Deep Community

Psalms 124; 2 Corinthians 11-13 

“Finally, brothers, good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” 

2 Corinthians 13:11

Joy, peace, and being of one mind are some of the evidences that the Church was experiencing healthy community. Paul challenged the Corinthian Church to strive for full restoration/perfection, possibly referring to the man who was sleeping with his father’s wife. Repentance for sin is to be accompanied by the restoration of relationships with both the community of faith and with the Lord. When we are fully restored we experience joy in relationships, encouragement, peace of mind, and unity.

Are we contending for this depth of community, or are we settling for spectators attending a weekly worship event?

We, too, are promised love and peace in our relationship with other followers of Jesus because the Lord is present in our lives, growing those qualities by his Spirit. The cost of experiencing and living the Gospel is very high; however, the fruit of this life in Christ is joy, peace, love, and deep fellowship. Let’s not settle for anything less than everything Christ has promised us.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for joy, peace, and love today, for your glory.”