Being In The Body Of Christ (Tamil) — Zac Poonen

Pressing On Toward Spiritual Perfection

We want to reach the highest level that God wants us to reach here on this earth. Paul said in Philippians in chapter 3, there's a beautiful expression here. It's somewhat similar to what I said in the last session.

I used the illustration of an inheritance that we may not have claimed fully. That we are missing out on something that Jesus purchased for us on the cross. Here, Paul uses another example. He says in verse 12, chapter 3, verse 12.

He says, I've not obtained everything yet. I've not become perfect. I'm perfect in my conscience, but I'm not perfect in what Christ wants me to be. I've not become perfect in my conscience, but I'm not perfect in what Christ wants me to be.

In verse 15, he says, let us, as many as are perfect, have this attitude. See this contradiction. In chapter 3, verse 12, I'm not perfect. Three verses later, some of us are perfect. That's like saying, I got 100 in mathematics.

Can you get more than that? Can you get more than that? To get 100 out of 100 is to get perfect scores. In mathematics, I got perfect scores. But I'm only in the second standard. I'm not perfect in mathematics.

I'm going to struggle to get 100 there. Five years from now, I'll learn much more, and I'm going to get 100 again. Every year, I'm pressing on towards a perfect knowledge of mathematics. But, I don't want to just get pass marks of 40 in each class.

I don't want to be like those believers who just want to somehow get to heaven when I die. You tell me, what type of children do you want? Do you want children who say, well, daddy, if I get 40 and get promoted to the next class, that is enough?

And he gets 40%. He comes last in the class, but he gets 40%, he's promoted. What do you tell him? Oh, my son, I'm proud of you because you got 40 and you are promoted. I don't think any of you will say that to your children.

Some believers are like that. I just want to go to heaven when I die, that's all. But, there are other believers who are pressing on to perfection. Like this question I've asked sometimes. There are two students in a class.

One got 40%. The other got 99%. Who will be happier and who will be more sad? When they come home with the results. Who will come home jumping with joy and who will come home sad? The one who got 40 or the one who got 99

You know the answer. The one who got 40 is happy. The one who got 40 is very happy. I thought I would fail, but I got promoted. I thought I would sit in the same class next year, but no, I'm going to the next class.

But the one who comes 99%, his head is hanging down. Mother asks, what happened, son? What happened, son? If I had got one more mark, I would have got 100%. There are Christians like that. 40 Christians.

My sins are all forgiven. I'm on my way to heaven. Praise the Lord. Every year they sing the same song, getting 40%. And there are others. They are a thousand times better than these. But they are weeping at night on their pillow.

Oh Lord, I slipped up and I got angry for a little while today. Oh Lord, I slipped up. I had a dirty thought today. You know, these are two types of Christians. Paul belonged to the second category. He says, there is only one thing I do, verse 13.

I'm forgetting about how many marks I got. I'm pressing on to perfection. I haven't become perfect. Verse 12. I haven't completed my study in mathematics. But verse 15, I am perfect. According to my present light, my conscience is perfect.

So Paul wanted to get 100 in the first standard. He wanted to get 100 in the second standard. He wanted to get 100 in the third standard. 100 in the fourth standard. 100 in every class. And during the year when he was in that class, maybe he made a few mistakes.

But he learned from those mistakes. And the final exam he got 100%. In the next class, again when trying to learn some mathematics things, he makes mistakes. But final exam, 100%. And like that he goes to B .Sc., Mathematics, M .Sc., Mathematics.

And he reached up to M .Sc., Master of Science, Mathematics. And he says, no, I'm still not ready. I've got Ph .D. now. Then he goes up and gets Ph .D., Mathematics, 100%. And he says, are you satisfied now, Paul?

He says, there's a thing called post-doctoral studies. These third, fourth standard students don't know what that is all about. Think of the passion to become totally like Jesus Christ in every area.

Becoming Like Jesus in Every Area

To have the same attitude to money that Jesus had. To look at every woman in the world, pretty or ugly, just like Jesus looked at them. To look at every woman in the world, pretty or ugly, just like Jesus looked at them.

Do you know that Jesus looked at pretty and ugly women in the same way? A soul to be saved is here. He saw a sinner who needs to be saved. Or if they are saved, a saved sinner who needs to become perfect.

That's how we are to look. The way Jesus looked at his enemies. Father, forgive them. They don't know what they are doing. So perfection is to have the same attitude and look that Jesus had towards everyone and everything in the world.

And the same way he looked at Pharisees and hypocrites. You generation of vipers, how will you escape the damnation of hell? If you are not like that, you are not like Christ. Or when you see people making money from poor people in the temple in the name of religion.

