The Three Functions of Believers

We are Given 3 Assignments that Define our Purpose and How to Deal with God and Everyone We Meet

God does not save us and then turn us out to wander aimlessly until He returns. The instant we are saved, we are given three assignments or general functions that define the purpose of the rest of our lives and tells us how to deal with God and everyone we meet. No believer ever has to wonder, "What am I here for?"

Those three assignments are:

1. Our Priesthood: Our Relationship to God

2. The Ministry of Reconciliation, our Ambassadorship for Christ to the Lost: Our Relationship to Unbelievers

3. Ministry to Build Up and Edify the Body of Christ: Our Relationship to Believers

Our Priesthood: Our Relationship to God

You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION… (1 Peter 2:5,9)

Every believer is a priest to God and has the right to present himself before the throne of grace.

In Hebrews 10:19–22 we are urged to "draw near" to God, from the Greek proserchomai, which means "to come face to face." Because our approach is built on confession, we can walk boldly into the throne room of God knowing every sin has been paid for and we have been redeemed (Hebrews 4:16). God wants us to live face to face (connected) with Him.

Our priesthood is private, between us and the Lord. We are responsible to function as priests and maintain our relationship with God through:

• Reading, studying and applying the Word of God, His written communication to us, diligently as a lifestyle. (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17, James 1:22, John 13:17)

• Prayer, which is our communication to Him. Staying vigilant and alert and praying unceasingly in all things. (Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19, Hebrews 13:15)

• Stay in fellowship (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:7–9)

• To "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

• Confessing our sins as a lifestyle immediately upon sinning (1 John 1:5-9, Psalms 32, James 5:16, Revelation 3:19)

• Worshipping God with our obedience and devotion. (Romans 12:1, 2 Corinthians 5:15, Colossians 3:1-11)

• Maintaining a heart of thanksgiving toward God for His grace and praising His holy name. (Psalm 104:4; Colossians 3:16; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Colossians 1:11-12)

The Ministry of Reconciliation, our Ambassadorship for Christ to the Lost: Our Relationship to Unbelievers

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (18) Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, (19) namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)

God has given us the ministry of reconciliation so that we might serve as ambassadors of Christ. We have a duty to the unsaved (Acts 1:8). Jesus Christ came to earth "to seek and save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). He began his ministry in the flesh but He continues it in us (John 20:21; Matthew 28:19-20). Our responsibility is to urge men to be reconciled to God.

Hebrews 10:23 tells us to "hold fast the confession of our hope." Katecho, "hold fast," is a nautical term that means "to steer a straight course toward an objective." Elpis, "hope," is absolute certainty. Confidence in God produces courage before man. As our intimacy with God grows through the function of our priesthood, so will our effectiveness as ambassadors.

Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 12:31)

So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." (John 20:21)

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Become all things to all men, so that we may by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9:22-23)

Consider your life as no account to yourself that you might be of use to Christ, and therefore be willing to be expendable in the cause of Christ, which is to seek and to save the lost. (Revelation 12:11; Matthew 16:25; Philippians 3:8)

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (16) and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. (17) For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. (1 Peter 3:15-17)

Ministry to Build Up and Edify the Body of Christ: Our Relationship to Believers

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

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (11) But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:7,11)

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. (1 Corinthians 14:26)

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Each one of us is called to be a servant to every other Christian, and our spiritual gift defines the area in which we are to concentrate our service. At salvation, every believer is given a spiritual gift(s) through which he is to minister to the Body of Christ. That gift, bestowed sovereignly by the Holy Spirit as He wills, outlines the plan of God for our lives. Through the gifts of the Spirit, the Church is built up and strengthened.

In Hebrews 10:24–25, we are exhorted to "consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds encouraging one another." The word translated "consider," katanoeo, means "to bear down with the mind, to concentrate." In the exercise of our spiritual gifts we should bear down in intense concentration, meditate, exercise some mental energy in considering other people and their needs. We should constantly ask ourselves, "How can I stimulate someone else to live in the energy of the Spirit? How can I use my gift today to encourage and strengthen someone else?"

Below are some of the commands and Scriptures related to our ministry to build up and edify the Body:

• We are called to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as ourselves. (Mark 12:31, Acts 2:42)

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)

If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! (5) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; (7) You shall teach them diligently [shanan in the Hebrew meaning to hone on a whet stone repetitively until it has a sharp edge as in “the two edged sword of the Spirit”] to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. (8) You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. (9) You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Part of the Shema of Israel that they were to memorize and recite daily. It is God’s strategy for us so that we will not be a different person on the job, another at home, another at play, and still another at church. We are to be equally Christ-like in every aspect of our life. To do otherwise is to be a hypocrite and a religious impostor. Moreover, it is the job of parents to teach this concept diligently to our children.

• Observe Communion together in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice and imminent return. (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-32). [Sacrament]

• Baptize believers in water symbolic of our having been baptized into Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection at salvation. [Sacrament] (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 1:8, Acts 19:1-6, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Romans 6:3-8, Colossians 3:1-4)

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10) [Do you know your gifting yet?]

So then let us pursue the things, which make for peace and the building up of one another. (Romans 14:19)

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. (Ephesians 4:25) [Be honest and transparent with one another and do not lie or play games]

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. (Philippians 2:3)

Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. (1 Corinthians 14:1)

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. [Cliques are an exercise in partiality and dictate to God who we will fellowship with instead of letting Him lead us.] (1 Timothy 5:19-21)

But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (James 2:9)

Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. (1 Timothy 5:22)

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-21)

And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; (13) bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (14) Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (15) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts [Make decisions based on what will create peace in your life and avoid contention, unless it is necessary for the cause of Christ], to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. (16) Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (16) Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:12-17)

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; (11) not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; (12) rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, (13) contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. (14) Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. (15) Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (16) Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. (17) Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. (18) If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. (Romans 12:10-18)

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.(James 5:16)

“One Another” & the Clergy-Laity Divide

One could probably write a book on any one of these operational scriptures but the goal of this manuscript is to illustrate the more general view of God’s guidelines to the body of Christ.

