November 9, 2012

  • Loving, peaceful communion with one another in the body of Christ

    Communion Sabbath 11 10 12

    Cherishing maintaining UNITY, PEACE   and LOVE in our fellowship with each other

    Ps 133:1                Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

    2              It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;3    As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

     

     Striving to maintain unity with people we love is not difficult – we just need to make sure we love the others in the body of Christ! It is common among us to care deeply when we are not in harmony with the people we love.  If we don’t love someone, it is human nature not to strive to maintain a harmonious relationship with that person..

    John 13:34           A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.35          By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

    In striving for unity, we should put our minds and mouths in check before blurting out something contrary  -- as much as we can we need to try to see and affirm common ground.

    Rom 15:5             Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:6     That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.7                Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.(KJV)

    Some people come into a place and say they don’t “feel accepted” or that they can’t “accept” someone else.  However, we are commanded to receive one another if we are all in Christ.

    I have seen movies of high school “queen bees” who make it a  point to reject a certain competitor and all who want to be in the queen’s  “in crowd”  will then reject that person she is rejecting  for fear of being rejected by her if they don’t . In our case , our King tells us to accept one another as He has accepted us.

    We will be rejected by Him if we don’t love  one another. 

    As soon as someone becomes a child of God , we are to receive and accept them as part of the family of God.  God Himself chose that person to be adopted into His family – we have no authority to resist His choice!

    We are to actively work at maintaining loving unity:

    2 Cor 13: 11         Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.12        Greet one another with an holy kiss.13  All the saints salute you.14          The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

    Eph 4: 1                I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;3   Endeavouring {use speed, make an effort, be earnest} to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.4                There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;5       One Lord, one faith, one baptism,6            One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

    Eph 4: 25              Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.26          Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

    27           Neither give place to the devil………………………..31              Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

     

    1 Pet 3:                 8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:9        Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.10            For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile {guile tricks, baits, has wiles – tricks” up  their sleeve”, sets traps--}:11   Let him eschew {decline from} evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it {pursue it}.12               For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

     

    We are to avoid being with  those who cause splits among one another. We are to avoid anything that causes strife and divisions:

    Rom 16: 17          Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

    We are to strive to avoid divisions:

    1 Cor 1:9               God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions (from a word meaning to split or to sever)  among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.11     For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

     

    We are one body and we need each other:

    1 Cor 12: 12         For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.13      For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.14          For the body is not one member, but many.15   If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?16               And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?17                If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?18                But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

    19           And if they were all one member, where were the body?20       But now are they many members, yet but one body.21                And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:23               And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.24               For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:25                That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.26               And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

    27           Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

    We are not to have close fellowship with those who are not a part of the body of Christ  we are to come away from those and know that we are in a family with God as our Father – should that not be people enough to fellowship with?

    2 Cor 6: 14           Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?15      And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?16     And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.17              Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

    We can be in fellowship with one another as we fellowship with our Father.

    I Jn 1: 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;2               (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)3           That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.4                And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.5                This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.6                If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

    7              But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

    We are not to simply be engrossed in that which is self-centered but we are to care about the things that  are important  to others :

    Phil 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.3         Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

    Phil 2: 19              But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.20         For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.21               For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

    Let's all CARE about one another!  Let's actually "love our neighbor as ourselves".

    The love manifested to others with glorify our Father  :)