Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 16: Biblical Community”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
A biblical community is built on truth.
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
At the center of this first Christian community was the truth of God’s Word – the apostles’ teaching. In fact, the truth of God’s Word is at the heart of a truly biblical community. After all how can you be a biblical community if every person in that community isn’t devoted to the words of the Bible? You can’t.
The truth of God’s Word is foundation and fabric of every biblical community. It is that Word that teaches each of us who God is, what love is, what humility is, how to live at peace with one another and so much more.
Truth is also the foundation for key components of the Christian community.
A biblical community seeks to know, understand, and speak the truth.
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
Satan is the father of lies. So anything that is not truth from God or just truth in general doesn’t have a place in the body of Christ. Satan loves to infiltrate his lies with a little bit of truth to make them more appealing. So a biblical community is vigilant around the truth of God’s word and has honest conversations when that truth is being compromised.
Speak the truth in love. Condescending, judgmental, unloving conversations have no part in the body of Christ. Here’s the encouragement if we need to confront lies and falsehood:
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
So what does speaking the truth in love in a biblical community look like? Here’s a few examples of how the truth working in my heart and life can make me a stronger member of biblical community
- I spend time daily in the truth of God’s Word to allow it to guide and affect every aspect of my life.
- When a brother or sister in Christ confronts a sin in my life, I receive it with joy that they were willing to speak the truth.
- I allow the narrative of God’s truth to form my opinions, worldview, and perception of the events around me and help others to do the same.
- Lying is just not an option…as little or as “white” of a lie as it may be.
- I use the truth in love, being discerning how and when and to whom to share the truth. (i.e. while a comment may be true, it may not be loving, build some one up, or need to be shared.)
The Truth sets us apart. Be humbled that we are entrusted with God’s Truth. Be gentle in speaking the truth. Always be guided by the truth!
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Apply: What can you do to build a community of truth in your local context?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your truth and building my heart and life around that truth. Let me be used by you to always bring your truth to the church community I am part of. AMEN.