with God. We do not function in self-appointed religious roles, rather we function as containers
of Him and as instruments in His hands. The basic issue is our yielding to the ever-present
influence and control of the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus Who indwells us. This must always
be our highest of priorities. Our commitment to Christ's presence in each of us is expressed
in many ways. The authority of Christ within His Body is never separated from His presence.
The basis of our "submitting one to another" (Ephesians 5:21) is not that of authority one
Christian has over another Christian by virtue of institutional "office" or position, but rather
that of Christ Himself in one another: it is He in others to Whom we actually submit.
Hence, the presence of Christ in one another is the basis of our commitment to one another
as fellow members of the Body of Christ. My personal commitment to Christ Jesus demands
that I be committed to Him wherever He is, including in every other member of the Body of Christ.
The presence of Christ in each of us is the basis for all forms of ministry in the Body of Christ. It is He,
working through each of us, Who is doing the ministering, not us doing it for Him.
The functioning or out-working of that indwelling presence of Christ Jesus is, by His choosing,
and extends to every area of our life and the life of His Body and is joined with bonds
of Love.