When you listen to these television preachers who are getting money out of poor people. If you don't have the anger that burned in the heart of Jesus, you are not like Christ. See, a lot of Christians are not like Christ.

They can watch all this on television and say, yeah brother, we don't agree with that. Jesus didn't walk through the temple when all these fellows were swindling the poor people, selling sheep and doves and say, yeah, I don't agree with that.

That is another Jesus. And I tell you, many Christians are following another Jesus. Paul wanted to be like Jesus completely. He uses this expression in verse 12. That I may lay hold of that which Christ laid hold of me for.

Listen to this expression. Christ laid hold of me. So that I may lay hold of something. Do you know what he laid hold of me for? What did he lay hold of you for? Why did Jesus lay hold of you? Was it to take you to heaven?

That may be your 40 understanding. Basic pass marks. That's what I thought in the early days of my conversion too. Because my kindergarten teachers didn't teach me properly. But then I studied the Bible myself and I saw what Christ laid hold of me for.

He laid hold of me that I might become like him 100%. He did not lay hold of me to take me to heaven. He laid hold of me to make me like him. And concerning that, Paul says, I haven't reached there yet.

That's a huge mountain peak. But I'm pressing on, I've climbed quite a bit. And I'm not looking back and congratulating myself for how much I've climbed. I'm looking more at how much more I have to climb.

I want to tell you a little secret of spiritual progress. I want to tell you a little secret of spiritual progress. If you look back and say, God has done so much for me. If you see how much God has done through me.

And if you're an elder brother, look at the number of people now coming to my church. Brother, you will never, never in your life attain what God wants you to attain on this earth. You need to forget all that has been accomplished in you and through you.

Forget, forget completely. And always have this attitude. See, Paul wrote Philippians when he was way past 60 years of age, maybe 65. He had already been a Christian for 35 years. This is probably just 2 -3 years before he died.

And he says, I'm pressing on, I'm pressing on. I find as I grow older, my passion to reach the top of the mountain becomes more. I say, Lord, I don't know how many more years I've got, but I've got to reach the top of the mountain.

I'm already sure I'm going to heaven. I've got no doubt about that. But I haven't become totally like Christ. And that's the thing which Paul was pressing on to. So, in our last study, we considered the full gospel is, first of all, getting a clear conscience and being justified.

And that we have been placed in Christ. Christ is in us. Praise the Lord. But this wonderful truth, I am in Christ. See, I'll tell you something. Please listen carefully. One of the fundamental problems with Christians today is they live individual lives without fellowship.

Christ in Us and Our Life in the Body

They think Christianity is just an individual thing, like I said now, becoming like Christ myself. That if I just live all by myself and try to become more and more like Christ, it's okay. And I'm not bothered about other people.

That will be if you have this imbalanced understanding of only Christ is in me. Most of us think only of that. Most of the songs we sing are about Christ lives in me. But if you keep on thinking only of that, it's like a one-sided gospel.

You know, I see many Christians like that. There's another side of the gospel where we have to have fellowship with others and build the church. That understanding can come only if you begin to think of this other side, that I am in Christ.

Christ is in me is an individual thing. Brother, I don't care about you. I mean, you may have your problems, but Christ is in me. I'm okay. But when I am in Christ, here's me, I'm in Christ. But there are many other things in Christ too.

Here's another brother, he's also in Christ. And here's another person in Christ. Hey, I'm not alone here. A lot of people in Christ, not just me. And we're all together. I have to fellowship with them.

I may not like his face, I may not like his language, but God has chosen him. You know how the Malayalees mingle with the Malayalees and the Tamilians mingle only with the Tamilians. The Malayalees mingle with the Malayalees and the Tamilians mingle with the Tamilians.

And the Anglo-Indians mingle with the Anglo-Indians. The people who belong to a particular caste mingle with a particular caste. Now, if it's a language problem, okay, I can understand. You know how I even speak the little bit of Tamil I can speak today?

Because I refuse to be a Malayalee. I said I'm a Christian. And I have to meet so many brothers and sisters in Tamil Nadu. I can't say, brother, I don't know your language, I can't talk to you. So even though my Tamil grammar is all wrong, I still speak.

And I know my good Tamil brothers and sisters will forgive me for my wrong Tamil. Okay, he's at least trying, even though his grammar is all wrong. I say the same thing, if I go to a Hindi-speaking brother, I try to speak to him in Hindi.

Because in Christ, there is no difference. I want to ask you, are you a Tamilian first or a Christian? Are you a Malayalee or a Christian? Are you an educated person or a Christian? Are you uneducated or a Christian?

