I recently came across this extremely thought provoking quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer about how what we do as individuals impacts the body of Christ (aka the church):
“[T]here is no sin in thought, word, or deed, no matter how personal or secret, that does not inflict injury upon the whole fellowship. An element of sickness gets into the body; perhaps nobody knows where it comes from or in what member it has lodged, but the body is infected. This is the proper metaphor for the Christian community. We are members of a body, not only when we choose to be, but in our whole existence. Every member serves the whole body, either to its health or its destruction. This is no mere theory; it is a spiritual reality.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, pg. 89
This quote sums up why it is so important for us as Christians to have goals and to make changes in our lives. What we do affects others, both for the good and the bad. There are two major ways that this gets lived out.
Your Sin Affects Others
Maybe one of your goals this year is to get some sin in your life under control. Maybe you have a porn addiction or you find yourself gossiping a lot or you tell lots of little white lies. These things may seem small or like they only affect you. The truth is, they affect your whole church family, both in your local community and in the church at large.
The Ripple Effect of Sin
We often think these things are no big deal, but in reality they have a ripple effect. If you’re watching porn, it affects how you view members of the opposite sex. There’s an impact on your ability to have a romantic relationship. You’re contributing money to an industry that is praying on young people to survive. Some porn is created by the same people who are involved in human trafficking. If someone else finds out or suspects you watch porn, they might also think it’s no big deal and start doing the same thing. There are just a few examples of how you sin can affect others, even if you don’t see it at first.
Let’s not just think that porn is the problem because really every sin is a problem. Porn is an easy example because it’s easier to see the consequences. Let’s look at gossip as another example. When you gossip, you see your brothers and sisters in Christ as less than they are. You see them as “other” and less than you. You judge them (which Jesus says we shouldn’t do). You create division in the body of Christ. Gossip never happens with just one person. It takes two. You’re pulling someone else into your sin whether they want to be pulled in or not.
It doesn’t matter what the sin is. Even thinking angry thoughts about other people has its consequences. When we sin, that sin not only affects us, but it often causes (or has the chance to cause) other people to sin as well. We not only commit sin, we cause more sin to happen.
What Should We Do?
Now, we can’t stop sinning completely. We know that (or we should if we’ve followed Jesus for any length of time). There is always going to be sin that we commit and cause. However, we should do whatever is in our power to do (and whatever the Holy Spirit enables us to do) to fight against those habitual sins that we find ourselves turning to over and over again. If we don’t do something, as Bonhoeffer say, we’re knowingly letting disease enter into the body of Christ and that disease is going to do harm.
So what should we do? There’s no one right answer. Honestly, the answer depends on what your sin is. Accountability is always helpful though. Satan loves to get us alone and make us think that others will reject us if we open up about our sins. That’s typically not the case. So, if there’s a habitual sin that you need help overcoming, tell someone. Don’t tell just anyone, but tell someone who you trust, who loves and cares about you and will want to help you. Often that is the most powerful thing. The way to keep from damaging the body of Christ, is often to rely on the other members.
Your Victory Over Sin Affects Others
The thing is, just like our sin adversely affects our Christian brothers and sister, they’re past victories and lessons they have learned can positively affect us. It goes both ways. Our unhealth and sin causes harm to others, but other’s health and holiness can help us to heal.
Not only should you tell someone if you need help overcoming, but you should also make it a point to share with others what God has done in your life. You need to spread the “medicine” of God’s victories in your life to the lives of others who might still be fighting disease. Perhaps one of your goals this year needs to be sharing what God has done for you so that it can be an encouragement to others.
We Are Family, and We Need Each Other
We should be clear here, there are times in our lives when we’re going to be the one needing help and the one giving it. There’s no shame in either one. Any shame or glory should be temporary as we continue to help heal and be healed.
What we can never forget is that we need each other. We’re a family. What happens to one of us affects us all. To deny that is to deny being a part of the family of God, and God desperately wants you to be a part of his family.
Photo by Alexandru Zdrobău on Unsplash