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recognizing our measure in the Body of Christ and not going beyond it

As the many members of the one universal Body of Christ, those

standing on the genuine ground of oneness, we all need to take
the lead to function in our measure and not go beyond our
measure. We need to allow the other members of the Body to
limit us and to help us function in our proper measure.

God has placed us all the members of the Body even as He willed (1
Cor. 12:18). We all have a portion in the Body, a measure of life that
can be dispensed into the Body for the building up, and we need
to learn to function in our measure.

We need to speak according to our measure of faith allotted to us

by God and according to the leading of the Spirit.

every member of the Body has his own place

We are not “elected to be somebody” in the church – Christ the Head is the One who decides, He sets us in our special
place in the Body of Christ, and He points us to our special function (see Rom. 12:4; 1 Cor. 12:15-17). We should not covet
others’ function nor should we despise our own, and we should not despise others’ function while thinking more highly
of ourselves.

Each one of us members have our own place in the Body – specially assigned to us by God, which we should accept and
respect. Since each of the members of the Body have a special function and assignment by the Head, every member is
necessary and important (1 Cor. 12:21).

No matter what I think about myself or what I want to be in the Body of Christ, I have a definite place, assignment, and
position given to me by God in the Body of Christ. Every member of the Body has a particular portion – a specific
function – with which he serves the Body.

What is your portion in the Body? What is your place and your function in the Body? You may not know now, but as you
function in the measure the Lord gave you and as you allow the other members of the Body to limit you in your
measure, your function will be manifested.

We need to be open to the Lord and to the Body to be perfected in our measure and to know our place in the Body.

recognizing our measure and not going beyond it

In the human body when a certain member over-grows or is over-developed, the result is something abnormal and
even strange. It is the same in the Body of Christ – for the proper growth and development of the Body we need to
recognize our measure and do not go beyond it (see Eph. 4:7, 16).

As the Lord is faithful to expose us, in the church life and through the saints, when we go beyond the measure He
allotted us, we need to be willing to be limited by our measure (Rom. 12:3, 6).

We should function in the Body only in the measure of the faith given to us by God, and not overstep or go beyond it.
Lord, cause us to know the order in the Body and our measure in the Body!

“We must be willing to be limited to our measure. As soon as we go beyond it, we go beyond the
authority of the Head and move out from under the anointing. When we go beyond our measure, we
interfere with the order of the Body. The Body of Christ is an organic life; it operates without any human
arrangement. All the members must receive life from the Head and function in proper order. If our
relationship with the Head is proper, we will keep our place in the Body spontaneously.” (Watchman Nee,
The Mystery of Christ, pp. 44-45)

Oh, Lord! We may not be like the denominations or the human religious organizations who may select their “spiritual
leaders” according to their education, background, social status, knowledge, eloquence, talent, or intelligence, but what
about our functioning in the Body?

As members of the Body we need to come to the Lord daily and seek revelation from Him that we may have the
necessary experiences of Christ so that we can have something to supply the other members of the Body! Also, as we
minister Christ to others, as we learn to speak one with the Lord, we need to know the order in the Body, which is God’s
assigned pattern in the Body, so as to function in our measure!

not thinking more highly of ourselves

The more one knows the Lord, the more one knows the Word, and the more one experiences life and enjoys the Lord,
the more he is tempted to think a little more highly of himself than he ought to think.

Romans 12:3 clearly says, Not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to be sober-
minded, as God has apportioned to each a measure of faith.

Brother Lee puts makes it so simple – if you think that you are bigger than the Apostle Paul in the quantity of faith, you
are crazy! If you think you are bigger than the elders in your locality in the quantity of faith, you do not think sober-
minded but a little too highly of yourself than you ought to.

God has allotted to us the same faith in quality, and we all have the same wonderful faith, which is our organic union
with the Lord. But at the same time God has apportioned faith to us according to our measure – the matter of the
quantity of faith apportioned to us by God depends upon how we grow.

Firstly, God allotted us the same faith in quality, and then He apportioned faith to us in quantity. God’s apportioning of
the faith and the increase of our measure of faith depends upon our attitude. If we are not sober-minded but think more
highly of ourselves, God would not increase the measure of our faith but He may probably even decrease it.

Oh, Lord Jesus! How much we need to continually humble ourselves, accept God’s dealing, allow His cross to operate in
us, and let the other members of the Body to limit us and show us what our proper function and our exact measure is….

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us that we may see our place in the Body and we would function in our
measure as members of the Body. Lord, we want to allow the other members to limit us that we may
keep the order in the Body. Save us from going beyond our measure. May we always stay within Your
apportioning, the measure given to us by You that we may function properly. Lord, make us a factor of
building up of the Body.

References and Further Reading

Sharing inspired from, The Mystery of Christ (by Watchman Nee, see chapter 8), and, Crystallization-study of the
 Epistle to the Romans (by Witness Lee, see msg. 1), as quoted in, the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Taking the
Lead as Elders and Responsible Ones, week 7.
Hymns on this topic:
# I want to encourage you all, / Without your supply I would fall. / Never think that your Christ is small. / Christ
needs you, and so do we all.
# In experience not my boast, / Nor in gifts would be my pride; / For Thy building I give all, / That Thou may be
glorified.
# Limit, Lord, my independence, / Let me to Thy Body turn; / Not just seeking light from heaven, / But the
church’s sense to learn.

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About aGodMan
A God-man is a normal believer in Christ; the author of this article is one who is learning to be a normal Christian, a
daily enjoyer of Christ, a living and functioning member in the Body of Christ. Amen, Lord, make us such ones for the
building up of the Body of Christ!
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