Quote:
Originally Posted by OBW
I think that "forget the church, follow Jesus" is about as misguided a statement as we can come up with.
It would seem that following Jesus involves the church. That does not mean simply follow the church without reference to Jesus. But if you think you are following Jesus without a group of support (which is, pretty much by definition, church), then you are seriously deluded. That is how you get back to Nee's "intuition."
Just me and my Bible and Jesus is most likely doomed. A group of us has a chance.
And being a disjointed, unaffiliated, non-group of Christians all doing their own version of what they think is Jesus is more confusing to the world than the multitude of splinters of Christianity that we already have. I don't buy one church per city based on dirt and political boundaries. But just as bad is 1,000,000 churches of one in a city that is only 2,000,000, of which half are Christian.
Seems that the Army quickly figured out that it is not a collection of individuals, but a team. And it quickly dumped its "Army of One" advertising. But we are taking the church of one all the way to the end because we like "rugged individualism." Have at it.
In a few years, the best question will be "how's that workin' for ya?"
|
I don't know if it's been clear - but this is an important point.
I am not advocating "individual Christianity." The
result of our individual Christian walk
should be group engagement. That's how God made us and what He is after.
But that does NOT change the fact that my focus is on God's leading in my life - first and only. But then there are
barameters of whether that individual walk is healthy.
If I claim to be "following Jesus" and yet my life is devoid of works, then there's something unhealthy in my walk.
If I claim to be "following Jesus" and yet I have isolated myself from other Christians, then there is something unhealthy in my walk.
If we are, in fact, following Jesus, it will always result in working with others and fellowshiping with others. ANd if it doesn't, then that's a red flag to question how healthy my walk with Him is.
That is different than seeing "the group" as an end to itself and then "trying to achieve it." The outcome may
look the same, "but you shall know it by its fruits."
Peter