True Treasures
TRUE TREASURES
"You’re not my best friend anymore!"... "I don’t like you."... "I’m not even going to talk to you." ..."I’m never going to play with you again!"...Sound like elementary schoolyard conversations? Unfortunately it’s what our Lord has been hearing from the "body of Christ." Oh, we put more grown-up sounding terms on it like dis-fellowship, shunning or maybe just avoiding and sometimes even divorce, but the same heart issues are taking place. Body of Christ is in quotations because that’s what we call ourselves, but could it really be that Christ’s body would act in such a way? What is the definition of a Christian?
Christ follower:
"One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion
based on the life and teachings of Jesus.
One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus."
American Heritage Dictionary
Who is the "Christ" we are following in all this? It couldn’t be Jesus Christ, the Son of God, could it?
What is the goal and chief end of man? To bring glory to God.
"That God in all things may be glorified" (1 Pet 4:2)
He’s not getting any glory in such attitudes and actions. Only satan is getting the glory in all that.
God is love, but where is God’s love midst His people? We are to love one another as Christ loved us. We should forgive as Christ forgave (immediately, while the offense was still taking place, not waiting for an apology) and not hold grudges or be offended. Selfishness has no place in the body of Christ.
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." I John 4:8 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;" Romans 12:10 "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." I John 3:14 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35 What must we be putting our Lord through as He watches us? We are definitely grieving the heart of God with this sin.
"And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God." Eph 4:30a
We are to be one body, united in Christ, working together for His purpose, worshiping Him in one Spirit.
"So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." Romans 12:5 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 Our mission is too great to spend our lives grieving God and causing Him such pain. We have so much potential. He’s equipped us with His mind, His Spirit and His love. Let us rise up, people of God, and fulfill the calling on our lives. Time is short!
