Day 21: Our Need For Godly Fellowship - Devotional

The Return ^ | July 8, 2020

[metmom]

Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life … I am the living bread which came down from heaven … he who feeds on Me will live because of Me’ (John 6:35, 51, 57). The image of bread here is important. Our Lord is telling us, “If you come to me, you’ll be nourished. You’ll be attached to me, as a member of my body. Therefore, you’ll receive strength from the life-force that is in me.” Indeed, every member of his body draws strength from a single source: Christ, the head. Everything we need to lead an overcoming life flows to us from him.

This bread is what distinguishes us as members of his body. We are set apart from the rest of humanity because we dine from a single loaf: Jesus Christ. “We all partake of that one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17).

The apostle points out, “We, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:5). In other words, we are not just connected to Jesus, our head, but we’re also joined to each other. The fact is, we can’t be connected to him without also being joined to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are knit together not only by our need for Jesus, but by our need for each other. Paul states, “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’” (1 Corinthians 12:21). Note the second half of the verse. Even the head can’t say to another member, “I don’t need you.” What an incredible statement. Paul is telling us, “Christ will never say to any member of his body, ‘I have no need of you.’” Our head willingly connects himself to each of us; moreover, he says we’re all important, even necessary, to the functioning of his body.

It is absolutely vital that we gather together in Jesus’ name, for each other’s sake. As brothers and sisters in Christ we are to reach out to one another in love and concern, seek fellowship with others, and support each other in prayer.