A Community Decision

“You need to make a personal decision to follow Christ.”

I’ve heard that many times. Have you?

It’s something you have to do, on your time, in your heart, in your seat, that you will not regret…with all heads bowed and all eyes closed (thus shutting out the rest of the congregation).

This decision, the one that can, and should, rock your entire community…all boils to you.

Am I the only one that thinks this seems really individualistic, self-centered, and anti-community?

Salvation just doesn’t happen like that. It is true that you have to make the decision, but the decision isn’t made in a box. It’s made in the context of community (relationships with others). It’s community that leads people to a relationship with the Lord, not a mere intellectual ascent to the Truth. It’s seeing the truth lived out. Not reading an airtight apologetic. It’s experiencing the Truth in love. It’s being served. Valued. By community.

And it’s community that you’re saved to. You’re not saved to be an island. Rather, you’re saved to be a part of a family. “Fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household…in him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22) When you trust in Christ, you are grafted into a family. Adopted…and given the rights of the firstborn son. And you instantly become a vital part of that community, which the Bible calls a “body.” (1 Corinthians 12)

So next time, instead of closing a service with, “Bow your heads and close your eyes and make an individual decision…” why not acknowledge the community that has led people to this saving faith, and invite people to look around and rejoice at the family that they are saved into?

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Noel Bagwell

"And it’s community that you’re saved to. You’re not saved to be an island. Rather, you’re saved to be a part of a family."

Ben, this is wrong. Not morally or spiritually wrong, per se, but rather incorrect. Whether you intended it or not, what you have communicated, above, a message regarding the intent and purpose of salvation. The purpose of salvation is not to bring anyone into a community or family. The purpose, the intent of salvation is to redeem sinners from a state of sinful imperfection so that they can have a relationship with their Creator; nothing more, nothing less.

A 'side effect' of that spiritual redemption is that you can be part of the community of faith, the body of believers, the "family" to which you refer. The above post, though, mistakes a side effect for the purpose of the experience.
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Kelly Mata

Very interesting Ben. I agree it's community that is perhaps the catalyst to get ppl to an opportunity for salvation (The Holy Spirit will use anybody. Thank God) It is an individual decision – ppl have to come to realize they have a neec for The Savior. It is community that helps ppl walk out their Christianity, grow & develop into the person God intended. His Masterpiece! Ppl need relationships & ppl need small groups! Yeah God!
Noel Bagwell

EDIT: "Whether you intended it or not, what you have communicated, above, a message regarding the intent and purpose of salvation," should read, "Whether you intended it or not, you have communicated, above, a message regarding the intent and purpose of salvation."
- Ben Reed
  
  Thanks for the comment, Noel. Not sure I agree with the direction you think I could be going…the "slippery slope" you think this could lead people down.
  
  I'm not saying that community is that which saves a person. Rather, Christ saves a person. I was contrasting the idea that some churches seem to condone…that "evangelism" is primarily "walking down an aisle," or "praying a prayer…" and that that's the final goal of all of the Christian life. These churches seem to ignore the ongoing process of sanctification that is vitally important.
  
  Salvation isn't fire insurance. You're not just saved for your own benefit. But rather it is community that leads you to salvation (through Christ) and community that you benefit…and benefit from.
  
  The idea of "Lordship" and "accountability" also play into the background of this post, but in an effort to keep it short and readable, I cut them out.
Randall Neighbour

I will come back to this blog post tomorrow to see if I want to add more, but I wanted to throw in an important scripture for all of you to examine. Philippians 2:12-14 reads:

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

The words "you" and "your" in this passage in the Greek is plural. Salvation is a free gift from God given to each of us individually because it has to be intensely personal, but we were designed by a communal triune God in His image, which means the Christian life and walk is meant to be lived out among other Christ-followers and to God's glory, not our own.

This is where I clearly see lordship, accountability, and even relational evangelism coming into the life of all believers.

Our faith in Christ as Lord is intensely personal… but it must never be considered private.

A Community Decision

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