"I guess we shall have to look up the word 'body' to find out just what it is," said Robert. "Here is I Cor. 12:13."
"'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.'"
"Try Romans 12:4, 5," said Robert.
"'For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.'"
"This makes it plainer," said Robert. "As I see it now, Christ's body is the church, and the church is His people. That is logical. Just like my body, it has a variety of members, yet it is just one body. So Paul says the church is."
"How do persons get into this church of God? Mr. Jones asked us to join the church. So did Mr. Perkins, and Mr. Johnson. They said that they would open the door and receive members. But, Robert, I feel, yes, thank the Lord, I know that I am saved, and yet I am not a member of any church. How can this be?" asked Mary.
"I do not know about that, Mary," replied Robert. "Maybe you are a church member, after all. Let us see another text. Yes, don't you remember Acts 2:47, which said that 'the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved'? If salvation made them members then why does not salvation make us members now? Why, Mary, surely it does. This must correspond with Paul's saying that we read from I Cor. 12:13, about the Spirit baptizing us all into one body. I begin to see now that we get into the church that Jesus built by being saved through the Spirit, and that salvation makes us members of the church. Well, praise God for these truths! They fit right into my heart."
"Now another point seems plain," resumed Robert, "the church, in order to be pure, must have only saved members. And Jesus would not add any but saved members. I see that."
"And more than that," said Mary, "if Christ adds the members, then every Christian is bound to be a member, isn't he?"
"That must be right," said Robert.