Faith and the Body of Christ, by Pastor Charlie Handren

Faith and the Body of Christ

By Pastor Charlie

George Müller is famous for his faith in God, but his faith did not come out of nowhere. It was, of course, granted by the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:3), but it was fanned into flame by other believers who gathered with him to seek the Lord and advance in their Christian life together. For example, when he was a young man, he would regularly gather with about twenty believers to sing, pray, read the Scripture, read portions of godly books, and speak the Word to one another. When he was much older, he wrote about that time and the effect it had on him, both when he was seeking the Lord and when he was backsliding. Müller writes:

I was often greatly stirred up and refreshed in these meetings; and once, being in a backsliding state, and therefore cold and miserable, I opened my heart to the brethren, and was brought out of that state through the means of their exhortation and prayer. “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together,” is a most important exhortation. Even if we should not derive any special benefit at the time, so far as we are conscious, yet we may be kept from much harm. And very frequently the beginning of coldness of heart is nourished by keeping away from the meetings of the saints. (Autobiography of George Müller, Westminster Literature, 20)

Indeed, the Lord is utterly wise and on our side when he inspires the author of Hebrews to write, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

The incubator of faith is the body of Christ. The food of faith is the Word of Christ and the light of faith is the Spirit of Christ, but the context in which it grows and prospers is the body of Christ. If we are to reach the heights of faith and behold the glory of God as he stretches out his strong right hand, we will have to do it together. This is the Lord’s design and it is good.

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