Church is friendships, through and through.

I read a blog post by Viola about friendship this morning on my phone. I went looking for it on my computer and found this post below instead. At first I skimmed and kept looking but then it dawned on me that this is just as relevant to my pursuit of Church as defined by close friendships. This post is relevant because this is exactly what is needed to attain the closer friendships. And this "attack" is the result of the Church beginning to love one another as friends. So I'll post this for now and continue the search for the other post. I've added some thoughts on this post below.
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Whenever God is Moving Among a People, This Will Happen

by Frank Viola

When the Lord is having His way in a body of believers, God’s enemy will be sure to attack. Nothing so threatens the enemy’s kingdom than the church of Jesus Christ being expressed and standing for God’s timeless purpose and Christ’s fullness and headship.
Four things to keep in mind when such attacks occur (notice that I said “when”):
1. The enemy virtually always uses uncrucified flesh as the ground for his attack against a body of believers.
2. Those who are giving ground to the enemy aren’t aware that this is what they are doing: giving ground to him via selfishness and self-gratification.
3. The only way to close the gap is to die to self. God’s enemy has no ground by which to work then. Remember Jesus’ words: “Satan has come, but He has nothing in me.” There was no ground in Him for the enemy to use.
4. The enemy uses lies and deception to hold ground. He’s a master at it. The Scriptures wielded by crucified hands and in the Spirit are a force to break that deception.

Here are priceless words from T. Austin-Sparks on this score:

But this thing is very deeply rooted in us; the subtlety, the imperceptible desire of the flesh for gratification. If we were asked straight out whether we wanted to please ourselves, whether we were after our own personal gratification, whether it was our pleasure and satisfaction that was motivating our lives and directing us, we would at once most vehemently repudiate the suggestion, and probably be very offended with whoever made the suggestion; and yet, beloved, deeper than our deepest honesty, deeper than our truest sincerity, there is that subtle constituent of fallen nature which so often unperceived by the believer himself or herself does just love to be gratified, personally satisfied, and which does not like to be emptied out and have nothing.

Gratification and glory is the very essence of the flesh even when we are engaged in the Lord’s work. To set up something FOR THE LORD, yes, but men point at it and say: “That is his work and her work,” and how we like that! Something that will be a good testimony to faith, a great monument – yes, but subtly the monument to OUR faith. Such is this horrible thing that is always reaching out from beneath, under cover, and, quietly and imperceptibly, taking the glory of the Lord to itself. 

The remedy for that is the Body of Christ practically applied in principle. Yes, it is! That is why it is so difficult to live a corporate life with other believers, because you have to be so thoroughly crucified. There is nothing that demands crucifixion more than to live with other Christians all your days. You say: “That is a terrible thing to say,” but you know what I am talking about. You have to defer, refer, consult, submit, let go. In a thousand and one ways you have to put your own likes and dislikes aside if the Lord is to get His end. Oh yes, it is the Body of Christ that is the saving thing. 

It is corporate life that is the remedy, but O beloved, that is the way of triumph, the way of victory. It is! It is a mighty remedy for the flesh, a mighty remedy for the work of the Devil, but it does represent the mighty power of God working in us. You see, you can never come into the Body of Christ until you have been crucified. It is because uncrucified flesh has impinged upon the corporate life of believers that there is such contradiction and denial, because the Body represents the exclusion of man, in himself – flesh.

(The Centrality and Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ, p. 32)

This post jumped out at me for several reasons. 

• Not only do I believe strongly in the "corporate life" as "the remedy", I have experienced it in the context of healthy friendships, where individuals are still very unique and gifted individuals. This individuality is not folded into the corporate but instead it is celebrated as a unique relationship with God, where God's Spirit bestows supernatural gifts upon the person to be used for the edification of the corporate. Add to their personal relationship with God a deep and abiding friendship with one another, where no hierarchy exists and trust is mutually earned, and behold -- the power of God to change lives!! This we have seen.
• It is much easier to "die" to the flesh when you are surrounded by true friends in the Lord. Trust is key. These friends first accept you for who you are and are not positioning themselves as God's instruments of change in your life. True friends always consider the plank in their own eye as a place of humility; a place of service; a "power-under" location, as Boyd would put it. If the corporate "mind" is a force of change outside of trusting friendships then God's purpose will be thwarted by the church as an institution. In essence the "corporate" becomes a corporation. Trust is gone. Only submission remains. This will lead not to a death to oneself but to a stronger fortification of the flesh. In the followers (or laity) the flesh is fortified in fear of being further wounded. In the leaders (or clergy) the flesh is fortified in fear of a loss of power. So friendship is key.  It is much easier to "die" to the flesh when you are surrounded by true friends in the Lord. Trust is essential. But trust always must be earned.
• So Sparks is right: "You have to defer, refer, consult, submit, let go. In a thousand and one ways you have to put your own likes and dislikes aside if the Lord is to get His end. Oh yes, it is the Body of Christ that is the saving thing."
• The Body of Christ IS a saving thing...but only where mutual submission and true friendship is planted deep in hearts and minds. The corporate Body is an equal spiritual playing field. The Holy Spirit has no favorites. For those with natural and supernatural leadership abilities it becomes even more of a vital, daily exercise to "defer, refer, consult, submit, and let go." The greatest must become the least. Death to self begins when true and honest friendship is at work. Erase the trappings of corporate church as a Western hierarchy and get down "on the ground" where the real experience of love and trust and friendship exists. And as our flesh dies our God is glorified. And our friendships grow. 
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• Viola is right: "Nothing so threatens the enemy’s kingdom than the church of Jesus Christ being expressed and standing for God’s timeless purpose and Christ’s fullness and headship." God's purpose -- to call us friends. Christ's fullness and headship -- there is only one head of the Body; indeed we are all equals in the Body, and we are all friends on this journey. This is a journey to Life, to Love, and to intimacy with God and with one another. True friendship leads to true change. This is the beautiful plan of God -- to make us friends in a family with a new name -- that's His name. Not the name on your church's website. But HIS name. We must be known only as Christ is known. Where we act as Christ would act and think as Christ thinks. We must join arms and constantly ask "what would our Lord have us do...now?" We join arms because we are friends in the LORD! So let those attacks come. We will fight them one by one; and we will fight them together, side by side.

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Personal note: I guess I'm feeling "released" to start telling the incredible story of what God is doing with us here in Jackson. By us I mean about, what is it with kids? about 55 people; and more planning to "visit." The attacks we have fought have come precisely as we seek to die to our flesh and press into deep friendships in the Lord. We simply cannot get enough of each other; it's a real delight. And it's powerful beyond words. God has taken our experiences and desires and begun to use them for His glory. We've been in several "two peoples" where friendships and marriages are being restored. (More on "two peoples" later.) We've worshiped and talked and studied and prayed for hours on end. Often I've smiled at the thought of our children at our feet as we talk about how to love like our God. And we have beheld His power through prophecy and seen a Word from our Loving father bring healing and direction. We eat together often. We play together and laugh even more. We love one another SO deeply, with a love God has put in our hearts for one another. It's a beautiful thing this Body "of Christ." It's beautiful because we are friends, in the truest, most complete, and honest sense of the word. Friends-- the way God calls us friends -- wrapped in Grace and Mercy; in patience and gentleness; in forgiveness and above all acceptance. God has ascribed His great and awesome Calvary Love to my brothers and sisters in Christ. And so must we ascribe that same completeness of love. How do we do so -- as friends. Church is friendships, through and through.