Aids to Righteousness
As the poet would say, no man is an island. The lives of each of us reach out and touch the lives of others. Some, because of the loss of the ability to think clearly and others out of cowardice chose lives of seclusion. Even such lives will still continue to touch others. The Scriptures teach us that none of us live to ourselves or die to ourselves (Romans 14:7). The next verse in this chapter of Romans calls upon us as Christian to live our lives unto the Lord. Since we understand the power of influence, because of Jesus, we choose to influence people for good.
Many passages could be cited which would remind us of the power of good influence that we possess as Christians. Two quick examples from the teachings of our Lord is that we are "salt" and "light" (Matthew 5:13-16). Both examples point to the fact that we use influence to show men the correct way to live. They may never accept our influence to the point of being taught but our good influence will never be a hindrance to them. Our task before the world then is to do our best to show to the world, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.
There is another view of this matter that we will now consider. Since none of us live alone (Romans 7:14), there is a need declared in our soul. That need simply put is that we "need each other". If a man could live the Christian life without fellow Christians, then why did Christ die? Bear in mind that in the death of Christ, His blood was shed in order to purchase the church (Acts 20:28). We know from the Scriptures that the church is made up of its individual members and it is not a building wherein those people meet (I Corinthians 12:20-24). God's plan for our redemption never meant for us to live our lives apart from each other. The value and greatness of the church is that we do need each other and that need is met by being in the church.
Are we not all tempted in one way or another? One may argue that the danger of temptation is that we would give in and sin. James teaches us that each person is enticed by his own lust or desire. When that lust comes to fruition, then you have sin (James 1:14,15). As part of the warning about the danger of temptation, James, likewise, states that no one should blame God when the temptation comes to fruition (verse 13). I know, then, that God does not want us to sin. Sin and its temptations cannot be removed from the world. How then does God help us so that the temptations of life do not become so great as to overwhelm us?
The Word of God is to be hidden in our heart so that we will not sin against God (Psalm 119:11). God made a new law for His people with the coming of Jesus and the enacting of His will for us (Jeremiah 31:31). Under this new covenant or agreement, God said that He would put His laws in their mind and write it in their hearts (Hebrews 8:10). The law of Christ written in our hearts serves as a tool for God to keep us focused so that sin does not overwhelm us. Now, what is it that we have been saying thus far? We need each other. I am to be connected to Christ and to my fellow Christians inside the body of Christ. God gives us fellow Christians as another tool which He can use to keep sin from overwhelming us.
Such dependence on fellow Christians is not God operating apart from His Word but rather the agreement of the Word in our hearts. When a Christian is overtaken in a fault, it is a result of sin overwhelming him. He has taken his mind and let it wander away from the Word of God. The Word that was to be written in the heart loses its effectiveness and the child of God wanders away. Now, what can God do with His child who has become overwhelmed by sin? The only thing that could bring him back to God is the truth in the Word of God.
How does he get it though? His fellow Christians come to him to restore him back to his love for God (Galatians 6:1). Their action is motivated by the Word of God and if the person can be restored it is because his life was touched once more by the Word of God. Brethren, we need each other in the body of Christ because we do not live nor die to ourselves. Being in the church gives us a tremendous aid to be righteous people.