You Belong to the Family of God - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - February 13, 2022

You Belong to the Family of God 
By Rick Warren

"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12 (NLT)

Baptism and communion are the visible signs of unity in the church.

They’re symbols of your incorporation into the body of Christ. Both of them illustrate that you belong to Christ, and that you also belong to everybody else in the family of God.

The Bible talks about the importance of communion in 1 Corinthians 10:16-17: "When we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body” (NLT).

Baptism is also a sign that you intend to protect the unity of the church family that you belong to: "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:12 NLT).

Your physical body is made up of many parts, but they all are meant to work together in unity. It’s the same way in the church. Just take a quick look around any church, and it’s obvious that everyone is different. But the church forms one body that is meant to work in unity toward God’s purposes on earth.

Whatever differences you have in cultural, racial, religious, or national background, it doesn't matter. Every believer has been baptized into Christ's body by the same Spirit, and that makes it possible for the church to have unity.

You are unified with every other Christian, regardless of your differences. That means you have more in common with someone who looks nothing like you but is a believer in Christ, than you do with someone in your own family who does not follow Jesus. You may have physical or cultural commonalities with the people around you, but the most important commonality is with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Have you tried to look past the differences that don’t really matter in the church and to focus instead on what you have in common in Christ? God can do an awesome work through you and a unified church that’s focused on the Gospel.

PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Be Encouraged Each Day to Live Out God’s Purposes

As thanks for your gift below to help share the gospel with more people around the world through Daily Hope, we’ll send you Pastor Rick’s new book, Daily Hope Devotional: 365 Days of Purpose, Peace, and Promise.

Each devotional starts out with a Bible verse, followed by teaching that explains God’s Word and shows you how to apply it daily so you can face any challenge and live the life you were created to live.

As a special bonus when you give, we’ll also send you What's Driving Your Life?: A 10-Day Turnaround for a Fresh Start. Featuring 10 hand-picked devotions from Pastor Rick’s new book, they’ll guide anyone feeling stressed, worried, or discouraged toward seeking God for a fresh start.

Request your copy below when you give—and take the first step towards a year of real purpose, lasting peace, and unfailing promises.

Thank you for your partnership!

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.