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March 2026Individualism: “Belief in the primary importance of the individual and in the virtues of self-reliance and personal independence; a doctrine of freedom from government regulation of personal economic and social goals; the doctrine that the interests of the individual should take precedence over the interest of the group.” (American Heritage Dictionary).
Jesus recognized the problem of men controlling men. The disciples were concerned about who would be the greatest and Jesus established the truth that His kingdom would not be ruled as the kingdoms of the world are ruled. Servant leaders rule the Kingdom of Christ. That is very different from the way we think naturally.
Acts 15 gives a good example in how leaders are to function. Those believers that came from the Pharisees held forth their thinking; then Peter rehearsed how God brought the Gentiles into the church. Then Barnabas and Paul gave a brief record of their work among the Gentiles after which the Apostle James brought the Scriptures into focus on the matter and made a declaration in a brief manner of how to make disposition of the matter.
In the end we have this: “It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay no greater burden than these necessary things.” (Acts 15:28). That was the decision of the “apostles and elders” that came together and while Peter seemed to be the first to clarify matters, it was James in the end that brought the Scriptures into focus.
Since that time, many issues have confronted the Christian Church. We can trace the deterioration of righteousness, as men became more prominent than the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. The Catholic system is a classic example of this, but many other religious groups have followed their system to one degree or another.
The revival that brought about the Church that we are a part of is affected by the slow loss of the prominence of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures. The larger the Bishop body became, the more difficult it was to maintain a focus on the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures in all matters. With our human “expertise,” it is easy to bring human wisdom to bear upon a matter. With the weighty matters confronting the Church in these times, it is sad that too often, human reasoning carries the day rather than what the Holy Spirit reveals through the Scripture.
Individualism is so prominent in our thoughts that we feel justified in following our own thinking on a matter rather than what God thinks. Individualism makes us think that what we think is what God thinks but that is not true. God told Isaiah, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ saith the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
George Mueller said; “we cannot discover God’s will until our will is completely surrendered to do God’s will.” Individualistic thinking is not easily surrendered to any other thinking.
In the early days of the Fellowship Movement, a Baptist book, “The Independence of the Local Church” was circulated and had its influence. However, it was not long until the leaders realized that they could not have a united body of believers if they allowed every congregation do that which was right in their own eyes. That gave rise to various Bishop’s meetings through out the year along with minister’s meetings. Early on it was decided that those meetings were not for establishing any kind of policies and it was not long until there were splinter groups that wanted policies established. Were those groups established on what the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures taught? It seemed that many times it was individualism on the part of a few men that carried the day.
One of the great hindrances in our day is the time factor. Do we have the time that it takes to fast and pray and bring ourselves to a complete surrender of our own will in all matters and wait on the Lord to speak through Holy Spirit empowered men? Are we willing to consider what God’s Word says on the matter? “For I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
Our world is very complex and our lives are very dependent on the economic structure of the world. It seems quite easy to make decisions on the basis of how it affects us economically and the ease with which we can do business.
Very many of the church problems and marriage problems stem from individualism. God created us free moral agents and we cannot believe that God intended for us to be governed by another. God designed that there would be an orderly arrangement of authority. As long as one is self-governed by God’s principles of truth and righteousness, other authorities do not bother us. When God’s truth and meekness and righteousness govern our life, we will be approved. See Psalm 45:4.
But humanly, we are selfish and want what we want without interference. That brings us into conflict with those that are over us in the Lord. We are personally accountable to God. Part of that accountability is how we relate to those who are over us in the Lord. Even the man who is over us in the Lord is accountable to be a servant to those he leads. If he becomes domineering, he will no longer be leading and God will need to deal with him in a way that calls him to repentance. It is the same with us all — when we give way to our individualistic tendencies, God will call us to repentance and deal with us to lead us to that repentance. If we refuse to repent, life will become difficult.
Individualists are sure they are standing for truth. Maybe they are, but if it is with arrogance rather than meekness and righteousness, it is not God’s truth. As one writer put it; it is not “true truth!”
Christ’s kingdom is made up of people who are converted and humble as a little child. This kingdom is a working body that operates under the headship of Jesus. First Peter, chapter 5 gives us clear direction on how to conduct ourselves in the body. We understand that to mean the local bodies, but the same principles apply to any interaction between God’s children.
We are not humble naturally, so we must put on Christ and be clothed with humility. Because God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Oh, for the grace and wisdom to understand this truth!
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