THE CHRISTIAN AND ORGANIZATIONS of a popular knowledge of freedom in Christ has, at times, become the "greenest" of them all. The young Christian of such commitment is adamant in championing the rights of the individual. And now it is not only IBM, governmental agencies, and the local university that are suspect, it is also the denomin ation, the church on the corner, the mission organization, and the Christian college. In light of this trend, what should the Christian's attitude be toward organizations; or, as Reich calls it, the Corporate State? Should Christian young people shun organizations that limit their freedom and ask them to go contrary to their own feelings? This is a complex problem but there are biblical guidelines. Hopefully, the following thoughts will stimulate further study and analysis. Christians, whether they are fully aware of it or not, are automatically a part of an organization that limits their freedom. They are members of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is an organization. It is a unified group of people directed toward specific objectives. Romans 12:5 and I Corinthians 12:12, 23, and 27, and the context in which they are found clearly dem onstrate that Christians "are one body in Christ." And, what are the objectives? Three specific ones stand out. Each asks the individual to limit his freedom for the benefit of the others within the organization. First, members are given gifts (e.g., I Corinthians 12:4-11) for the "edifying of the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12—see also 13 and 16). That limits the Christian. The gift is for the edification of others, not for the amusement or glorification of self. And, the individual is never to think of himself as something separate or special apart from the rest of the corporate body of believers (I Corinthians 12:14ff). Despite the current trend toward a "greening" philosophy of life, the focus is on the body not the individual. Second, members are charged with the responsibility of supporting and aiding others in the body. The individual is even counseled to "prefer one another" and to "condescend to men of low estate" (Romans 12:10 and 16). The freedom to seek personal honor and to demand special privilege is not granted to a member of the body. The very thrust of the love chapter (I Corinthians 13) is a fundamental part of Paul's discourse on the proper functioning of the body. Four graphic phrases are found in verses 4 and 5 that limit any Christian who seeks to assert himself for personal gain, " . . . love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own........ "
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