Committed and connected

Thu, 9 Feb 2023

‘So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.’ Romans 12:5

The Bible describes the Christian life in war terms: fight, conquer, strive, battle, overcome, and victory. Whether you realise it or not, you’re in a spiritual battle, and you need support and backup. When you became a Christian, you became a member of God’s army. Imagine you go to a recruiting office to join the Army. They say, ‘Wonderful, sign here.’ You say: ‘Wait! I have one stipulation. I don’t want to be committed to any particular platoon. I want to be able to float around. I’ll be part of the Army, but I don’t want to be committed to a certain group of soldiers. If the battle gets too hot in one area, I’ll move to another area and join another platoon. And if I dislike one platoon’s leadership, I’ll join another.’ Would you want a person like that fighting by your side? Of course, you wouldn’t! But that’s how many Christians today relate to God’s army. They float around from church to church with little or no commitment to any particular group of Christians – so while the battle is being fought, they are AWOL. There is no such thing as a free-floating believer in the Bible. The distinction is commitment. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia, which means being committed to one another. Jesus said, ‘"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."’ (John 13:35 NKJV). And you can’t love in absentia. So, be committed and connected.