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When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Germany back in 1517, he did more than start a theological revolution. His action led to greater emphasis on the value of individuals. People began to exercise more individual freedoms; not only in accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, but also in asserting their right to live independently in many areas of life. While God created us to be free individuals, He also created us to need each other. God’s people are members of a community called the Church. As members of His Body, Christ calls us to look out for one another, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and to cooperate with others in doing His work. The Apostle Paul knew that His success in spreading the Gospel was due in part because others helped him. He wrote to the believers, recorded in Philippians 1, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.” So while we love and embrace our individual freedom to accept Christ and live for Him, we also know that God designed us to be interdependent. In God’s economy, no one is an island!
