“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
— Psalm 56:8
The Personal and the Communal—One Indivisible Faith
Modern preaching often overemphasizes having a “personal relationship with Jesus” while neglecting what Scripture presents as inseparable from that reality—integration into His Body, the Church.
The Bible never portrays our faith as private or isolated. A personal response to the gospel is essential, but salvation always results in union with Christ and participation in His people.
Ephesians 2:10 declares,
“We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
That “we” is not a collection of lone believers—it’s the redeemed community, His Body and Bride, each member “joined and held together… as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16).
Personal Intimacy, Not Private Individualism
Psalm 56:8 beautifully reveals God’s personal care:
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.”
This is intimate, not individualistic. David’s tears are precious to God, yet his psalms consistently move from personal lament to corporate praise:
“I will declare Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You.” — Psalm 22:22
Even the most personal cries in Scripture ultimately overflow into communal worship—because our faith, though deeply personal, is never meant to be private. God saves individuals into His people.
From Family to Body to Bride
The New Testament continues this thread. Jesus said,
“Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” — Luke 12:7
That’s intimate knowledge and infinite care. Yet John 3:16—perhaps the most quoted verse in Scripture—reveals that those who believe are welcomed into God’s family.
The Bible’s imagery is covenantal, not consumeristic. To be “born again” is not to be given a spiritual room of one’s own but to be joined to a household—a family where lives, hearts, and purposes are shared.
We are redeemed not to live as isolated “nuclear Christians” with private devotions and personal Wi-Fi, but as a Spirit-filled community that eats, serves, rejoices, and weeps together.
Crucified with Christ—and United with His Body
Galatians 2:20 captures the personal dimension of saving faith:
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
But the verse continues:
“The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
That “body” is not merely physical—it’s relational and ecclesial. The life we live in Christ is life within His Body. The personal and communal are woven together by the Spirit.
Paul contrasts the autonomous sins of the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21) with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23)—virtues that can only be cultivated and displayed in relationship: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. None of these can exist in isolation.
The Church: Christ’s Body and Bride
The Apostle Paul affirms,
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” — 1 Corinthians 12:27
Each believer is indispensable to the health of the whole. The Church is not a club of like-minded individuals but a living organism animated by the Spirit of Christ.
Thus, Paul instructs,
“When you come together, each of you has a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” — 1 Corinthians 14:26
True spirituality is measured not by mystical experience or private inspiration but by the building up of Christ’s Bride.
Dead Alone, Alive Together
Ephesians 2 paints the stark before-and-after of our condition:
-
Before: dead in sin, enslaved to fleshly desires, children of wrath.
-
After: made alive with Christ, seated with Him in the heavenly places, recreated for good works within His Body.
Our salvation is not merely rescue from sin but restoration to fellowship—with God and His people.
Faith is both personal and communal, intimate and integrated, individual and corporate—all pointing to one glorious reality: union with Christ.
The Beauty of Mutual Belonging
The two great commandments tie it all together:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:37–39
Jesus said,
“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples—if you love one another.” — John 13:35
Our love for God is authenticated by our love for His people.
Our unity as the Body is our most powerful witness to the world:
“…that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” — John 17:23
Conclusion: The Faith That Weeps Together
Psalm 56:8 reminds us that God counts every tear—not one is wasted. Yet those tears are collected into a bottle, not scattered on separate shelves. They belong to the communion of saints—a shared testimony of grace and glory.
So let us draw near to Christ personally, but never privately. Let us rejoice that our salvation is personal in experience but corporate in expression—woven into the radiant tapestry of His redeemed Bride.
Faith in Christ is never solitary. It is the Spirit’s miracle of many becoming one.
Blessings and love,
Kevin M. Kelley
Pastor
BigIslandChristianChurch.com
No comments:
Post a Comment