Christian Community and Church

[Spiritus Naturae]

"20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

" 18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,

When I read verses like the above, I find within a great longing for us as Christians to truly come together, to be a true and vibrant community. That is to be truly together. Growing, believing and strengthening ourselves individually and as a whole. Refuting error when need be and promoting the true gospel. An absolute fellowship sharing, caring and blazing forth noticeably to the lost in the world, so they too may know the hope that we all hold to so dearly.

Does anyone feel the same longing? The same hope?

Jonathan

[studyhound]

:thumb:

I agree, but I also realize (through much experince of late) that the body at large is to conformed to the world and also our "world" moves much faster and in a greater area. so those "close ties" are not so close and are rarely deep enough to cause change. In both the church and home feloowship I am in the people are seperated in their daily lives by dozens if not scores of miles away.

:studyhound:

[Jude3b]

I sure feel that way and have for over 25 years, since shortly after I was saved.

The Bible does state; "We are members one of another" (Eph. 4:25).

We are told: "One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren." (Matt. 23:8).

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1).

UNITY PERFECTED: John chapter 17 gives us the conditions for unity for which Christ prayed. To summarize- that chapter states:
1. We must be "in Christ." That siginifies that we are saved.
2. We must be kept in His name. That means that we are in Christ and a member of His body, the church of God which is the body of Christ. Our loyalty as a member of His body, is to Christ Himself. We put Christ first, not some denomination.
3. We must receive the Word of God and keep it, rejecting all the doctrines and commandments of men. If God said it, that settles it.
4. We must be sanctified, which removes the cause of carnal divisions amongst Chrstians.

When we each as Christians apply the formula that Christ gave us, we will be doing our part to create true unity in the body of Christ. That is what Christ prayed for, so that the world would believe.

[Spiritus Naturae]

I have to state for the record that when I read and see Christian seemingly attack Christian, I find it rather disconcerting. The various theologies touted here on TWeb and elsewhere encamping themselves and assaulting and insulting one another, bashing each other with Scripture, questioning their very salvation. Very discouraging. A believers salvation is an individual matter, between himself and his Creator, not open to verification or nullification by members of an internet discussion site or participants in theological debate. The essentials of the historic Christian faith and the non-negotiable gospel are of importance not theories and opinions about Gods relation to time, His interaction with His creation, millenial leanings etc.

Blatant falsehood and deception in regards to the Lord and His word obviously should not be tolerated (Bishop Spong comes to mind) and must be refuted, but the theological treatises of dead men are not worthy of the division they seem to constantly cause.

Christians, we are one in Christ Jesus! Opinions and favored theologians aside! Just listen to the Saviour in His prayer to the Father just before His betrayal:
13 "But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
19 "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;
23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
24 "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;
26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

Let us reason together. :pray:

We are the body of Christ and a community of believers, brother and sisters in Christ Jesus.