Are You A Disease To The Body of Christ?

Are You A Disease To The Body of Christ?

 

Back in 1993, I went to a combat water survival recertification the Marine Corps required, on a periodic basis. It was at Camp Lejune, North Carolina. I could have did the basic course and got my qualification, got on the bus for the rest of the day off, and back at the barracks chilling out, BUT there was an option to go for expert status and certification, and get more points for cutting score for promotion, so I stayed. It was hard, it was only one of the two times in my life, I felt close to being in danger, of drowning. I was so exhausted after completing the course, I barely crawled back on the bus, I swallowed gallons of water as it swirled in my helmet, directly into my mouth as I pulled a fellow Marine around an Olympic size pool in combat gear, with rifles.
The whole purpose was to teach us how to be effective in survival, save a fellow Marine, and make until we reached ship, or land. If necessary, we were to lose dead weight, that weight that could kill you. Such as your fellow Marine's Kevlar, rifle, and such if he was combat ineffective (injured, could not stay a float, or tread water on his own) as a last resort for survival. To keep ALIVE.
Point of this story, is IF you are saved, and you COMMIT to a Body of Christ, a "church" you are part of a LIVING BODY, Christ being Head of that LIVING BODY. When you don't serve that LIVING BODY, YOU ARE A DEAD WEIGHT. You are a CANCER, YOU are a DISEASE to the LIVING BODY of Christ. IF, yes, IF you are saved. So what if you've served the last 23 years, and so and so won't, that doesn't excuse you from YOUR DUTY to Christ, all it does is help drag the Body of Christ down. Just like so and so, who has chose themselves over Jesus. Does their sin make your sin acceptable to Christ? Really, we are not to compare our service to fellow Christians, we are to pattern and measure ourselves against the life of Jesus, and the Word He gives us to feed on. Are you a DEAD WEIGHT, CANCER, or DISEASE hindering the BODY OF CHRIST? Or, are you pulling your weight, and functioning as you are COMMANDED TO DO?
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; FERVENT IN SPIRIT; SERVING THE LORD;" (Romans 12:3-11) IF YOU ARE TRULY SAVED, that's IF, this passage is for you.