“Those first Christians of Acts 2 were not devoting themselves to social activities but to a relationship. They understood that they had entered this relationship by faith in Jesus Christ, not by joining an organization. And they realise that their fellowship with God logically brought them into fellowship with one another. Through their union with Christ they were formed into a spiritually organic community. We must grasp the idea that fellowship means belonging to one another in the Body of Christ, with all the privileges and responsibilities that such a relationship entails.”
Jerry Bridges
Throughout the history of redemption, God has been acting to save a people, not a disconnected group of isolated individuals. He has taken separate individuals and joined them together into a single entity. Far from so many of our modern misconceptions, the Biblical picture of the church can best be described as community; a group of people, joined by a common life, united by common values and a common purpose, devoted to living out this life together within the larger society. This is the type of church life to which God calls us - a life that shines as a testimony to His work in us. His intention for our lives together is more than simply attending the same Sunday meeting and believing the same doctrines. Biblical fellowship is not merely “socialising” - it is sharing our common life in Christ; life that is rich, enduring, and eternal.
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