Corinthians 12: 5 throws light on the Lordship of Christ in His assembly. " There are differences of administrations, but the same Lord." The Greek word for administration is diakonia, a word describing the work of a servant. The Lord has the disposal of His servants. They are to obey His directions. The servant of the Lord is not under the direction of the assembly, but of the Lord alone. If the servant is true to the directions of the Lord, he will not be found save in fullest harmony with the assembly, as it is found in true relation to Christ, the Head in heaven.
At the same time the lordship of Christ covers the whole life of the believer. He is introduced to this at the very start of his Christian life. He is bidden to " believe on the LORD Jesus Christ " for salvation. (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31).) When Saul of Tarsus was suddenly converted on the road to Damascus, his first response was, " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:66And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (Acts 9:6).) If I am not right in my private life, my home life, my business life, in all the ordinary relationships of life, it is impossible to be right in the assembly. If we seek to be in happy, joyous subjection to the Lord, we shall find His yoke easy, and His burden light. Subjection to Him would settle many problems, where we should go, how we should use our leisure, what we should wear, how we should treat our possessions as stewards of the bounty of the Lord. Individually right with the Lord, the believer will find his true niche and service in the assembly under a lordship exercised in relation to the whole church of God.