What must you do to become a member of the body of Christ?
To become a member of the body of Christ, a person must believe the gospel. At the moment of faith, the Holy Spirit automatically and immediately places that believer into Christ's body. Membership is not obtained by signing up or by a preacher baptizing you into it.
Les explains from 1 Corinthians chapter 12 that Paul uses the human body as an example: just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members are still one body, so also is Christ. He is the head of the body, which is composed of many members. Scripture teaches that believers now become members of the body of Christ, of which He is the head in heaven, while they are the body still here on the earth. The question is how one becomes a member of that organism. Les says you did not sign up for it, and some preacher did not baptize you into it. Instead, first you had to believe the gospel, and the Holy Spirit automatically, immediately, the moment we believe, places us into that body. This is supported by verse 13: "for by one Spirit."
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
More Questions
How does a person become a member of the body of Christ according to 1 Corinthians 12:13?
You become a member of the body of Christ by first believing the gospel, and at the moment of belief the Holy Spirit automatically and immediately baptizes you into that body by one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).
What is the prerequisite for being placed into the body of Christ?
Before the Holy Spirit places a person into Christ's body at the moment of belief, that person must first believe the gospel; believing the gospel is the prerequisite.