Hezekiah makes a very interesting appeal to the remnant of God’s people left in Judah who Hezekiah is calling back to the Lord. He states that returning to God’s Word and ways is not only beneficial for the each individual so doing, but that it will have the same kind of effect on God’s people belonging to the northern kingdom of Israel who have already been carried away into captivity. In other words, personal faithfulness is not just something whose effects are limited solely to each individual, but provide something tangible for fellow believers as well. I don’t think we seriously consider that when we succeed or fail in our spiritual relationship with Christ that the benefits or detriments are not limited exclusively to just us alone.

Yes, we are each individual pieces, but “being fitted together” in “the whole building“. The sum of the whole is greater than its individual parts. Together with all the other pieces we are “growing into a holy temple…being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit“. Taken together in the context of what was happening during Hezekiah’s time, the point is that when we return to a right relationship with Christ we are not merely replacing a missing brick here or there, but contributing to a spiritual movement much greater than our individual self which encourages restoration of all the rest of the pieces as well. Our return influence others’ return.

Just as error begets error, so too faithfulness begets faithfulness. When we set our heart and mind as an individual to cling to God’s Word and ways, it has a multiplying effect on those brothers and sisters of ours who themselves are conflicted. Just as spiritual reconciliation of the unsaved is effected through the preaching of the Gospel and visible testimony of a Christian walk, the spiritual reconciliation of the backslidden can be accomplished by preaching repentance in concert with the visible testimony of a restored relationship with Christ. Our own recovery from the brink of bondage has a tangible effect on those likewise struggling.

It would be enough to be a visible testimony of personal faithfulness in our one-on-one relationship with Christ, but the fact is that it is not something which is pursued exclusively for our own personal benefit. We are a member of a much greater Body composed of many, many members. It may only be the little pinky toe which is in pain, but the whole body is distracted and hindered by it; when it is healthy the whole body benefits. We might want to consider that how we choose to live has repercussions beyond just our self that can tangibly benefit far more than our individual faith._††_†

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