Together

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

Here is a biblical truth that some Christ followers forget: the Bible knows nothing of Lone Ranger Christians. There is no such thing as a solitary saint or Christian hermit. God never intended Christ followers to be isolated from other Christ followers nor a Christ follower to be deprived of fellowship. We belong to each other. 

Listen to Paul’s exhortation to the early saints. We are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, held together, and we will be caught up together [1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:21-22, 3:6, 4:16; Colossians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:17].

To be sure, your relationship with Christ is personal. Absolutely. But God never intended that relationship to be private. As a Christ follower, you are connected to every Christ follower. We belong to each other now and forever. 

The world has corrupted the idea of membership. To Wall Street types, members are nothing more than mailing lists to offer exclusive discounts. Some churches have gutted membership by simply adding your name to a roll with no expectations. That is so unlike God’s way of thinking. Membership in the body of Christ is like being a vital part of a living body. You are interconnected and indispensable. You are needed for the body to function as it should [Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 12:12-27].

In that sense, connection to the body fortifies your faith and strengthens you to fulfill your mission in life. There is nothing else on earth like the Church, the Body of Christ.

In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5