THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRINITARIAN COMMUNITY.

Sharing with the Sabbath School class last week about the importance of righteousness by faith, I did not emphasize enough the verse from Paul’s letter to Galatians (5:5) “for we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”  I am concluding my blog on the Trinitarian Community with this emphasis because Godly community, just like righteousness and all fruits of the Spirit we desire for, cannot be produced by our efforts.  Our best attempts are described by prophet Isaiah as “filthy rags.”  All human efforts even if they result in an excellent show, and the appearance of success, if such are void of Holy Spirit presence within, of Christ impulse, are waste of time. 

I share with you the three main characteristics (with 15 sub-points) needed for real functional community.  First we find our purpose in Christ, we are Christ’s Body, and we exist to show him to one another.  This purpose is much greater than any one individual.  It is this Common Purpose of manifesting Christ to one another, which delivers us from the cultural confusion of Individualism, and shapes us into Community.

When we embrace the Great Purpose we have through Christ of reconciling the world to God and to each other, we share common Œauthority, beliefs, Žtraditions, and standards.  We join those who has common mission, who’s on the same journey of manifesting Christ.  For this to take place Christ must dwell within by the Holy Spirit.

Coming together we break the second barrier to community, the Isolation, as we find the Common Place, where ‘spontaneity, ’availability, “frequency, ”common meals, •geographic proximity assist relationships.

Today I invite you to deal with the third barrier, Consumerism, and Independence it produces.  This obstacle can be counteracted by the third set of characteristics of the Divine Community – Common Possessions, which include following:  ¹¹Interdependence, ¹² Intergenerational living,

¹³ Children care, ¹⁴ Responsibility, ¹⁵ Personal Sacrifice. 

As we approach this topic, remember the Holy Spirit gives gifts for edification of the whole Community, not for selfish use.  Our attitude toward common possessions begins with realising that Spiritual blessings we receive belong to others too.