I’m
about to bite off more than I can chew in a blog entry. I’m about to overstate
and understate, and probably misstate, some important things, but hopefully
this train of thought will make some sense and inspire you to think about some
things for yourself. This came to mind as I was reflecting on Acts 2:42-47 and
the genius of God in the creation of true community. Here we go…
In the
heart of every person is the innate knowledge that we are designed to live in
community, but the question is this: what creates true community? On the one
hand, socialism attempts to force from the outside what can only emanate from
the inside, namely, a genuine love of neighbor. On the other hand, the Bible argues
that true community, in which every member contributes what they can and every
member receives what they need, is the fruit of the Spirit of God at work in
each person’s life (see, for example, Acts 2:42-47).
The
attempt to force from the outside what can only emerge from the inside, by the
work of the Spirit, is to kill the very community one tries to create, for true
community requires love and willingness. It simply cannot be forced, rather, it
has to be formed by the transformative work of God in the hearts of men and
women.
For
example, when it comes to helping the poor among us (broadly defined as those
who are in some weakened state relative to the community), God values cheerful
helpers. God values those who are grateful for the grace that he has lavished
on their lives, and in turn lavish that grace on others. Of course, there are
times when we must discipline ourselves to love the poor despite our prejudices
or laziness or what have you, but ultimately this discipline must flow from
within as the grace of God flows upon the life of the helper. We can and should
encourage one another, and even lovingly pressure one another, but at the end
of the day we cannot force one another to do what God has so clearly called us
to do. Love just doesn’t work that way.
Now, I
am not saying that the lack of volition or action is okay. It is sin—plain and
simple. Human beings were created to “image” God, part of which is his care for
the poor, the naked, the imprisoned, the hungry, the thirsty, and so on. God is
enormously wealthy and generous and gracious to all, and when we fail to love
the poor we fail to image these aspects of his being. This failure is sin, but
the solution to this sin is not forced compassion, for there is no such thing.
Rather, the solution is for the sinner to be confronted with his actions and
his inability to overcome his selfish nature so that he falls on the mercy of
Christ and seeks the transformation that can only come by the grace of Christ. As
his or her heart is transformed, he or she will learn to love others for the
glory of God and the common good, and true community will emerge.
True community, and all it implies, emerges and thrives when the
Spirit of Christ causes each individual to gladly use what’s in his or her power
to bless others for the glory of God and the common good (see 1 Corinthians
12:7). This cannot be forced from the outside, rather, it must emanate from the
inside as God transforms the heart.
The moral of the entry: God is a genius and he knows a thing or
two about how we’re wired, and how to create the community for which we were
created.
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