One Body in Christ

We, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." (Romans 12:5)

E. Stanley Jones brings us to a crucial truth in Romans 12:5—our life in Christ is not an individualistic experience, but a shared one. To be in Christ is to be inseparably connected to all others who are also in Him. There is no such thing as an isolated Christian, living out their faith in a vacuum. The very essence of our new life means we belong to one another.

Jones emphasizes that this is not a suggestion, but a spiritual reality: "so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." This is not something we strive to make true—it is true. Just as the parts of a human body cannot function independently, so too, every believer is organically joined to the Body of Christ.

The church, as Scripture presents it, is not a collection of divided institutions, each functioning separately. While there are many local expressions of the church, there is only one universal Body of Christ. Denominationalism, in the way we think of it today, was foreign to the New Testament. Paul rebuked divisions when he asked, “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor. 1:13).

Jones is clear: we do not choose to be part of this Body. We are part of it. A believer may neglect or betray this relationship, but they cannot undo what God has made true. As long as we are in Christ, we are in one Body. This reality should shape our relationships, attitudes, and interactions with all who belong to Him.

Personalized Journal Entry In the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture

You are not alone. You have been joined to something greater than yourself—to My Body, to My people. I have knit you together with every believer in a bond that is as real as the life coursing through your veins. You do not stand apart; you are one with all who are in Me.

I have removed the dividing wall, making one new people in Myself. You are members of one another, not by effort or decision, but by My doing. Just as no part of the body can function apart from the whole, neither can you thrive apart from My Body. When one part suffers, all suffer; when one part rejoices, all are lifted up. You were not made for isolation but for communion, for fellowship that mirrors the oneness I share with the Father.

Do not say, “I belong to this group” or “I am of that one,” for I am not divided. There is one faith, one Lord, one baptism. My Body is not found in a building or confined by human structures—it is living, breathing, and moving in all who abide in Me. Love one another as I have loved you, bearing with one another in grace, for you are not separate parts, but one in Me.

(Scriptural Basis: Romans 12:5; Ephesians 2:14-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; John 17:21-23; Ephesians 4:4-6)

A Prayer of Trust

Father, I rejoice in the oneness You have established in Christ. I am not an isolated believer but a vital part of His Body. Thank You for uniting me with all who are in Christ, making us one in Spirit and truth. I choose to walk in this reality, embracing the fellowship You have ordained. Where there is division, let me be an instrument of peace. Where there is need, let me be Your hands and feet. I rest in the unity You have created, knowing that in Christ, I am never alone. Amen.

Photo Intent: A close-up image of intertwined hands, symbolizing unity and connection.

Insights from In Christ