Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Our Interpersonal Relationship with Christ

Philippians 2:1-2
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Paul seems to be making some pretty obvious statements, in the sense that if you are a Christian, than these traits will be a part of your reality, you will be encouraged from your union with Christ, you will find comfort in his love, there will be fellowship with the spirit etc. etc. The point is this, if this is your relationship as individuals with Christ, it needs to result in community and focus as a body. It must. I’m thinking that the implication is that without personal engagement with Christ it will be impossible for be one in spirit and purpose. Infact, I would suggest that an unwillingness to journey together in spirit and purpose (perhaps implying both affections and actions) may be a sign of a lack of connection with Christ. This is serious.

In my journey, the times when I am not desiring to journey well with others, are often times of shallowness with God. I am guessing that journeying with others is both a result of my engagement with Christ as well as a way to more deeply engage Christ. I am reminded again that I am not called to be an island…Lord, give me the desire to not be an island, to journey together with others.

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