The operational dynamics identified in the foregoing, many of which are in the imperative mode and therefore are commands and not suggestions, are not being emphasized in much of the mainstream church today. Rather, churches are focused on teaching that doesn’t offend, on ceremony, and on programs that take place within the church walls.

The church is searching for a better program and God is searching for a better man.

The mainstream church has created a separation between the leadership and the congregation, commonly referred to as the clergy and the laity that prevents the majority of the body from being equal participants in body life and in the work and administration of the kingdom.

Further, as the rank-and-file Christians became second-class citizens in spiritual terms, we also lost the dynamic of discipleship and with it the development of true covenant relationship and agape love, which are the supernatural fruits of godly discipleship. Too many churches consider Sunday school to be discipleship. The result is many churches have derailed God’s plan for the growth and perfection of the body.

We are commanded to “make disciples of all the nations (all people) teaching them to observe (to do) all things I have commanded you…” (see Matthew 28:19-20).

Too often believers develop the idea that the church can somehow fulfill their covenant responsibilities by proxy, if they just attend and put enough money in the plate. They seem to lose sight of the book of James that tells us clearly that “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself (James 2:17), and “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead (James 2:26), and “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin (James 4:17).

But then much of the church leadership has lost sight of the fact that God has given every believer the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20), not just the so-called clergy. To not fulfill that responsibility when God brings the opportunity is a sin that can keep a Christian perpetually out of fellowship.

This also means they have no evidence or assurance of salvation and that they do not have on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17) and the deterrent to sin and the powers and principalities of darkness that it affords.

It was God’s plan through the operation of discipleship, under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, to produce in His children the seamless behavior pattern that we see in Christ. But having created a gulf between church leadership and the rest of the body, Satan succeeded in fracturing the body of Christ and fragmenting God’s plan for Christian development.

As the clergy focused more on teaching doctrine and using it as the hinge-pin for elevating themselves above the so-called laity, they lost sight of the very focus and purpose of godly instruction. And in so doing we began to major in the minors of the Christian life and to lose sight of its primary goal.

The Goal of Our Instruction

The true goal of all Christian enterprise is love (agape) from a pure heart, which is a heart that is devoid of any self-motive or personal agenda but rather is a servant’s heart that desires the highest good for those who are the objects of that love regardless of the cost. As a result, agape love usually begins at the threshold of inconvenience.

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)

“A good conscience” simply means walking in lifestyle fellowship through immediate confession of sins.

“A sincere faith” is to sincerely “trust in and rely upon” Jesus Christ and nothing else, which is exactly the meaning of the Koine Greek word “pisteuo” translated “believe” throughout the New Testament. Yes, believe is an action, not a mental inclination. To put another way, “saved is as saved does!” So, test yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5)!

Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. (9) Be hospitable to one another without complaint. (1 Peter 4:8-9)

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. (Philippians 2:3)

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, (5) does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, (6) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

And, of course, the highest good for anyone is whatever brings them into a closer relationship with God in Jesus Christ, since “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..” (James 1:17). God intends for his children to be his agents of agape love regardless of the personal cost to them in worldly terms even unto death (John 15:13, 1 John 3:16).

God’s Guidelines for Assembling Together

The majority of the mainstream church today is ignoring some critical biblical guidelines, like 1 Corinthians 14:26 that instructs us:

…When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

We have lost sight of “each one!”

In God’s plan, the order of service was to be determined by the Holy Spirit, who would anoint those he chose to contribute during each time of assembly. This has been replaced with a pastor’s plan and a bulletin that might be prepared days in advance. Scripture throughout indicates that God always deals “in the moment.” We see a good example of this in Ephesians 4:29:

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

The clear message of this verse is that God the Holy Spirit will anoint those who are in fellowship with insight to deal with the immediate circumstances.

Further, today the word “grace” has become more or less a dynamic-less cliché when indeed as in this verse it is speaking to life-changing supernatural power and blessing.

1 Corinthians 14:26 (above) with its focus on “each one” then works in conjunction with 1 Corinthians 12:22-25 in “bestowing… honor”:

On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; (23) and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, (24) whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, (25) so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (1 Corinthians 12:22-25)

It goes without saying that this instruction has been lost to the church in America in our preoccupation with affluence financially and educational achievement.

Together, these two dynamics of “each one” and “bestowing honor” supercharge believers in a church to operate effectively in their three functions. The parallel would be the difference to those in military boot camp being trained through constant exercise and practice under the tutelage of the drill instructor as opposed to simply watching the drill instructor run the obstacle course and fire his weapon on the firing range and not be involved personally in the process. However, this is essentially the same picture of a congregation of mute spectators listening to a paid speaker and an amateur singing group.

If churches would follow this biblical dynamic instead of the flawed pastoral paradigm they practice today then and only then could they fulfill the requirements of Ephesians 4:11-16:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (14) As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; (15) but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, (16) from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Moreover, in the First Century most of the congregation lived close to each other. Whereas today congregants might be traveling many of miles to get to church and unless they make a concerted effort will only see each others on Sundays and perhaps Wednesday night. This makes the dynamics in the Ephesians passage just that much more difficult to achieve.

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In Christ,

—Paul