Twin City church of Christ Blog
“Sept 3, 2024 - The Spirit of Christian Community”
Categories: 2024 Reading DevotionalsThe Spirit of Christian Community
Reading: Romans 12:9-16
The short, punchy sentences that comprise this section emphasize the spirit of their community. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor”(Rom 12:9-10). Christian community is full of sincere love and affection where we all seek one another’s good. We are not fakers in our service to God or our love for each other. We also have a passion for pursuing what is right and avoiding what is evil. From this foundation comes a passion for the work of Jesus: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord”(Rom 12:11). Christians are an enthusiastic, hard-working people.
Christian community is mature and not easily swayed by difficult circumstances: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer…Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them”(Rom 12:12, 14). There is a tight-knit bond that leads us to take care of one another (Rom 12:13), rejoice and weep with one another (Rom 12:15), and live in humble peace together (Rom 12:16). All of this persists in the face of challenging circumstances (“tribulation” “those who persecute you”) and the personal slights that occur in any relationship (“live in harmony with one another”). We do not always look, think, or act the same, but our hearts are together.
Christian communities are imperfect places. None of them looks exactly like this ideal picture. Yet as each disciple pursues this spirit toward his or her brothers, it grows. Rather than lamenting what is not ideal in the Christian communities we observe, we should get busy changing ourselves and promoting the spirit of love, zeal, persistence, and peace in the places where we find ourselves.
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One Thing to Think About: If the entire church had only my love, zeal, persistence, and peace, what would it be like?
One Thing to Pray For: A renewed zeal to serve Jesus and my brothers
