Community

God's plan for His people has always been corporate (Genesis 12:1; Ezekiel 36:28). Although God saves individuals, His plan is not for them to continue to live their lives in isolation, but to be joined together with other believers, in the Body of Christ. Christian maturity does not happen in a vacuum, but takes place in Christian community, where believers sharpen one another (Proverbs 27:17) through fellowship together. It is only in community where believers can love one another (John 13:34), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), greet one another (Romans 16:16), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9), and comfort one another (2 Corinthians 13:11). The message of the Gospel creates community, and despite its many flaws, Christian community demonstrates the effects of the Gospel to the world.