Christian community part 2: community by works?
March 9, 2010
Last week we saw that Christian community is an entity of which we are all a part; it is not an option but rather a reality for us. If we are in Christ, we are a part of his body. No room for debate.
A key to understanding and practicing the reality of Christian community is to understand how this community comes about. How did we become a part of the body of Christ?
The answer to that question is the same as the answer to how we became Christians. In fact, the two questions are basically one, since to be a Christian is to be a part of Christ’s body. So remember how we were saved: “For by grace have you been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Just as we were saved by grace, through faith, so we are part of Christ’s body by grace, through faith.
Don’t believe me? Read the rest of Ephesians 2; Paul moves directly from his great declaration of sola fide, sola gratia to a discussion of—wait for it—Christian community! Paul directly connects the work of Christ in reconciling men to God with the work of Christ in reconciling men to each other. Christ makes “one new man” at the cross, reconciling us “to God in one body through the cross.” (verses 15 & 16) The glorious work of reconciliation happens both upward—between God and man—and outward—between man and man. And thus we are made one.
Paul makes the point here to demonstrate the new unity between Jews and Gentiles; Christ has become the way of salvation for both groups, making both groups into one group. So there is a definite point of theology to grasp with regard to Israel and the universal church. But there is also a much, much larger point to grasp with regard to what it means to be in Christ, for as Gentiles become one with Jews in Christ, so every Christian becomes one with all other Christians in Christ, and “the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.” (verse 21)
And here comes the kicker: not a bit of this work is ours. Just as not a bit of the work of salvation is ours, so not a bit of the work of becoming part of the body of Christ is ours. Look back over 2:11-22; do you see one single thing done by us? Do you not rather see that everything stated here is done by God in Christ?
So why am I making such a point of this?
Well, for starters, it emphasizes and strengthens the point I made last week, which was that being a Christian automatically means being part of Christ’s body; the work of Christ accomplished both things.
But more than this, it means that we relate to one another on the same basis on which we relate to God, namely, the finished work of Christ on our behalf.
In other words, just as we approach God by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ, so we approach each other by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. Just as we can experience grace and love and full acceptance from God to us because of Jesus, so we can experience grace and love and full acceptance from one to the other of those who are in Jesus.
Do we approach God by works? Well, then we don’t approach each other by works either. Do we need to earn God’s favor? Well, then we don’t need to earn each other’s favor. Does God accept us fully, seeing us through the perfect blood and righteousness of Christ? Well, we should accept each other fully, seeing others through the perfect blood and righteousness of Christ. Does our standing with God change based on our performance? Well, then our standing with each other should not change based on anyone’s performance.
Here is how Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it in Life Together: “What persons are in themselves as Christians, in their inwardness and piety [read: their performance as a Christian], cannot constitute the basis of our community, which is determined by what those persons are in terms of Christ. Our community consists solely in what Christ has done to both of us.” (emphasis mine)
So, just as being a part of Christian community is not an option, since being a Christian is the same thing as being a member of Christ’s body, so also extending the hand of fellowship to other Christians is not an option, any more than God can refuse the presence of the Holy Spirit to anyone who is in Christ.
Next week I hope to flesh this out more. In addition, stay tuned to the Sunday School series that started this past Sunday, which will go a long way toward helping us to live out the Gospel in the specific relational context of conflict. (You can listen to the first session here.)