Certain basic facts are apparent. Cells build up the body under the influence of something that may be called the life force. When death occurs, or cells are separated from the life force, disintegration begins. In Paul's illustration of the church as the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit corresponds to this life force. He creates, energizes, unites, and directs each cell, and apart from him we are dead.
Every cell has some things in common, and something that makes it different.
The millions of cells of one body have identical chromosomes, and every member of the body of Christ is characterized by the family likeness. Innumerable devotional books have expounded this Christlike pattern and noted its rarity among those who profess it. Our task here is to concentrate on diversity. If the fruit of the Spirit makes a Christian grow into the family likeness, the gifts of the Spirit will make him mysteriously different. Just as cells can be grouped by function into bone cells, liver cells, muscle cells, epidermis cells, and so on, so Christians vary according to their function in the body of Christ.