Jamberoo: A Place To Belong!
Christians are called to belong, not just believe. From the very beginning God said: ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’ (Gen 2:18)
We were created to be family, for community, for fellowship, for partnership with each other and with God. We were not created to be independent and fly solo. We were created to belong. The Bible says we are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted and held together.
Even in Acts 2:42-47 the first noted Christian Church, they did everything together.
They ate, shared, learnt the Word of God and prayed together. They were generous with what they owned for each other.
When the community around them saw how much they loved each otherand how they all belonged to God’s family. They thought to themselves: “I want what they’ve got!”
What a great witness!
All through the Bible, it speaks if we are genuine Christians we belong to the Lord, we belong to Christ, we belong to the family, the household, the body, the church we belong to each other! As the body of Christ, if we are disconnected, cut-off from each other we cease to grow in our faith.
The difference between being a church attender and a church member is in our commitment to belong. Genuine Christians belong to Jesus but at the same time, belong to each other. Attenders often want the benefits of church without sharing the responsibility, it’s like couples who live together without the commitment to marriage.
You become a genuine Christian by committing yourself to Christ and then committing yourself to God’s Church. The first brings salvation, the second brings fellowship.
Both bring an awesome sense of belonging!
Rom 12:5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Tony Galea
What is the difference between a fake and genuine Christian?
The difference is that a true Christian knows God. A fake Christian may talk about God and get involved in “religious activities,” but he does not really know God. The person who has been “born of God” through faith in Christ knows God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
So a genuine Child of God knows God and, they live lives a life of obedience. They do not practice sin, even though from time to time they will sin. Isn’t so good we can confess our sin & be forgiven!
Satan baits his traps with pleasures that appeal to the old nature. But none of his bait appeals to the new divine nature within a Christian. If a believer yields to his old nature, they will hanker for the bait, take it, and sin. But if they follow stay close to the Lord, they will refuse the bait, obey God and live a genuine life pleasing to God!
Tony Galea