I’ve been listening to a series of messages by Jonathan Dodson, available here, on Christ and the Gospel being the reason for our community, our mission and our identity. With Jesus as Savior AND Lord, things will look different, distinct from the world around us.
An example Jonathan used is found in Colossians 3:
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
To paraphrase what Pastor Jonathan said:
If you are spending enough time with your church body, your community, you’ve probably had many opportunities to sin against each other and caused or received hurt. With Christ at the center of your relationships, you will have an opportunity to demonstrate His love and forgiveness for us by extending it towards others. What often happens, instead, is that you get along conflict free with the group of your own choosing because of your affinity for one another; similar interests, personalities, socioeconomic or ethnic backgrounds, etc. This tends to lessen our dependence on Christ, but also our witness to the world. Of course you will get along with who you have the most in common with. As new creatures in Him, it is Christ that is our affinity, that makes us a body, a family. We glorify Him by demonstrating this in community, a community that, to the world, consists of people that would normally have nothing in common. That is a Gospel witness and creates an opportunity to share with others the Reason.
