No Christian is intended to live out their spiritual life in isolation. No Christian is intended to grow in maturity in isolation. No Christian is intended to carry out the ministry God has given them in isolation. Becoming a Christian is not just a private decision between each person and God, it involves being joined into a community of God's people.

In these verses we read today, Paul gives us a deep look into what it really means to be part of the Body of Christ. He originally wrote to a diverse church composed of Jews and Gentiles and he told them they had now been formed by God into one new family with God as their Father. God wanted them to love each other and work harmoniously with each other. Most of us today struggle with the busyness of our schedules; with fear of involvement based on past experiences; and with the almost universal, rugged individualism that pervades America. So, this passage holds a special call to Christians like us today. We need to understand why we need each other, and few places in the Bible answer this more clearly than this passage.