It’s very popular these days, even among professing Christians, to resist membership at a local church. While this thinking might initially sound right, it actually flies in the face of everything the Bible teaches. While finding the right church can take time and prayer, NOT joining a church is never an option.
In his book, Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace? James Montgomery Boice talks about recovering community. As someone who was nurtured back to spiritual health by a community of believers, I can only concur with the statements that are expressed here. May God help us to get beyond our individualism — the individualism that is so deeply ingrained in our culture, and free us to love and care for others.
“A fourth area in which we need to seek renewal is for our churches to become true spiritual communities: “community” because it is only as a community that we can model relationships, and “spiritual” because what we want to model is the unique qualities of life that being Christian brings.
The church of Jesus Christ can model community as no secular organization can – not businesses, not schools, not the centers of entertainment or social life, not government or city agencies- only the church! Because the church gets us outside of ourselves as those who together have been made into the one body of Jesus Christ, we can think about and care for others. Churches have an extraordinary opportunity for reaching people for Christ through their communities at a time when other forms of community have broken down. There is no better place than the fellowship of Christians for embracing those suffering from ruptured marriages, fractured homes, and other destroyed relationships.
Christianity offers something different at this point. God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). Both of these statement concern relationships and show how necessary and desirable relationships are.
What makes a community? A community holds together because of some higher allegiance or priority. Christians are the community of those who are formed by Scripture alone and who, because of that, know that they are all sinners saved by grace alone because of Christ alone. They are not wrapped up in themselves. Therefore, they love each other and are able to stand together and welcome all types of people and races to their fellowship. They have a commitment that goes – or should go- beyond mere individualism; and if they do, they inevitably model genuine community in church settings. Such communities provide an unsurpassed opportunity for reaching the unsaved world for Jesus Christ.”
James Montgomery Boice, Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace? Rediscovering the Doctrines that Shook the World, Illinois: Crossway, pages 177-179.
Very interesting. I was just reading in Galatians with the children this morning and pondering the part where Paul speaks about our liberty in Christ and how we should not use our liberty as occasion to sin but to love one another. It seems there is a connection here. Perhaps we are free from the bondage of caring only about ourselves and we can now love on another in our church community??? Still pondering….
Charlene, that sounds like more than a ponderization — that is theology! 🙂 How true! New life in Christ means we are free to love.! Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Love and blessings to you dear sister!
I read that book a few years ago and loved it.
We’ve been attending a very small Reformed Baptist church for the last year, and one of the first things that really stood out to me about that church was how close everyone was. They really are a church family, and it seems like that is how a church really should be.
Amen, Jessica. We cannot grow apart from relationship with one another. Fellowship is one of the primary means whereby His grace flows. God bless you, sister!
Very wise and timely advice… Thanks Christina. 🙂
Thank you, Angela! God bless you!
Wise words Christina. This is a message we have discussed so much at my church. I think that secular culture has hijacked the word community…pretty interesting that the model of it is in Christianity. Thank you so much for posting this, so much truth! I am blessed with a wonderful fellowship myself, it took several years and so much prayer to find it but I am blessed beyond measure. Love to you, xoxoxoxo
Amen, Teresa! I know our paths are very paralle and I thank God for His continual leading and grace in your life — and mine, too! I love you!
Ah, Christina, I confess this post brings a sting in it for me – going through a very difficult time at the moment and I am turning to friends 3,000 miles across the Atlantic and not our local church, for all sorts of reasons. Not the way community should be working…thanks for posting this – ouch! 😉
Praying for you sweet Diana. May He make all grace abound towards you! I love you!
Please, if you would, pray for my neighbor with whom I talked concerning just this tonight. She and her husband are going through so much and are, as a result, more isolated than they should be. Pray that God would break through all the pain and uncertainties to draw them to His truth and body, a good local church (preferably ours :-)). Much love!
Petra, I join you in your prayers. They are blessed to have you as their neighbor. Keep me posted. I love you!
Reblogged this on Justification by Grace and commented:
My dear sister, Christina, presents an excellent and encouraging reminder of the important place of the local church in Christ’s economy. Thanks, Christina.
Christina,
Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Did I say that I agree with you? 🙂
As someone who only this past year wanted so much to abandon her local church and has found church to be very difficult, I can only praise God for the work He’s done in my heart regarding the importance of committing to a local church AND cultivating relationships with the members. It’s not easy. Often, it’s gut-wrenching because God uses church relationships to purge us of idols and selfishness and to cultivate in us a spirit of forgiveness. But it’s essential to be part of a church and God’s grace is sufficient in these trials. Oh that we would view our church families as real family and love one another, forgive one another. I still have so much to learn and perhaps one day I’ll have words to share the amazing ways He’s transformed me from one who wanted to run to one who wants to stay, no matter the cost.
Love you!!
Thank you Christina for this. With the Internet available now many have dropped out of church and substituted the church with a virtual one. I heard the other day there is an actual Internet church! For people who truly have no sound Bible teaching church in their area this can be a great blessing. But it’s never a viable substitute for flesh and blood believers in our lives. You can’t bring a pot of soup to someone on the Internet, or sit with them in the waiting room at the hospital. Not to mention gathering together for corporate reading of the Word, prayer, praise, and preaching.
Much love!
Amen! This is coming from someone who ditched the local church for several years, who now blesses God every day for the little church He’s brought us too. We’re imperfect, still learning how to love God and love one another, but the Head and Architect of the church is perfect and He will build His church for His glory.
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and heartfelt comments. God’s grace is always greater and what is meant for evil, God turns around for good. I’m sure you’ve read, or at least heard of Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck’s book, “Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion”. For anyone who has been hurt by the church or written her off, this book will help. Though I’m sure most of us come from a different church background than the authors had in mind when they wrote this, the principle applies just the same:
“The church we love is as flawed and messed up as we are, but she’s Christ bride nonetheless. And I might as well have a basement without a house or a head without a body as despise the wife my Savior loves.” (page19)
http://www.monergismbooks.com/Why-We-Love-the-Church-In-Praise-of-Institutions-and-Organized-Religion-p-18559.html
I can give a hearty “amen” to this recommendation. I read DeYoung and Kluck’s book this past year and really benefited from it.
Very good points!