In Christ, all these distinctions disappear. They may be there, but they don't affect our relationship. It's a wonderful thing to be in Christ. But if I only think Christ is in me, then I can ignore others.

There is this other side of the truth, I am in Christ. And when it comes to Christ in me, I chose it. You chose to have Christ in you. I said, Lord, come into my life. But when you say, I am in Christ.

It's Christ who has chosen who else is there to be with you in Him. And He may choose some people who are not exactly like me. But if Jesus has chosen Him, how can I reject Him? We need to meditate more on this wonderful truth that I am in Christ.

It is another side of the gospel. The whole of Ephesians is about that. And if we don't think of that, we will never be able to build the church the way God wants to build. You will build a Tamil club.

Or a Malayali club. Or a graduates club. Or a poor people's club. There is no such thing. The church is all types of people. They are all together, one in Christ. One in Christ. So, you know, there are, let's think, there are at least two sides of the truth.

Christ in me. And I am in Christ. And when I see Christians who are only thinking that Christ is in me, I am living my own holy individual life. And completely forgotten about this other side of the truth that I am in Christ along with all these other people who may speak a different language or different culture or whatever.

The Church as One Body With Many Members

The picture I have in my mind is, you know, I like to think of everything in pictures. Because that's how Jesus taught. He taught in pictures. He taught about light and salt and vessels and cement. And trees and houses with a foundation and things like that.

So, I try to picture this in my mind. This fellow who only thinks about Christ is in me but doesn't think of he is in Christ. This fellow who only thinks about Christ is in me but doesn't think of he is in Christ.

There is a big gymnasium outside the hall. In the gymnasium, they have done all kinds of exercises and have kept the ball in a pot. Have you seen it? I mean, he has got hundreds of muscles. I never even knew there were so many muscles in the body.

But this picture is a little different. This is a man with one side all muscular, left side. The right side is all skin and bones. And you say, come and join this gymnasium. He says, no, thank you. I don't want to come.

This is the Christian. Christ is in me. What about you being in Christ, brother? Along with all those other people. Oh, you say, it's too difficult, brother, to live with these people. I mean, seeing them once on Sunday is enough.

I don't want to see them anymore. What are you going to do in eternity? Are you going to live with them forever? You say, he is different from you. He says, you are different from him. I was in Kerala yesterday.

And there, a brother said a nice story, which I remember. I don't remember it exactly, but I'll tell you how I understood it. You know, there were two people traveling in a ship. And they had to share these passenger ships where you get little rooms to stay.

So, these two people shared a room. So, one man was a bishop. And he had a lot of money and all with him. So, he looked at this person sharing his room. He said, I don't know whether it's safe to keep all the money in my cabin with this man.

He looks like a crook. So, I'll go to the captain of the ship and ask him to put it in the safe deposit locker for the journey. So, he went to the captain and said, please keep all this safely, because there is another man staying with me, I don't know who he is.

So, the captain said, sure, I'll keep it for you. He said, but before you came, the other man came with his money also. He said, one bishop is staying with me, I don't know what type of man he is. I've kept his things also here.

He said, his things are also here. Do you know what he is thinking about you? Do you know what he is thinking about you? It's good for us to humble ourselves. Do you know what he is thinking about you?

It's a wonderful thing to discover how Jesus can eliminate all these distinctions and unite us in one body. We are not perfect, but we help one another to grow to perfection. I ask people this question, Who is the best brother in a church or sister?

The one who can build fellowship. That is the best brother. He may not be a great preacher. Who did Jesus say will be called the sons of God? Who did Jesus say will be called the sons of God? Who did Jesus say will be called the sons of God?

Matthew 5 Verse 9. Those who make peace will be called the sons of God. Peace means there is constant conflict everywhere in the world among Christians. Even those who separate themselves from everything else say we are now one in doctrine.

Many of us have left dead denominations in order to have all of the truth of God. Many of us have left dead denominations in order to have all of the truth of God. Are you now united with those who have left other churches like you?

The Holy Spirit cannot unite us. Do you know what is the greatest miracle? It is to make all people as one body of God. We have become full of conscience. We have become righteous. That is not enough.

Many have received the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit. That is a separate thing for many. Have you heard what many people say? But what happens? It becomes an individual thing. I got the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Baptism Into the Body of Christ

Let us see what it says in 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12 Verse 13 By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body. So the baptism of the Holy Spirit leads us into one body. If you are baptized by Jesus in the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ.

Baptism only means immersion. It is an old Greek word which means immersion. It means they brought it into the English language. It means in Greece, if a man dipped his hand in water, he would say, I baptize my hand in the water.

