The Lord has set up the Kingdom of God in a way that Believers with various callings live life with one another. Foremost, individual Believers pursuing the Lord’s calling on their life and operating in their spiritual gifting is crucial to the health of the Church. Their role is to edify the Church (1 Cor. 12, Eph. 4:11-16)
The Church is God’s primary instrument for establishing His Kingdom on the earth. But the Church is more than an instrument. Jesus, the chosen King of the Kingdom calls the corporate Body of Christ His Bride (Isa. 62:5; Matt 9:15; Rev. 19:7; Rev. 21:2, 9, 22:17). Immediately, He establishes the Church in her Kingdom identity, and forever declares relationship and intimacy with God to be the context of His Kingdom’s government (Rev. 21:3, 7).
He also secures us in our identity as individuals, who make up the collective Church. We are Sons and Daughters , bearing this seal by His Spirit, who testifies it so (Rom. 8:14-17; Heb. 12:5-6; Lk. 15:11-32) and we are also, individually, the Bride of Christ , those in whom He delights (Isa. 62:4) and has strong affection for (Isa. 62:3), even strong jealousy (Ex. 34:14; Jas. 4:5; Rev. 18:20).
The Lord’s moral standards for individuals and community have been established by Jesus’ explanation of the value system of the Kingdom of God, the Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5-7). These are not special ideals reserved for radical Christians. This is Christianity 101. There are no exceptions for a busy 21st century age. The Sermon on the Mount is forever the standard of Kingdom living in this age and in the age to come (Isa. 9:7). It was Jesus’ value system, as we see by his life and teachings (Gospels), and since Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), we see it as also the standard of God’s righteousness and justice (Isa. 9:6-7), which are the foundation of His Throne (Ps. 89:14) and His standard for judgment (Rev. 19:11).
How does this relate to the local Church community? A community of Believers is made up of intermingling relationships. We are called to pursue the Lord as a family. We are not complete in ourselves, only together as the Body of Christ (Col. 2:10; 1 Cor. 12:12-25). This can’t happen in isolation.
The way I understand Authentic Community is essentially twofold:
Authentic : We strive to be authentic in the way that we’re transparent, honest, and vulnerable with one another. It is integrity that keeps us honest with ourselves that we wouldn’t pretend to be someone we’re not, or pretend to be godlier or more righteous than we are. Yet, having only these traits does not yet make us Christian.
Community : We strive to be a community in the Biblical sense, which is drastically different from a community as defined by the world. Even evil men know how to give good gifts (Mat. 7:11), and the unjust judges, worldly justice (Luke 18:1-6). Even unbelievers trust one another with their weakness and their broken lives. A Christian community isn’t just a gathering of people with similar and different interests who enjoy each other’s company, even bearing one another’s burdens; true humanists do this well. True Biblical community is defined by a communion or fellowship, understood by the Greek word “koinonia”. Koinonia in the context of authentic community is essentially intimacy and fellowship with one another, because we have intimacy and fellowship with God.
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” 1 Jn.1:7“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1 Jn. 1:6“…and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” 1 Jn. 1:7
True fellowship in Scripture required sharing God’s life and revelation with one another (1 Jn. 1:1-5). To fellowship in the way the Bible describes, people must pursue pure lives with holy speech and have vibrant spirits in the Word.
Confession, forgiveness, and repentance are required for weak and broken people to live together in authentic community. While we are striving by the Lord’s grace to walk in fellowship with Him and living by the value system of His Kingdom, we hurt one another, we must forgive (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13); we sin, we must confess to God and to one another for healing and purifying (1 Jn. 1:9), and we must truly repent (change the way you think, change the way you act); (Acts 2:38, 3:19).
Since we are all works in progress, confession and true repentance are a process for each of us and for the Church, and should be practiced regularly; the Lord is sanctifying us.
What are we striving for? To be rooted and growing in the truth of the Word of God, and who the Lord has called us to be individually and collectively.
To assess the true measure of our spiritual maturity as individuals and as the Church living in Authentic Community, we must maintain the humble posture of confession and repentance; and we must see ourselves by the standard of the Word of God, not by the society or culture around us.
The standards of God’s Word are not unreachable ideals if He has given us His Spirit and His Word, and his righteousness is what is intended for us as Believers and as His Church. If we’re not yet found in these truths in God’s Word, let’s grow in it and walk it out together as an Authentic Community.
“The glory that you have given to me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one…that they may…be with me where I am…that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:22, 24, 26).
By the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Jayson
What encourages Authentic Community:
Conversing about the Lord in fellowship.
Asking for prayer.
Setting our hearts as a community to pursue, by the Lord’s grace, God’s standards of godliness and holiness.
Refusing to tolerate sin in our lives.
Staying committed to other believers.
Spending time together, immersed in the Word.
Praying together regularly.
What hinders/discourages Authentic Community:
Fellowship as a Popularity Contest (Few, if any Churches are immune).
Becoming isolated from the group.
Sin with our words.
The Lack of forgiveness.
Sin in general
Unconfessed sin
Exclusivism
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