“And let us consider how to stir up one other to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day draw near.” Hebrews 10:24
(With thanks to Pastor Jack Bracy for his sharing of the purpose of God with these and other scriptures)
Last Sunday this was the closing passage of the sermon that I heard. And it got me to thinking. Pastor Jack gave us a list of passages that are in the New Testament that tell us how we should treat each other that we should take to heart. The purpose was to show us how to establish relationships with each other as members of the assembly called “church” and to learn how to love as Christ intended us to.
We often get confused in who and how we are to love each other and these passages are useful in teaching love for fellow Christians. But I want to take it a step further and say that these passages are not just how we treat our fellow Church members but how we are to treat all persons, especially those who call Jesus their Lord and Redeemer.
John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
They will know that you are the disciples of a loving God and not one of tyranny or vengeance. By the way we treat each other and how we treat those who we know outside our group they shall know that Jesus loves all. We are to love each other as Christ loves us so that others will seek that same love. We are to treat with kindness those who do not yet know Jesus so that they would wish to share in that love.
1 Peter 4:8-9, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”
As our mothers used to say, “Play Nice!” When we show the love of Jesus, we can not complain about it. We are to show a gracious heart toward each other. When we do the service of God, we are do so with an open heart filled with desire to love. We can’t do this if we grumble and fuss about it. We can’t be full of grace if we are empty of hospitality. As a hostess greets each guest with kindness, we are to greet each other as God’s favored guests. In this way we encourage and build up the faithful. In this manner, we invite others to join the body of believers.
Hebrews 3:13, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
The next verse says we have come to share Christ. When we are encouraging and uplifting each other and providing positive expressions toward others, we share in the purpose of Christ. He did not come that a few should have heaven, but that we all could share in the promise. But He also wanted us all to live in peace one with another. By exhorting and lift up each other, we prevent sin from deceiving us. By the constant reminders of others, we are always on guard for the lies of Satan. Sin deceives us into thinking that evil is good and goodness is weakness. We need the reminders of God to keep us from returning to the way of the flesh.
Romans 12:10, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honer.”
Let your love be genuine. I have three sisters and a brother. And as much as we fought, argued and complained about each other, we still to this day love each other with a love that can not be deterred. Christ whats us to cling to each other in this manner. As the Boy’s Town motto says, “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.” If we treat each other as brothers in all ways we can share Christ more effectively. If we think of others as if they are family, we can welcome them into the Church more effectively.
But the key line is that we are to outdo each other in giving honor. We are not to demand credit or claim honor for ourselves but we are to give it to each other. Let not my ways bring attention to myself, but let me give the honor to those who inspire me, help me and guide me. As I learned many things from my older siblings, I honor them for how they led me and protected me. And as a Christian, I see that they also have Christ in them. Honoring them, I honor Christ. Being devoted to them as brothers (and sisters) in Christ, shows devotion to Christ who resides in them.
Colossians 3:15-16, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Teach and correct one another in all wisdom, wisdom that comes from Christ. Sing together in the Spirit of God with Thanksgiving. Do these because we are called to be one body with Christ and we should do things of God as one body. More importantly, we should do things of God with the Peace of Christ as our rule of law.
As we let the word of Jesus rule in our lives, we are called to teach and learn together. We are to improve the lives of others as we improve our own life. We are to guide each other as equals in Christ and to give praise to God with a mighty air of thanks because we share in His Love and Mercy.
Romans 15:5,7, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Jesus Christ…. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the Glory of God.”
We are to live in harmony with one another, welcoming each other in the same accord as Christ welcomed us into the Body of Believers. The reasoning behind this is that we may lift our voice to God with hope, love and faith to Glorify God in all things together. As threads woven together make the cloth strong, our spirits woven together, makes us stronger. As we endure together as one bond, we can encourage and endure. When we welcome those who do not know Christ into the unity of God, we give them our strength.
As we welcome many into the Faith of Christ, we ensure that Christ is welcomed into their lives as well. As Jesus took us who were not worthy of the right to be called reconciled, we are to take in others that they might see the reconciliation for their lives as well. As Christ welcomed us, we are to welcome one another. As Jesus called us to be his, we are to call others to be welcomed by Him.
Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (Matt 5:4,7) Because of the blessings we shall receive, we are called to comfort, console and grant a measure of assurance to those who suffer. We are called to make right the wrongs of each other, forgiving those who have caused offence. We are to be tenderhearted to those who have been abused, neglected or been deceived by others. With the tender mercy of Christ we are to do these things. As God has treated us with tenderness when we deserved nothing but contempt, so should we treat one another, giving mercy when it is not asked, showing the Love of Christ as He has shown love to us.
Ephesians 4:2-3, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
With patience, eagerly maintain peace with each other. That means that we have to put up with one another. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul asked his companions to teach two godly women to learn to “agree in the Lord.” These women worked side by side with Paul in the past but could not seem to get along with each other, causing much stress in the body.
We must learn to deal with each other gently, with patience and endurance to our differences because without it, there is discord and harm done among the followers of Jesus. If we can not learn to work with our different personalities, we cause unrest and distrust among the non believers we seek and to add to the number saved.
As we are called to be one body under Christ, we are called to fellowship with each other, joined by the Spirit of God in Unity to the Love of Christ. We must commit ourselves to live with each other in the service of God. And the best way to do that is to remind ourselves daily of God’s Perfect Will and to undergo an understanding that we are to keep all His Commandments. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says; “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.”
And the greatest of these commandments is to Love God with every fiber of your being and to love each other as much as you love yourselves. Live with, love and serve one another as Christ.
