Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

THEME OF THE DAY: LONER CHRISTIANITY IS NOT BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY.  Henry Scudder wrote an excellent book called The Christian’s Daily Walk. Written in the mid-seventeenth century, this book is the right type of “How To” instruction manual for walking with the Lord.  Chapter seven is titled, “How to Walk with God Alone.”  Scudder writes, “When you are alone, you must be very watchful, and stand upon your guard, lest you fall into manifold temptations of the devil; for solitariness is Satan’s opportunity which he will not lose. Wherefore you must have a ready eye to observe, and a heart ready bent to resist all his assaults.”  This is wise counsel.  Remember the examples from scripture of Satan seizing times of God’s people being alone and tempting them; Eve in the Garden causing the fall of humanity (Genesis 3:1); David in his living room leading to the sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1); and even our Lord Jesus, alone in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1). The devil lurks around like a prowling lion and when we are alone, he roars loud and comes with devouring intent (1 Peter 5:8). There is another thing to be aware of when it comes to being a loner in living the Christian life; God never intended it to be that way.  The Bible never describes the Christian life in terms of isolation, individualism, or privatization.  Just the opposite. Yes, our walk with the Lord is individual but not to remain individual.  We grow in private to share in public.  It is a very dangerous practice to be a Christian who is okay with a private walk with the Lord, never reaching out and investing in other Christians in the things of the Lord.  Not only is it very dangerous, but it will lead to two spiritually damaging things; maybe even spiritually destructive things.

First, living a privatized Christian life is simply disobedience to the Lord. The church is God’s idea, not ours and He created it to be a living community in His Son for the purpose of us growing and doing His work together. He did not suggest our active and sacrificial participation in His church. He commanded and expects such participation from us. The pattern from the early church is still in place as the pattern for today’s church – “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Next, living a privatized Christian life will lead to lukewarm self-deception.  A fire remains hot when all the wood or coals are burning close together.  Remove one piece from the rest and watch how fast it loses its glow and warmth.  This will also be true – every time – in the Christian life.  Neglect to meet regularly with other believers for earnest prayer, time in the Word, worship, and the work of the Gospel and lukewarm hearts will result. Oh, we may think otherwise.  We may think a minimal commitment to our churches and involvement in the lives of other Christians has no impact on our walks with the Lord but that is where the self-deception lies.  Do this study sometime.  It will pay great dividends in our understanding of what God expects of us in our relationships with one another. Count the number of “one anothers” in the New Testament that are associated with praying, encouraging, serving, loving, correcting, and confessing to and with one another.  There are at least sixty.  Yes, sixty.  Such repetition and exhortation clearly shows us that Biblical Christianity cannot be loner Christianity.  And the stakes are high when it comes to this understanding and practice.  Our Lord Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you.  In so doing, the world will know you are my disciples if you have love for another” (John 13:34-35). And the only way we can obey this command to show the world the reality of Christ is for us to be together – a lot.  Let’s strive to ensure we don’t live contrary to God’s plan; a life of loner Christianity which is not Biblical Christianity.

PRAYER: “Lord, help me see the wisdom of You forming Your church to show us we don’t travel alone to heaven.”

QUOTE: “If we are okay with living the Christian life in isolation and alone, we are not spiritually okay.”