SAVED INTO A COMMUNITY

BY REV GOH YONG KUANG

Everyone who has been redeemed by the atoning work of Jesus Christ is part of God’s family on earth. When God saves us, He also brings us into a community called the church. It is a place where we can learn to love and be loved, support and encourage one another, and to be accountable to one another.

The concept of a family is demonstrated in the Godhead – as described in Genesis 1:26 and 11:7. The “us” in these verses refers to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Just as God chooses to function as a divine family made up of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He also chooses to deal with us as a family. For example: when God made a promise to Abraham, the promise was also extended to Abraham's family (Genesis 12:7). To the crowd who had gathered to hear him, the apostle Peter preached that God's promise of forgiveness does not only apply to them, but also to their children as well (Acts 2:38-39). The Lord’s Prayer is sometimes known as a “family prayer” because it is meant to be used in the context of a family. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Our” Father in heaven…Give “us” this day our daily bread... (not “my” or “me”).

Hence, the Christian life is a communal life – we are part of each other! When we gather on Sunday morning we don’t gather as a crowd of strangers and individuals, but as a community sharing a common faith in Christ Jesus. Our relationship with one another is expressed in the Scripture – “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing.  Instead, let us encourage one another all the more…” (Hebrews 10:25).  Other than the exceptions (e.g. sickness, overseas trip/assignment), let us not forsake the assembling of God’s people, as the scripture exhorts us.

Our relationship with one another is also reflected in our worship and liturgy. The passing of the “shalom” peace to one another and the unity expressed in the partaking of the Holy Communion cannot be effectively and adequately replaced or replicated virtually. When the Church in Jerusalem was founded, 3,000 believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42).

The Christian faith is not just personal and vertical; it is also horizontal. Someone once said that our faith is very personal but not private. Every follower of Jesus is called to be involved in the body life of the church and to engage the world through the incarnational ministry of the gospel.    

No one can grow as a Christian apart from the church. Every follower of Christ needs the Body of Christ and is part of the Body of Christ!

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for saving us and placing us into the Glory community.  Teach us to value one another in the body of Christ. Teach us to take our church life seriously and obey the Scripture’s instruction not to forsake meeting together in the fellowship of God’s people – where your Word is taught, and your people anointed and called to Christian service. Amen!