That is the meaning. So baptism in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is being dipped in the water. When Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit, it means He puts us under the waterfall of the Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body means He puts us into the body of Christ. So there is no such thing as baptism in water. There is no baptism in the Holy Spirit without being baptized into the body of Christ.

We hear so much about, we must be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Come to Jesus brother and ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. That is one side of the truth. What is the other side? Ask the Holy Spirit to baptize you into the body of Christ.

Where have you heard somebody preach? Brother, you need to be baptized into the body of Christ. It is here, 1 Corinthians 12. By one Spirit, we are baptized into one body. When you get in there, verse 13, There is no Jew, no Greek, no Tamilian, no Malayali, no educated, no uneducated, no rich, no poor, no slave, no free.

It is the body. I am very thankful that when God started the work in Bangalore in our home to build the body of Christ there, That He brought together people who were so different. We were different in education level.

We were different in our culture. We were very few. But among these few, there were Malayalis, Anglo-Indians, Tamilians. But among these few, there were Malayalis, Anglo-Indians, Tamilians. Even within four families.

As it grew, then there came Telugu's and Kannadi guys. And different cultures and languages. Different levels of education. Different levels of wealth. And different outlooks. People from different religious backgrounds.

But baptized into one body. Now, if you are living in a village where everybody speaks Tamil. Most villages in India, the small villages, everybody speaks Tamil. Most villages in India, the small villages, everybody speaks Tamil.

You can't have people with different languages in your church, obviously. That doesn't matter. But you may have, and everybody may be poor. But still, there are so many differences among you. We are not all the same.

And God puts people who are different, puts them together. They can be their old religion. They may have had different caste levels. And they are one in Christ. It doesn't mean that their differences disappear.

No, it is still there. Differences are still there. But, we are one. It doesn't mean that in the church, we make all the rich people share their wealth with the poor. That is communism, not Christianity.

Jesus Christ was not a communist. He didn't start the communist party. He started the Christian church. He didn't say that everybody must equalize their wealth. Maybe we can do that with wealth. But how can you equalize everybody's education?

You have a highly educated person and a low educated person. How will you bring them all down to equal? God doesn't change these external things. But, we become one. The Greek may remain a Greek. The Malayali may remain a Malayali.

The Tamilian may remain a Tamilian. The rich person remains rich. The poor person remains poor, but God will provide his need. And the rich will help the poor also. Educated will remain educated. And some who are doing lowly jobs will remain poor.

And some who are doing lowly jobs will remain poor. But they will be one in Christ. They will love one another. They will not become equal. Externally. It's like these five fingers. You know what communism says?

This is not good. We must have equal. You must get a knife and cut it all at the level of the thumb. You must get a knife and cut it all at the level of the thumb. Then see how neat it will look. It looks so ugly like this.

Communism says cut it all equal. But that's not the way God made it. He made it all different sizes. What to do? He didn't make all of us the same height. Do you think God could have done that? Of course he could do it.

Have you seen these small ants that crawl on the ground? The small brown ants? They are all the same size. 100 of them will be the same size. You show me 100 human beings who are the same height. Anywhere.

God doesn't do it like that. We are different. The color of our skin is different. So many things. God doesn't change all that. But he makes us one that every one of these fingers can work together and do wonderful things.

That is the picture of the body. We may be different. But each is connected to the head Jesus Christ. And function together. That's a body. And in every locality where God brings people together. He wants to show the world.

Love, Gifts, and Mutual Service in the Body

See these people how they love one another. They are my disciples. That's what he said. He didn't say all men will know you are my disciples when they see how rich you have become. Or they will all know you are my disciples when you all get PhDs.

No. They will know you are my disciples when you love one another. Not when you can all preach in the same way. I have said numerous times in our churches. Nobody should try to preach like me. When I was young and stupid believer.

I wanted to preach like some others I admired. Because my kindergarten teachers did not teach me properly. But when I understood that I was a part of the body of Christ. I said Lord I don't want to preach like anybody else.

I don't want to preach like those preachers who hold a mic and run up and down the platform. And I don't want to preach like some of those dead preachers who speak as if it's a funeral going on every Sunday.

If there is somebody I want to preach like, it's like Jesus Christ. That's all. I want you to see also that your gift may not be preaching. Even if your gift is preaching, God has not called you to preach like me.

You don't have to translate like brother Vincent. Even if you try, you won't be able to. I'll tell you that. It's a gift. God needs only one Dr. D .Vincent in the body of Christ. He needs only one Jack Bunnan in the body of Christ.

