How to Live as a Christian Community?

By Alexander D’Albini

Today, spirituality is seen as an individualistic pursuit. We have to do the work for ourselves, independently carrying out personal spiritual practices. Though from a Christian perspective we should not be alone. We don’t live out the Christian faith as a minority of one.

When we read the story of Noah, we see that he was not saved in the Ark by himself, but along with his whole family.

Genesis 7 v 1

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.

We are saved as a community of faith, not as individuals. We can use our free will to choose to be part of the Church, but we are saved corporately. Our works will be judged separately, but we are saved as the the whole Body of Christ.

A good way to see the Noah’s Ark story is to understand Christ as Noah, and we are joining Him in the Ark, saved from the flood of God’s judgment.

In the Book of Acts we read about early Christianity and life in the Church.

Acts 2 v 42 - 46

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts

This part of chapter 2 lays out the blueprint of the early Church.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship

So, we need to read the Scriptures together, not just by ourselves. This is key to life in a Christian community. It builds and weaves our faith together.

To the breaking of bread and to prayer

We need to break bread. This doesn’t necessarily mean sharing meals together, but more likely relates to receiving the Eucharist.

Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

We should also prayer with each other. Asking God for miracles, healings and seeking souls to be saved.

All the believers were together and had everything in common.

We need to have ‘everything in common’. This is usually thought of in terms of communal living and sharing possessions. But instead we need to see this in the light of what happened in Acts 2.

At Pentecost, the curse of the Tower of Babel was reversed. The people at this time were of one nation and one tongue, after Babel they dispersed and became many nations with many languages.

Once Babel’s curse was removed, the first Christian community became a new nation with a single tongue, the Word of God. They held Christ together in common and shared the same worldview. I think this is what having ‘everything in common’ means, rather than a communal utopia. Living together within the paradigm of Christ.

They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

We need to be generous. Just as the early Church sold possessions and land to help those in need.

They also served each other in love.

Mark 12 v 30-31

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Loving others is the glue which holds a Christian community together. The New Testament has many verses which explain how we should act towards each other in love, in kindness and with perseverance.

We also need to realise that even Christians make mistakes and will hurt each other. So we must be wise and only trust Christ completely. We may ask our brothers and sisters in the Lord to help us, support us and pray for us, but we must only ever look to Christ to save us.

The community of the Body of Christ also helps to protects us. We are part of His flock. If we go it alone, we become like a lost sheep, and we are either taken by wolves or end up following a bad shepherd.

Living in a Christian community can be great fun, but at times it can be difficult. And it is in those difficult moments we can grow closer to Christ.

Being involved in a church community is an element of God’s plan for salvation. Living out life with other Christians draws us to the place which God has called us to. I’ll finish this article with this verse from Hebrews, a motto for living out life in a church community.

Hebrews 10 v 24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

My name is Alexander D’Albini and I write the Tower of Adam SubStack. If you like my work, I’d encourage you to come over and subscribe to my newsletter. I also write articles on culture and Anglo-Saxon Christianity.