Live Together, Die Alone
"My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring them back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the way of error will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."
~James 5:19-20 (TNIV)
Last Sunday at Missio Dei we wrapped up our study on James which ends with the above words. What struck me about this passage is that while initially salvation is entirely the work of Christ, we as Christians have a huge part to play in helping each other continue in our walk with God.
The fact is that we don't live out our faith in isolation - we live it in community. The sins of one, even sins thought to be private and that seem to not hurt anyone else, eat at the entire community, just as the successes of one benefit the entire community. Allow me to give an example to flesh this out a bit:
I unashamedly admit that I'm a "Lost" fanatic. The show has me totally captivated every week and I'm currently mourning the fact that they're on hiatus until February. One of the mantras of the castaways on Lost has been, "Live together, die alone." It's their way of saying that they know they're in trouble, they're stuck on an island full of deadly hazards, and the only way they will survive is if they rely on each other. Going it alone is a sure recipe for death.
This could me our motto as well. We have not been designed to live in isolation. In Genesis 2:18 God said that it is not good for man to be alone. Instead, we are designed for community, and God's plan for community is the church. As individual Christians succeed, the church succeeds, and as individual Christians fail, the church fails. And when individuals are failing, it is the church's job to try and bring them back.
Of the many functions and benefits of the church, perhaps one of the most important is being there for Christians who need help. We learned on Sunday about two examples of this: 1) praying for those who are in trouble, have a praise, or need healing, and 2) bringing a fellow-believer back to God who has wandered from the truth. What an amazing and yet frightening responsibility that God has trusted each and every one of us to help care for his bride, the church! Together we can accomplish this task - alone we're destined to fail.
So now it's time for you to share your thoughts and your stories. How can God use us to care for the church? What examples do you have of believers helping other believers that might encourage the rest of Missio Dei? Please feel free to share your thoughts.
-Steve
posted by Missio Dei at 1:55 PM
3 Comments:
a week or two ago a good friend of mine pointed out something that i had done that hurt them. it was not my intention, but it hurt them. i am so glad that she later pointed it out to me, even though she took a risk. i am very thankful for this Christian friend that cared enough about me and gently and with love showed me an error in my way. this caused me to think not just about that relationship, but others as well. i want to be a friend for others like she is to me
Here is a story that God has placed in my life that I have found humbling as well as encouraging. About a week or two ago I had the awsome opportunity to have breakfast with 2 other people. I thought the main purpose was to encorge other people (those whom I was with)and while i honestly think that this was something that was accomplished something happened for me durning that time together I did not expect. we talked, we read some scripture and had an amazing time. I found my entire day after that as bad as it should have been for me considering I found out i missed a homework assinment for a class, I did poorly on a test and I missed the time we were supposed to work on a group project my day went amazing. at the end of the day all I could focus on was the scripture we had read in the morhing the amazing grace that God has given me in life.
sometimes when you go out to encourage someone else you are the one who really begins to be changed. On another note: who wants to get together for breakfast once a week or every other week for the purpose of fellowship and getting into the word? 30-45 min is the time I am thinking!
for whatever reason I am thinking that guy with guy and girl with girl groups might be best I am open for discussion on this. maybe what we read in "life together" was on to something when it talked about a biblical case for getting up early.
Alan
One amazing way to help our church is to be forgiving. In noticing an attitude of jealousy in my own heart I felt it necessary reveal this to the person in whom this attitude was aimed. I was nervous and anxious as to how this person would respond. But after confessing this to my friend, she forgave me and revealed that it was something she noticed in me. It's something that took me a while to recognize and I wish was brought to my attention as to hault it earlier rather than later. Not only is forgiveness important, but so is the willingness to show a brother or sister an ungodly attitude or behavior. It is never easy. It may not even be met with welcome, but it's necessary.
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