I Need You

Previously in this series: Pursuit / One Step Closer / Hot On God’s Heels / Branches / Above Every Other Love

The sure promise of abiding in Christ is relationship. We get Christ, the vine, and as an extension of him we get his Body, the branches. We are never alone.

A couple of weeks ago we looked at how beautiful Jesus is in Above Every Other Love. He is first, standing above every other love and we can do nothing apart from him. He is the source, everything exists through him; he is holding all things together. If that doesn’t capture your gaze, remember too that the fullness of God is pleased to dwell in Jesus. So, yeah, we get that fullness as we abide in him. He wasn’t just another great guy, Jesus is life.

As we branch out from relationship with Jesus we will find ourselves in community with other branches—intertwined, knotted up, in it together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. They are a part of Christ just as much as we are; and because we connect to the same source of life, they are a part of us. Not only will God never leave us, he also surrounds us with strength and protection in the form of other people.

Community is designed by God. Well, it’s more than that actually. Community emanates from God. I don’t believe it is a created thing—community has always existed. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have been dwelling in perfect community forever, before creation (Luke 3:21-22, John 14:16-17, Genesis 1:2, John 1:1-3, Ephesians 3:14-21). So the idea of community is timeless and it flows from the very nature of God. Aren’t you thankful for the example of community the Trinity provides for us? And, that they’ve extended an invitation of relationship to us?

As we press on to know the Lord, community with him and with each other cannot be dismissed.  If we reject it, we will be burdened with a misunderstanding of God. The apostle Paul said it like this,

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” (1 Corinthians 12:15-26)

So, how do we become better at community? As I studied, I felt like the Lord pointed out two keys to community with him and with others: humility and loyalty.

Humility

• Humility admits, “I can’t do this by myself.” It is never isolated.
• Humility is fruit from the Holy Spirit. We can’t produce it on our own.
• “Humility is both the way into and the means for living in the community.” — Bill Thrall
• Humility attracts God. God gives grace to the humble—1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6
• Humility is not weakness. It is a low position of strength.

 

Loyalty

• Loyalty is a choice based on love. “The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.”—Eli Wiesel
• Loyalty (choosing) is different from striving. …but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her —Luke 10:42
• Loyalty protects the relationship and the fruit of the relationship.
• Loyalty attracts God. The eyes of the Lord are search the earth looking for hearts that are loyal to him SO THAT he can show himself strong on their behalf—2 Chronicles 16:9
• Loyalty leads to transformation. Discipleship / relationship with Christ is a lifelong journey.

Abiding in the vine means we get to wrap our lives around other branches who are also abiding in the vine. When Jesus is our source of life, we get everything he is. Everything he is includes community with him and with other believers. We cannot do life without each other—it was never intended that way. (The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you.”) We have to stop believing the lie that says anything differently—that says we can do it on our own. It’s garbage!

So, today I confess. I need you! In the context of community, Bill Thrall writes, “Humility is simply trusting God and others with me.” I want to live in that kind of trust. Don’t you?