Community
All humans are made for deep and meaningful human connections. If you are interested in learning more about what the Bible says about community and how to get connected here, please read below
Humans were made for community
From the very first pages of the Bible we are told humans are made in the image of God. This means people were created to reflect Him. Now there are many ways humans reflect God, but one very important way is by reflecting His communal nature.
For all eternity God has existed in a perfect community of love. The Father with perfect love for the Son and the Spirit. The Son with perfect love for the Father and the Spirit. And the Spirit with perfect love for the Father and Son.
Humans, made in the image of God, were made to mirror and reflect this picture of community. We see this so clearly on the second page of the Bible. God puts Adam in the garden of Eden, and then God makes this profound statement in Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for man to be alone . . .” (Genesis 2:18 ESV). Adam in fact wasn’t alone. God’s presence dwelt with him and Adam had the company of the animals, but the “alone-ness” that God had in mind was human companionship.
The profound truth that God establishes from the beginning and maintains throughout the narrative of Scripture is this: Humans were made for community. This means all of us have been hardwired to belong. Deep down we all desire to be known and loved by others. Everyone wants to be connected to somebody.
Sin has broken community
As we seek to follow God’s design for community, we must acknowledge there is a problem. Our ability to experience healthy relationships has been greatly impacted by sin.
This started in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve rebelled against God by trusting the word of the serpent rather than trusting in the Word of the Lord. Sin entered the human heart and immediately began to break relationships—starting with Adam and Eve’s marriage (Genesis 3:7-12).
Not only does sin impact Adam and Eve’s marriage relationship, we see it wreaking havoc in other areas as well. Next we see fracture in the relationship between God and man as humans are driven out of God’s presence (Genesis 3:24). Then in Genesis 4, we see brokenness spread from the parents to the children as jealousy leads Cain to strike down his brother Abel. The tragic events that occur in Genesis 3 and 4 make the point that the beautiful community humans were created to enjoy with both God and others has been radically damaged by sin.
Can you relate? Do you find faithful and trusting relationships difficult to foster? If so, do not be fooled as to why. Relationships are not ultimately challenging because of personality, culture, proximity, or background. Sin is the underlying cause of the problems we run into when relating to others.
The gospel is redeeming community
While sin has complicated relationships, the gospel of Jesus is about redeeming broken community. God’s design for community has not been lost, but rather one of the outcomes of the work of Jesus is to bring health back to it. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul was getting at in Ephesians 2:11-22.
In this passage, Paul is talking to Gentile (anyone who was not an Israelite) Christians, explaining to them what their situation was like before Christ. He tells them that they were separated from Jesus, they did not have a relationship with God, they were not the chosen people of God, and they were without hope. But despite all that bad news, Paul tells them that God has changed their situation in light of the blood of Jesus. He gave His life as a substitute and died so that they could be reconciled to God and others.
This is profound. The intimate relationships that humans were made for in the beginning, but lost in Genesis 3, are being restored through the work of Jesus. Jesus did not just die for individual people; He died for a community of people in which the Bible calls the church. Part of the gospel plan is to redeem God’s design for belonging.
Therefore, because of Jesus, you and I are invited to experience gospel driven community. God makes this possible by indwelling believers with the Holy Spirit—providing a new heart with the capacity to love God and others. As humans, we have the same longing to be known as we always have. But now as Christians, we have a new way to relate to one another, and a new ability to do so.
After reading the article above, we hope you realize the importance of community. Click below to learn how to get connected here.