December 6
The Community of the Called Out
Scripture
“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it; except the Lord keep the City, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psa_127:1)Community
Man is a communal creature by design; we are not built to be alone. While some rare souls seek solace in the caverns of monastic retreat, the overwhelming majority of us are forever compelled toward the community. It is how God has wired us.The question, then, is what kind of community do we seek? Like Abraham of old, we “seek a city, whose builder and maker is God” (Heb_11:10). That is to say, we hunger for a godly community in every sense of the word. Law and order, peace and justice, truth and goodness, love and mercy, freedom and creativity. In one word — godly.
Jesus made it clear that He came to start just such a community on the earth. “I will build My Church,” He said, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The Greek word He used is ekklesia, meaning “the community of the called out.” This immediately makes us ask, “Called out of what?”
An Old Hymn
The old hymn gives the best answer –Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night; Thy freedom, gladness, and light.of my sickness into Thy health, of my want and into Thy wealth, of my sin and into Thyself,, I come to Thee.
Out of my shameful failure and loss; the glorious gain of Thy cross. of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm, of life’s storms and into Thy calm, of distress to jubilant psalm,, I come to Thee.
Out of unrest and arrogant pride; Thy blessed will to abide.of myself to dwell in Thy love, of despair into raptures above, for aye on wings like a dove, I come to Thee.
Out of the fear and dread of the tomb; the joy and light of Thy home. of the depths of ruin untold, the peace of Thy sheltering fold, Thy glorious face to behold,, I come to Thee.
(William T. Sleeper, 1896)
A Question
Another question arises, “What, then is it that we have been called into?” To be sure, it is a community like nothing this world has to offer. The Bible refers to it in such comprehensive terms as The House of the Lord, the City of our God, and the Kingdom of Heaven. It is both local and global, as well as eternal. It is not institutional; but relational.It is gathered in the name of the Lord, governed by the word of the Lord, guided by the Spirit of the Lord, guarded by the power of the Lord, and garnished with the glory of the Lord.
And there is only one way into this community; it is through faith in the Lord Jesus, evidenced by a love for His people, which springs out of obedience to His word.
Are you in?
"By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." Abel's sacrifice was given by faith. It came from a heart that believed in the Lord and trusted in His righteous ways. "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD . . . but He loves him who follows righteousness" (Pro_15:8-9). When the Lord accepted Abel's offering, He was declaring that Abel was righteous in His sight: "through which he obtained witness that he was righteous." Elsewhere, the word confirms that Cain was an unbeliever; whereas, Abel walked in righteousness. "Cain . . . was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous" (1Jn_3:12)