Dear Brothers and sisters, beloved saints of Christ. I know I normally do not start of with a verse, but today I will. We are all called to live a life of Christ (that's right not a life of pi). We're called to be greater whilst being the lowest, sounds a little ironic doesn't it?
Well let's see what is mentioned in Romans with regards to living a life of Christ:
"8 Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor [who practices loving others] has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellowmen, meeting all its requirements].
9 The commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not steal, You shall not covet (have an evil desire), and any other commandment, are summed up in the single command, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.
10 Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law.
11 Besides this you know what [a critical] hour this is, how it is high time now for you to wake up out of your sleep (rouse to reality). For salvation (final deliverance) is nearer to us now than when we first believed (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ, the Messiah).
12 The night is far gone and the day is almost here. Let us then drop (fling away) the works and deeds of darkness and put on the [full] armor of light.
13 Let us live and conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly as in the [open light of] day, not in reveling (carousing) and drunkenness, not in immorality and debauchery (sensuality and licentiousness), not in quarreling and jealousy.
14 But clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and make no provision for [indulging] the flesh [put a stop to thinking about the evil cravings of your physical nature] to [gratify its] desires (lusts)." - Romans 13:8-14(AMP)
We are called to love one another, to love your neighbour, doesn't this sound like something you have heard before? (Mark 12:31(AMP) "The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.")
We are called to be lovers in this world, not lovers as a "mistress" loves or a love to gain, but more of a love without condition, a graceful love. Okay, right now you might be saying, that is absurd and almost impossible! How can I love someone who has hurt me so much, "I am not Jesus". I'd like to throw that phrase out of the window first, simply because it is not a good enough excuse, please read the first verse put up on this post! Another thing is, because if we just do good for those who do good to us, then we haven't changed, there isn't much about us that has changed from before and now, and you know it in your heart. Let's see what's Jesus said:
"27 But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [[a]in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred,
28 Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you].
29 To the one who strikes you on the [b]jaw or cheek, offer the other [c]jaw or cheek also; and from him who takes away your outer garment, do not withhold your undergarment as well.
30 Give away to everyone who begs of you [who is [d]in want of necessities], and of him who takes away from you your goods, do not demand or require them back again.
31 And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them.
32 If you [merely] love those who love you, what [e]quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even [f]the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them).
33 And if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what [g]quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even [h]the preeminently sinful do the same.
34 And if you lend money [i]at interest to those from whom you hope to receive, what [j]quality of credit and thanks is that to you? Even notorious sinners lend money [k]at interest to sinners, so as to recover as much again.
35 But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors [l]so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but [m]considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked.
36 So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these]." - Luke 6:27-36(AMP)
I put in bold, what I mentioned above, if we just do good to those who do good to us, what difference are we from those who are sinners? Now you might tell me, well I am not a sinner, but the righteousness of Christ, I'll accept it, and say you can't say you are not Jesus and not able to do it, when you say you are the righteousness of Christ, BE the righteousness of Christ, and not carry it like an accessory!
Alright, now that we have said this, this does not only apply to people who you might "hate", now when I say hate, it means those you dislike, or causes you irritation, or makes you mad in any way. But also to the church, your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, don't be proud but be humble, if one thinks it wrong to do something, and wishes not to do it, we shouldn't criticize them or say bad to them, in fact if they engrave it so much into their hearts we should just not do it in front of them at all:
"19 So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual upbuilding (edification and development) of one another.
20 You must not, for the sake of food, undo and break down and destroy the work of God! Everything is indeed [ceremonially] clean and pure, but it is wrong for anyone to hurt the conscience of others or to make them fall by what he eats.
21 The right thing is to eat no meat or drink no wine [at all], or [do anything else] if it makes your brother stumble or hurts his conscience or offends or weakens him." - Romans 14:19-21(AMP)
Let us be sensitive and loving to all good or bad :). In doing so obeying what Christ says to love one another. Let us be continuously prepared for whenever he is coming, always clothing the naked, giving water to those who are thirsty, sheltering those who are unable to. Let us do good whenever we can, we don't need everything, but we can surely use what we have to help others.
Now, a lot of you might say, this sounds a lot like works rather than grace. I'll just keep it short here, doing good and being like Christ is actually showing Him how much you love him:
"15 If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands." - John 14:15(AMP)
I am not telling you to earn your salvation by doing good, but I am telling you, you are of Christ now, by grace through faith, So walk in Faith and live(knowingly) who you are in Christ, yes you are the righteousness of Christ, so I am fully aware and SURE that you can live the life of righteousness of Christ, and no I am not saying you are now perfect, no one really is, thus continuously being trained , but I know one day you might be, and so might I! So let's live a life of love and care for one another, and always never forgetting God!
"37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect).
38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself." - Matthew 22:37-39(AMP)
Blessings and peace to all of you who read this! I know my posts have been becoming longer, and I quote a lot from the bible these days, some of you which will probably find it boring, but for those it encourages, be of good strength and I always always, want you to remember, fight the good fight of faith, never grow tired of doing good!
Love,
-Chris
No comments:
Post a Comment