Imagine a tight knit community centered around the Gospel of God. What does that look like when fleshed out. I think it looks like this...
Gospel community is a community where the Gospel of God is central. It is characterized by people doing life together as Christ intended; namely, a life of vulnerable transparency and abhorrence of sin, which entails encouragement to repent from sin. It's life on life discipleship.
Last month I was on a week-long trip. As soon as I got to my room, I sent a text message to 4 close friends in my gospel community...
In our community we are not only transparent with our actions, but even in our thoughts. We expose the evil in our hearts and the men almost instantaneously reply, "exposed and closed brother."
The effect of confession, repentance and living broken together has impact on the home. Last week my wife and I were completely irritated with her. Events, triggering hurt, which we sinfully choose to become bitter, resentful and full of hate and discontent (in that order). I was able to pause in the middle of a fight and make a confession that the Lord brought to my mind. It needed to be exposed and I needed to resist the temptation to keep the secret because it would maintain better peace in the house. No! I exposed the evil in my heart and almost immediately my wife followed my lead. Evil exposed and case closed, until next time.
And that is the beauty of Gospel community; namely, being fully loved because you are fully known. Those who attend Church group but remain unknown make it impossible to be fully loved... because they justify in their hearts that there is no way they will be loved if they expose the evil that fills their heart. So, they remain unloved and in bondage to fear, which is rooted in deception that it is better and safer to keep secrets.
To all believers, live in Gospel-centered covenant community and you will be living as Christ intended - connected to the rest of the body.
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