What Does Jesus Say About Individuality in the Church? 🤔
When we look at individuality within our church today, we often see how modern Christianity overemphasizes personal expression at the expense of our unity in Christ. 🌟
As we consider the key institutions of our church — baptism, communion, marriage, and the pastoral office — we recognize these are unified gifts from God that we participate in together. 🎁
We see this in several ways. With baptism, it’s not about our individual decisions but about our participation in the one baptism into Christ. 💦
When we come to communion, it isn’t our personal “date with Jesus” but rather one table where we all commune together — with past, present, and future believers. 🍷🍞
In marriage, we don’t create our own institution but rather enter into what God has already established. 💑
We find that giving up our individuality in church institutions actually benefits us, particularly when facing life’s challenges. 🙏
When sin overwhelms us, or when our faith wavers, our comfort comes not from our personal strength but from Christ’s work and promises for us. ✝️
We look to Jesus’s baptism as our example, where he identified with us sinners by entering Jordan’s dirty waters, taking our sin and giving us his righteousness. 🌊
This creates our unity where we all share in Christ’s righteousness rather than depending on our own. ✨
While we maintain our personal preferences and individual expressions in many aspects of our life (like our choice of vehicles or hairstyles), we find our primary identity in being “crucified with Christ.” 🚗 💇♀️
The church doesn’t eliminate our individuality but rather unites us in Christ. ⛪️❤️
Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Content Executive.
Contributor Matt Richard is Pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Minot, ND.
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