By Paul Tripp
Christianity is not an individualistic religion. Christianity is deeply relational. Every person’s walk with God, in some way, shape, or form, is a community project. In order to become who God has called you to be or to do what God has called you to do, you need people.
Hebrews 3:12-13 gives both a warning and a call to believers. The warning is that you wouldn’t have a sinful, unbelieving, turning away, hardened heart. When you commit a sin in your life, you have the choice to recognize that sin and turn from it or to justify your sin and continue living in it. This passage warns against self-deceit. On the other than, the calling in this passage is for you to hold your fellow believers accountable to their actions.
Sin is deceitful, and it always deceives you first. The sin of someone else doesn’t surprise you because you can see it coming. Conversely, when your sin is pointed out, it often comes as a surprise. Because of this, God designed Christian community to serve as constant encouragement and accountability to those who take part in it.
Regardless of where you are in your walk with Christ, you need Christian community always. You aren’t always able to see yourself with clarity and to know your sin with accuracy. Christ provided community for this reason specifically.
Because of our innate need for community, Christ has created the total involvement paradigm: all of God’s people involved with all of God’s people all of the time. As a believer, you need to be committed to a life of ministry because everyone needs someone. Invest in meaningful relationships that challenge both you and others to look more like Christ.
Adapted from Training Pathway: Discipleship. Check out more training videos on Ministry Grid here.
