When was the last time you downed a refreshing glass of water, grabbed a bite to eat, drew a breath? I'm sure the latter was sometime during the reading of the last sentence. To be human is to be contingent, to be dependent, to rely on something external to us to sustain us. Such is physical life. Yet when it comes to the relational and spiritual realm, especially in Western culture, we like to envision ourselves as mighty individuals. We have believed the American myth of "rugged individualism," with devastating effect. I'll show my hand early: Individualism is a myth that drives us to self-worship and pride. How so?
Individual or Community?
Cultures generally fall into one of two categories, with varying degrees of intensity--individualistic or communal. In more traditional cultures the mores, values and taboos of the community tend to exert greater influence. Individual identity is subsumed under the tribal or corporate identity so that the needs and wants and good of the group outweigh or even replace those of the individual. In more modernistic, secular and Western cultures, self-expression, personal preference and personal ambition hold sway. Corporate identity is subordinate to individual identity and relational connections are formed and dissolved freely as they benefit or hinder an individual's pursuit of self-actualization.
A Gospel for Jews and Greeks
One of the myriad beauties of the gospel is that it deconstructs and redeems every culture. The gospel must redeem the traditional, communal, Eastern (Jewish) culture so that one finds identity in Jesus, not the community. It must also redeem the individualistic, Western (Greek) culture so that one finds identity in Jesus, not the self. God is ransoming individuals who place their trust in Jesus and God is calling out a people for himself. The gospel is the glorious truth of both realities.
A Third Path
Whether believers or unbelievers, we tend to err in one of two ways; either we are individualistic or codependent. Both errors are a reduction of the gospel and both are forms of idolatry. We can worship the acceptance of our group or our own will. But there is another way, a way the Bible models for us--gospel community. In this model Jesus is worshiped by a community of believers who are increasingly finding their identity in him, not affirmation or self-expression. How does this make a difference in a Christian community? Let's take the example of fighting sin.
Individualism: "I can handle this."
When the individual struggles with sin, he resolves to do better and tries to modify his behavior. Because he sees sanctification as primarily a personal battle with evil, something between him and God, he does not confess his sin in the context of community and will end up either in denial about sin or despair of change. His motto is: "I can handle this."
Codependency: "They can handle this."
When a codependent person struggles with sin, she runs to her accountability partner as if to the confession booth. There she lays the burden down, expecting the community to fix her through encouraging words or admonishment. Her motto is: "They can handle this."
Gospel Community: "Christ can handle this."
In the context of gospel community, the believer is free to confess his sin because he knows he is fully accepted already in Jesus. She knows that it is prideful to think she can fix herself and lazy to expect others to do so. Rather than the church being a collection of saved individuals, it is a blood-bought community, the body of Christ, of which Christ is the Head, and which he uses as a means to sanctify his people. So the Christian does not fight sin alone; neither does he rely on the accountability of others for change. Together, the community of believers run to Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit for change.
The gospel reminds us that we are far more dependent than we like to imagine.
Individual or Community?
Cultures generally fall into one of two categories, with varying degrees of intensity--individualistic or communal. In more traditional cultures the mores, values and taboos of the community tend to exert greater influence. Individual identity is subsumed under the tribal or corporate identity so that the needs and wants and good of the group outweigh or even replace those of the individual. In more modernistic, secular and Western cultures, self-expression, personal preference and personal ambition hold sway. Corporate identity is subordinate to individual identity and relational connections are formed and dissolved freely as they benefit or hinder an individual's pursuit of self-actualization.
A Gospel for Jews and Greeks
One of the myriad beauties of the gospel is that it deconstructs and redeems every culture. The gospel must redeem the traditional, communal, Eastern (Jewish) culture so that one finds identity in Jesus, not the community. It must also redeem the individualistic, Western (Greek) culture so that one finds identity in Jesus, not the self. God is ransoming individuals who place their trust in Jesus and God is calling out a people for himself. The gospel is the glorious truth of both realities.
A Third Path
Whether believers or unbelievers, we tend to err in one of two ways; either we are individualistic or codependent. Both errors are a reduction of the gospel and both are forms of idolatry. We can worship the acceptance of our group or our own will. But there is another way, a way the Bible models for us--gospel community. In this model Jesus is worshiped by a community of believers who are increasingly finding their identity in him, not affirmation or self-expression. How does this make a difference in a Christian community? Let's take the example of fighting sin.
Individualism: "I can handle this."
When the individual struggles with sin, he resolves to do better and tries to modify his behavior. Because he sees sanctification as primarily a personal battle with evil, something between him and God, he does not confess his sin in the context of community and will end up either in denial about sin or despair of change. His motto is: "I can handle this."
Codependency: "They can handle this."
When a codependent person struggles with sin, she runs to her accountability partner as if to the confession booth. There she lays the burden down, expecting the community to fix her through encouraging words or admonishment. Her motto is: "They can handle this."
Gospel Community: "Christ can handle this."
In the context of gospel community, the believer is free to confess his sin because he knows he is fully accepted already in Jesus. She knows that it is prideful to think she can fix herself and lazy to expect others to do so. Rather than the church being a collection of saved individuals, it is a blood-bought community, the body of Christ, of which Christ is the Head, and which he uses as a means to sanctify his people. So the Christian does not fight sin alone; neither does he rely on the accountability of others for change. Together, the community of believers run to Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit for change.
The gospel reminds us that we are far more dependent than we like to imagine.
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