Our whole society is built upon reciprocal arrangements. We pay the police – and they keep us safe. We shop in the stores – and the proprietor provides us with products. We need one another. That’s how humanity works.
In the Body of Christ, we need one another. We may feel self sufficient at times but whether we realize it or not, we DO need other people, and other people need us. In Ephesians 5:21, after describing the effects of being filled with the Holy Spirit (which includes an experience of joy in the heart and a thankful spirit unto the Lord), the writer mentions one further thing – a willingness to serve one another. Ephesians 5:21 says, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
This phrase “one to another” is a single word in the Greek text, which is translated by words like “each other” or “one another.” It’s a word of involvement and mutual togetherness. So we are to involve ourselves with one another for the purpose of helping one another out of respect for God.
One of the things I enjoy about working with our group at Sola Scriptura is the mutual respect we have for one another and the willingness to help each other that is exhibited by everyone. This radio broadcast, for instance, is the product of a number of people working together. It’s not just me – though my name appears on the program. Our audio engineer needs me – but I desperately need our audio engineer. We are a team, and we submit ourselves to one another out of respect for the Lord, whom we serve together.
Well, that’s how it’s supposed to be in the Body of Christ. “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
Hey! You are not Robinson Crusoe living on a deserted island by yourself. Listen. Other people need you even if you think you don’t need them.