7. Fellowship of Believers
Now that you belong to the Lord, you are part of His body, the Church. The church is not a building, but the gathering of believers. To operate effectively as a Christian, you need to be connected to other believers.
Rom 12:4-5 discusses this in detail: “For as in one physical body we have many parts and all of these parts do not have the same function or use, so we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ and individually parts one of another.”
It is the Father’s heart that we should, in our individuality, act in unity according to His will. A hand without an arm is capable of none.
What does this mean practically?
You must be part of a community of believers. In modern times this community can have many forms, such as church membership, cell groups, digital churches, etc. Within this connectedness, we find teachings, encouragement, care, and much more. It is in such a community that you grow spiritually and live out your role in a community. It is here that you can have a mentor and be a mentor. Here, we as the body of Christ, can praise and worship Him together. Here is where your relationship with Jesus can deepen, as you grow to maturity in Him. There are no perfect people in the body of Christ, but here we rub shoulders, until we, as the bride of Christ, can be presented without blemish before the throne.
Church was God’s idea. He instituted it when He sent His disciples into the world to bring the Gospel of Good News to all people.
Hebrews 10:25 says, “Do not neglect or forsake to assemble together as believers, as is the habit of some people, but warning and encouraging one another and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.”
Make sure you get connected with a Bible based community, as soon as possible!