God has designed the church in such a way that fellow church members can be used, much like ribs in the physical body, to protect us from more serious harm.
Last week, I shared that, due to a nasty fall, I damaged my back and some ribs. After several days of discomfort (and some man-whining) my wife, Jill, strongly suggested that I see my doctor. Having cracked ribs on a previous occasion, I was aware that not much can be done to enhance the healing process. Nevertheless, a greater concern was whether I might have suffered internal damage to any of my organs. Having some experience with organ damage, I confess that I was a bit worried, so I made the appointment. Upon examination, my doctor told me that my organs were fine but that my ribs would take time to heal. With a sense of relief I said, “I guess my ribs did their job.” God’s wise gift of skeletal bones around my midsection protected me from more serious injury. And as I drove away from the doctors’ rooms, it occurred to me that, just as God designed the human body in such an amazing way that it is able to protect itself, so he has designed the body of Christ to protect itself from serious injury. Thank God for fellow church members that function like ribs.
As Christians walk through this fallen world, we often find ourselves in sinfully precarious situations, tempting us to serious wrong which can lead to serious spiritual damage, including apostasy. Sadly, sometimes we slip and fall, hurting not only ourselves but one another as well. The results can be devastating. And yet God has designed the church in such a way that fellow church members can be used, much like ribs in the physical body, to protect us from more serious harm. This is part of Paul’s meaning when he wrote, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1–2). Elsewhere, James reiterates the same principle when he writes, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19–20). And the apostle John likewise addresses the same concern in 1 John 5:16–17, “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.”
Each of these apostles makes the point that fellow believing church members are God’s means of both restoring fallen members and minimising the damage of their fall. That is, by coming alongside fallen fellow-members a Christian can minimise further damage while at the same time promoting spiritual healing. This is the responsibility of every church member, as Jesus made clear in Matthew 18:15–20.
There can be plenty of reasons for discouragement in church life, but countering these is the immeasurable joy of seeing church members behaving like ribs, protecting fellow church members from otherwise spiritual harm.
We need to see ourselves as spiritual “ribs,” gifted by God to protect one another, to minimise what could otherwise be a spiritually fatal fall. But, like physical ribs, when we come alongside the fallen, we will absorb some of the shock and will feel a good deal of pain. Perhaps that is why too many Christians are content to be a separated or detached member of the body.
It’s been about a month since my ribs absorbed the shock of a hard fall and they continue to carry the pain. That is an anatomical reality that is matched by the ecclesiological reality: Involved members will carry pain. It is painful to hear about and to confront the ugliness of sin. It can be uncomfortable to talk about failure and it requires sacrifice to be a part of the restoration process. Nevertheless, if we will function as God has designed the church to behave, we will do the hard thing lest a more damning hard thing occurs to our fellow member.
When the body of Christ functions in accordance with God’s design, then, when a brother or sister falls into sin, damage can be mitigated, but not usually without sharing pain. But as the psalmist reminds us, though the weeping from pain may continue through the night of healing, nevertheless the joy of restoration does come in the morning (Psalm 30:5).
There can be plenty of reasons for discouragement in church life, but countering these is the immeasurable joy of seeing church members behaving like ribs, protecting fellow church members from otherwise spiritual harm. I see this on a regular basis giving me cause to thank God for these ribs. It encourages me to request of the Lord, “Please, may we have some bones?”
May he answer such prayers by making each of us his gift of ribs for one another.
Healing and hopefully helping,
Doug