What Shall We Call You?

“What’s a good name for you?” When I’m ordering coffee or a sandwich and someone asks me that question, two thoughts come to mind: First, why do they word it that way? Why not just ask what my name is? Do they not like their name, is that why they don’t assume that my actual name is a “good name” for me? But then I think a second thought: This is your chance! Don’t waste it by giving your actual name. So I usually answer, “Freddie Gus.”

“What shall we call you?” is a question that can bring some levity to an otherwise ho-hum day. But in the Christian life we don’t really have the freedom to come up with our own names. Naming is a task belonging to our Sovereign Lord. He named the first man and re-named Abram (Abraham) and his grandson Jacob (Israel). In the New Testament, the Lord calls believers “Christians,” “saints,” “the redeemed,” “children,” and other stunning terms. With every name He gives, our sense of who we really are is shaped. But what the Lord calls us also informs what we should do. And there are three names tucked away in a couple verses that have pretty significant implications for how Christians should live. The first two show up in Ephesians:

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:15–16).

What shall we call you, Christian? God calls you a joint. Joints are where bones meet up in the body. God uses that name when talking about His singular goal of maturing His children (Ephesians 4:13) or, as verse 15 has it, growing up each believer into Christ, our head. The way that God accomplishes this goal is when every joint—or every believer—joins in on His project by speaking the truth in love. What’s a good name for you, Christian? Joint should be a good name for you. Of course, that name will only be true if you’re joined, that is to say, genuinely and consistently living in connection with a particular group of believers who meet at a local church.

Did you notice the second thing God calls Christians in Ephesians 4:16? He says they are each a part. God’s plan to sanctify His children into becoming like His Son in every way happens not only when “every joint” is joined together, but when “each part” is working properly. The implication of God equating believers with joints is that He assumes every believer will be joined to a specific group of other joints, in a local body of believers. The implication of God equating believers with parts is that He believes the whole church won’t reach its potential unless each part does its part in the ministry of speaking the truth.

Do you get it yet? The New Testament doesn’t give an explicit command that every believer must join a local church. But the New Testament does communicate God’s simple assumption that every believer will be vitally committed to a particular local church. And He communicates that assumption by calling Christians joint and part. “Every joint” must be there, and “each part” must work to build up the church. This obviously is not a reference to the universal church, for it would be impossible for “every joint” and “each part” to be present. This would be impossible since some members of the universal church are in heaven, and others haven’t been born; some are in Angola, others in Arkansas.

What shall we call you, Christian? Joint. Part. Here’s another: insider.

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:12–13).

There is much here to unpack, but let me give you enough context for us to work with. Paul is exhorting the church in Corinth to remove from membership a man who is having an affair with his step-mother (1 Corinthians 5:1). Paul had already instructed this church not to tolerate sexual immorality among its members (1 Corinthians 5:9), but they were arrogant in that they ignored the apostle. Now Paul is renewing his command to judge. Yes, you read that right! Paul says it’s right to judge those inside the church (1 Corinthians 5:12). Judging here is merely rendering excommunication to members unwilling to repent of sin. For the purposes of this article, note what God calls Christians: insiders.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul divides the whole world into two categories: insiders and outsiders. The outsiders are those God will judge; in other words, unbelievers are described as those who are outside the church and thus will face God on the final day. Insiders, on the other hand, are everyone who will not be judged and punished on that day.

Again, the New Testament is written with certain assumptions about people who come to saving faith in Christ. In this case, God just takes for granted that Christians will willingly situate themselves inside a church. And not just any church; God assumes believers will be inside a church where this sort of judgment occurs—where other members know and love one another enough to judge and be judged if we are sexually immoral, greedy, idolatrous, reviling, a drunkard, or a swindler (1 Corinthians 5:11).

So, if you’re a Christian, are you living up to the names God calls you? Are you joined to a church where the members are committed to doing their part in speaking the truth in love to you? Are you doing your part? Are you an insider—calling your fellow members to live out the freedom they have in Christ to flee from sin? And have you licensed the members of your church to judge you in this way?

Are you acting as a joint in a local body? Are you part of a particular whole, fulfilling your ministry of speaking the truth in love? Are you inside a church that practices right judgment? Christian, can you confidently say that these are good names for you?