise”

Though it seems, the hand receives the credit for the action, it does not lessen the action of the arm…. the elbow……..shoulder……….. etc……etc. Never the less, the action is performed and God receives the glory.

For the hand to be raised, the following must occur:
1. The arm must lift up the hand (therefore lifting the hand higher and
the arm becoming lower)
2. The elbow must place itself in the correct posture to lift the hand
to the correct position
3. The shoulder must rotate so the arm might become upright.
4. Not even to mention all the other parts of the body
(feet, legs, torso, back, etc.)which themselves must be positioned
in a manner to so that the hand might be raised high
in the air.


You might be asking “Wow, if you look at it, the hand appears to be doing very little ACTION, so why does it get the credit?” Please note the following points:
1. The ministry/action was for the hand to do.
2. Any lack of support from the other members of the body would
prevent the hand from doing it’s job appropriately.
3. Is the credit to the hand, or the glory of God, the
desired outcome of the action?
(Hint: This should be registering in your mind as an “Ah” moment right now.)
4. In a HEALTHY BODY, does any part rebel against
the other or are their actions in unity/harmony with the other?

If you are thinking how someone else could benefit from this, instead of seeing yourself in it, then you have missed it's intended purpose.