Member of the Body or Customer of the Church

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:4-5, ESV).

The Bible says that the church is the body of Christ, and that each Christian is a member of that body (1 Cor 12:27; Col 1:24). But in our overly commercialized society, people have come to think of the church not as the body of Christ but as a business that is trying to attract customers. There is a huge difference between these two concepts.

When I go to the hardware store, I am a customer. I take what I want (after paying for it, of course); I leave all that I do not want. I have never gone to any kind of store and taken even half of what they had on offer. Normally I choose a few items and leave all the rest. The store owner has no problem with this. That is the nature of our relationship. He is a merchant; I am a customer. The customer is the one in charge of this relationship. The merchant responds to the customer’s desires (or the merchant will soon be out of business).

But that is not the nature of our relationship with Christ. He is the head; we are parts of his body. We respond to him, we do our job as he directs, or we are not acting as part of his body and may well be removed from it.

Years ago I had a tooth that was no longer serving its purpose. I could not chew on the right side of my mouth because this tooth had become infected and was giving me pain. I paid to have it repaired more than once, but it only became worse. Eventually, I had it removed. I really had no choice. If I had not removed it, my whole body would have suffered.

Are we trying to be Christ’s customers instead of members of his body? Are we trying to get him to do what we want, instead of obeying what he commands? A part of the body that does not fulfill its proper function, and which causes distress to the rest of the body is amputated. A branch that is dead is pruned from the tree so that the tree can bear fruit. What will happen to church members who act like church customers? I have no opinion on the subject. I do not need to have an opinion; Jesus has already answered the question.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:1-2, ESV).