He needs only one of you. Whatever your name is. And you must not try to be like him or me or somebody else. That will be like the hand saying, I wanted to be a tongue always. I want to talk, I want to talk.

I can't talk. And what will be the result? It won't do what it's supposed to do. You know, there are many foolish believers who are trying to imitate somebody else's ministry. Don't do it. You have a unique ministry which God has prepared you from childhood, from your mother's womb for.

There are some brothers who are outstanding evangelists. I can't do that. I was once traveling with a brother in a train. It was not in this country, another country. He was a friend of mine, good brother.

We sat in the train. And he completely forgot about me. He was witnessing to the person sitting next to him. He started becoming friendly and started giving the gospel to him. I said, this is amazing.

Even if I try, I can't do it. But when he gets into the pulpit, he can't preach like me also. That's the other problem. So then I realized, God has given him one gift. He has given me another gift. I thank God for this dear brother who can do something I can never do even if I try for a hundred years.

I won't envy him. I will support him in his ministry. I won't envy him. I will support him in his ministry. He supports me in my ministry. That brother once told me, Brother Zach, I can't preach like you.

But if you go somewhere, I will carry the suitcase and come with you. Even if he carries the suitcase, he will be witnessing to people as he comes along. He had a great passion. God has given him a special desire.

Even if I try, I can't preach like him. He wasn't proud of it. He never told me that I should be like him. If he was proud of it, he would have been foolish. Isn't it wonderful that God has put different people with different gifts in the body of Christ?

Do you know one of the major ministries in a conference like this? The most important may be preaching. But one of the important ministries is cooking the food. Imagine if he said, there is no food here.

Everybody just stay here for the meeting. You may be able to do it, but the children will suffer. You may be able to do it, but the children will suffer. Thank God for the people who have the gift of cooking.

I don't have that gift. If I take up the responsibility of cooking, no one will come to the conference. That's why I don't go there. I don't have that gift. I don't want to try to do anything there. So it's wonderful how God has given us in the church different people so that we can work together.

The great thing is to value that brother and his gift. Support him. Don't compete with him. And definitely don't be jealous of him. And don't try to show that you are better than him. And don't tear him down when he makes a mistake.

You also will make a mistake in your ministry. We have to be merciful to one another. It's a great ministry in the body. To forgive one another. See in Colossians chapter 3. He says in verse 11. Christ is everything.

He is all and he is in all. So what should we do? Have you been chosen by God? Are you holy and beloved? Then here is what you should do. Have a heart of compassion to that other person. A heart of kindness.

A heart of humility. A heart of gentleness. A heart of patience. Bear with him. Forgive her. And if he has done something wrong. And you got a complaint. He did this wrong against me. Verse 13. The Lord had a complaint against you.

Thousands of complaints he forgave you. Jesus had thousands of complaints against you. But he forgave you. You should do the same thing. With that attitude. Put on love which is the perfect bond of unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. To which you were called in one body. And the last word. Be thankful for your sister. Be thankful for your wife. Be thankful for your husband. God is trying to make us one.

Thankfulness as the Bond of Unity

This is part of the full gospel. Where Christ dwells in the middle. I want to ask you this last two words. Be thankful. Have you ever knelt down by your bed. And said Lord. Thank you for my wife. When she is not listening.

That means you are really saying it to God. When you are alone. You have never done it. Do it. Do it tonight. Kneel down alone before God. And say Lord. Thank you for my wife. And sisters. Kneel down and say Lord.

I thank you for my husband. And then name your children. One by one. And say Lord. I thank you for giving me this child. And this one and this daughter. Then we can make the circle a little bigger. Lord I thank you for this elder brother in my church.

He is not perfect. Nobody is perfect. Even Paul was not perfect. But I see so many good qualities in him. He doesn't take any salary for his work in the church. If there is no other good quality. At least he has got that good quality.

And I see so many other good things in him. Forgive me Lord. That I have only pointed out the little mistakes. And Lord I thank you for my fellow elders. I want to thank you for them. Then make the circle bigger.

Think of the ones who are close to you. This brother. This sister. Thank you. This is obeying the command in verse 15 which says. You are called in one body. Be thankful. You just do this. And I tell you.

It will completely transform your relationship with your wife, children, everybody. We were in that old tree called Adam. And we got the habit of criticizing, criticizing, finding fault, finding fault.

The Holy Spirit has cut us off from there. Put us in Christ. And he has taught us to be thankful. Let's pray. Heavenly Father. Help us not to be one sided Christians. Developed on one side. But skinny on the other side.

Make us balanced beautiful Christians. To know what it is to have Christ in us. And also to know that we are in Christ. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.