The Sin of Absenteeism
Categories: Bible Study LessonsOf the many different characteristics of the church there is that of being the body of Christ. Perhaps this metaphor is most illustrative in one of Paul’s letters to Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 12:14-16, Paul writes, “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?” In verse 27 of the same chapter we read, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” We are all members of a great body–Christ’s body–the church. Each one of us has a special role to play within the body of Christ. Every single one of us is important. Every single one of us is necessary.
The illustration Paul uses is this: think about the church as if it were your own personal body. Are there any parts of your body that are not necessary? One time I had an ingrown toenail on my big toe. I tried to fix the problem myself with a pocketknife, but ended up making things worse. I finally decided that I needed to go to the doctor and have something done about it because it was starting to change colors. That doctor cut off half of my toenail just to fix that one little problem and it affected my entire body for several weeks. Who would have thought that half of a toenail was that important? When we look through the eyes of the Spirit, we see that every single member of the church is important and that for us to remove ourselves from that body causes harm to the body. Spiritually we may be no more than half a toenail, but when we leave the body, we hurt the entire body.
With these thoughts in mind, let us consider Hebrews 10:24-26. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins