And he is the head of the body, the church. Colossians 1:18
There is nothing more thrilling than seeing believers grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. While at the other end of the spectrum, there is nothing more crushing than observing believers lapse into a self centered, indifferent and non - committed attitude toward the Lord and His people.
Why the difference? Can I suggest that it has a whole lot to do with the level of value and commitment we have for the local church where God has positioned us. Do some self - evaluation here. Ask, “do I value and am I committed as I should be to the local church?”
Let Curtis Thomas from his book ‘Life in the body of Christ’ help us to do some honest evaluation and then respond accordingly.
“Just how important is your church? Consider the following: 1. It provides you with daily and weekly fellowship. 2. It warns and encourages you. 3. It helps hold you accountable. 4. It provides communion for you. 5. It challenges you to use your spiritual gifts. 6. It provides a place for those gifts to be exercised. 7. It helps protect you from heresy. 8. It guides you to godly living. 9. It spiritually ministers to your family. 10. It collectively supports Christian causes and missions around the world. 11. It often means the salvation of souls (perhaps even your own). 12. It helps you when you are spiritually, emotionally, physically or financially in need. 13. It is the pillar and ground of the truth in your area. 14. It disciplines you when you develop a sinful lifestyle. 15. It helps bring down racial barriers. These are just a few of the benefits of belonging to a good local church.”
Of course commitment and value toward the local church is primarily determined by the measure we value Jesus Christ, the head of the church. If we value Jesus Christ the head of the body, who has saved us, we need to value more the local church, His body, which provides and cares for us.