«　WEEK 3　DAY 2　»

　　Eph. 2:16 "And might reconcile both in one Body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity it."

　　Matt. 16:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me."

　　The work of the cross not only brings us into the Body, but also the Body becomes the very realm within which the cross works. If we were here only as a congregation, we might not need the cross. However, since we are together as the Body, we cannot go on without the cross. The cross will dig away our natural life, our own activities, and any disproportionate growth. The cross is indispensable to the church; it is indispensable among Christians. Whether or not we like it, we have to communicate with other brothers and sisters because we are all in the Body. Because we are in the Body, we have to be restricted and cannot be so free. If we were not members, we could seek our personal enjoyment. Since we are members, we cannot seek our own enjoyment anymore. If we come across a troublesome brother, we need to take up the cross. The cross will test us and sift away all our mixture and uncleanness. We must come under the restriction of the Body. The restriction of the Body will take away our freedom; it will drive us to the cross. Only after the cross has wrought a deep work in us will we be able to coordinate with the brothers and sisters. (CWWN, vol. 38, p. 408)

　　Every Christian is a member of the Body of Christ. Hence, every Christian should come under the restriction of the Body of Christ and learn to bear the cross. Some have a very strong disposition. Such a strong disposition must be broken. Some are very peculiar. Such peculiarity must also be broken. No Christian can boast of his strength or his peculiarity in the church. In the church, anything sharp, glaring, or conspicuous has to be worn away. Spiritually, we all need to depend on the other members, and we all need the restriction of the Body. God may grant grace to some to be miracle workers, and He may grant grace to others to be gospel preachers or teachers. If you can only preach the gospel, you should be satisfied with your function of preaching the gospel and humbly accept the Bible exposition of those who have the gift of teaching. If you have the gift of teaching, you should not think that you have everything; you should also honor and receive others' work. You have to learn to be restricted and allow others to do what you cannot do yourself. You have to learn to accept others' work as well as your own. In the spiritual work, no one is free to do everything.

　　Have you asked God to show you the measure He has given you? You should walk in the measure that God has given you. You can only walk within your measure; you cannot walk beyond that measure. Hence, you have to find out where the boundary of your measure is and accept this boundary. If you do this, you will not be covetous, ambitious, or restless to do many other things. Paul said, “But we will not boast beyond our measure but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach even as far as you.…We are not boasting beyond our measure in others' labors, but have the hope, as your faith is increasing, to be magnified in you according to our rule unto abundance, so that we may announce the gospel unto those parts beyond you, not so that we may boast in another man's rule in things already prepared” (2 Cor. 10:13, 15-16). To go beyond one's measure is to overstep others; it is to intrude upon others and to push others out. We must remember that consecration leads to submission to Christ, whereas humility leads to submission to the Body. The psalmist said, “Nor do I go about in things too great / Or too wondrous for me” (Psa. 131:1). Things too great and things too wondrous are the things that are beyond one's measure. If everyone behaves this way, and if no one exercises himself in great matters or in things too wondrous for him, every member will function according to the measure of each one part.(CWWN, vol. 38, pp. 409-410)

　　Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 38, ch. 54; CWWN, vol. 30, ch. 7