Character and Community

A song goes like this: “I am a rock, I am an island.” Have you ever felt like

that—wanting to stand alone? You may even have heard people say, “Well,

my walk with God is a private affair. It’s not something I want to talk about.”

Read Ephesians 4:11–16. What’s the point Paul is making here? What

role does he give here for community?

When Paul writes to the Ephesians, he describes the church as a

body. Jesus is the Head, and His people make up the rest. If you look at

Ephesians 4:13, you will notice the ultimate purpose of living in such a

community—it is to experience “the whole measure of the fullness of

Christ” (NIV). And for that we need each other!

It certainly is possible to be a Christian all alone. Indeed, as for many

people throughout the centuries who have been ridiculed or persecuted,

standing alone is often unavoidable. It is a powerful witness to the power

of God that men and women do not buckle under the pressures that sur-

round them. However, while this is true, Paul emphasizes a critical truth:

ultimately, we experience and reveal the fullness of Christ when we are

working together in fellowship with each other.

In today’s text, what does Paul say must happen before the fullness of

Christ may be revealed in our Christian community?

In what way is the witness of a community that is revealing the fullness

of Christ different from the witness of an individual that is reveal-

ing the fullness of Christ? What are the implications for this in the

context of the great controversy? (See Eph. 3:10.)

It’s easy to be nice when you are by yourself or with strangers,

but it is much harder to be nice to people you either know really

well or don’t like. This means that when we still show these

people grace and kindness, we provide an irresistible witness to

the truth about God.