But is all this so important? Must it be this way and not some other way? Indeed, it must, and for this reason: it is God’s way. We say that the Bible is God’s word, that it is holy and inviolable. Then are not those things in the Bible holy? Are they not inviolable, to be followed with utmost care? The Bible is God’s inspired textbook.

Consider God’s words to Moses as he began building the tabernacle. He told Moses, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Exodus 25:9,40; Numbers 8:4; Hebrews 8:5 NIV) God was going to dwell in the tabernacle. It could not be tainted by human alteration and still be His holy dwelling place.

Surely it must be the same way with the church – the eternal, holy temple of God. (Ephesians 2:21,22) The church is the vessel He has chosen to use in demonstrating His manifold wisdom to “principalities and powers.” (Ephesians 3:10)

The time will come, indeed, when God will assert His almighty power and authority over the wicked hosts and lock them forever in the lake of fire. But before that, He will prove that they have not triumphed. He will show them that among fallen and redeemed mankind there are those (the church) who love Him solely because of who He is.

God’s integrity is at stake in the church. This is why the church absolutely must be formed according to His Word. Anything more, anything less, anything other than God’s pattern partakes of another “wisdom” – wisdom that comes from the one who says, “hath God said?” (Genesis 3:1) We do well to keep in mind that satan has, from the beginning, sought to influence men to do things in a way – any way – different from God’s Word.

How important this is can be seen, for example, in 1 Chronicles 13:5-14 and 15:2 and 11-15, when David began bringing the ark to Jerusalem, carried on a new cart and not on the shoulders of the priests, as the law commanded. It cost a man his life. David said, “God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.” From this we see that men can seek to do God’s will in other than God’s way, but they cannot thereby fully please Him.

An indispensable distinctive of the body of Christ is member ministering to member, and member caring for member, just as Christ ministers to and cares for His own. Nothing else finally is the body of Christ, nor will the Lord accept anything less because it is His only plan.

When the members of the church are all in their God-ordained places and moving together as He wants them to, they are far more than an association of individuals. They are a living whole. They move as an athlete does when he runs. No single part draws special attention – legs, arms, sinews, heart. What is vital is how everything moves together. When a runner is running, everything about him is running. Similarly, the body is a moving, coordinated whole. The members are joined to Jesus Christ, the head, so closely that together they are His body.