FOOD FOR THOUGHT, PRAYER, AND MEDITATION
“Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
Let us walk honestly in the day, not in strife and envying, but let us walk together with brotherly love and Christian integrity. You cannot dislike a brother and pretend to his face that you love him. You cannot be rude or intolerant to your aged parents or to your family members, for this is not from the Spirit, but the flesh.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3).
We are to love each other as Christ loved the church (all believers of the present church age) and gave Himself for it. We are to walk honestly with each other. Let us, with humility and kindness, communicate our misgivings. Let us put on love and walk together in the spirit.
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof (Romans 13:14). Jealousy or envy or judging is fleshly and not of the Spirit.
The Lord brings different believers together for His Good Reasons. In other words, as a church body or a Bible study group of believers, we have been gathered together from all walks of life for God’s holy purposes. We are joined for purposes of blessing, exhortation, sharing, loving, and caring. We are joined together to learn together, to be conformed together, and to be humbled together. We are joined together so that the Lord in His matchless wisdom can reveal to each of us the harmony of fellowshipping and loving one another without strife, envy, gossip, or maligning. We are servants together in the Lord. Each of us has our weaknesses and strengths.
Who do we make ourselves to be when we jump to conclusions? Could our conclusions be wrong? If we do not have all the facts, how can we be so sure that we are correct in our perceptions and evaluations of one another? Don’t you think that perhaps God is better equipped to pass judgment on a fellow believer, or even an unbeliever?
We’re not talking about blatant sin, we’re talking about our everyday attitude. We’re talking about our likes and dislikes. Our attitude should be grace and peace and appreciation for one another in spite of our shortcomings.
God wants all of us to grow up spiritually. If we see ourselves as mature Christians, why don’t we live it?
Pettiness among believers in the body of Christ is a sure sign of living in the flesh, and not living under the control of the Holy Spirit. It is a sign that the believer is still a babe in Christ when we find fault and refuse to see humility and love for one another.
Gossip, envy, and jealousy are mental-attitude sins of the flesh. Contempt brings disharmony to the body of Christ. Have you passed judgment on another believer? What is the foundation for your judgment? Is it your place to judge someone without a trial, without all the facts? Why are we so jealous and envious? The answer is inward.
Stop pointing fingers of criticism toward other people.
Are you a judge that you can sit on the seat of the court? “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you disregard or scorn your brother?” (Reference Romans 13:10; 14:4).
Now, listen to and read the very words of Christ Himself in Matthew 7:1-5). “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but consider not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.“
In closing, please reference Colossians 3:12-17 and take some quality tome to ponder it.
Happy Studying!
This message is presented by Word of Truth Ministries as a public service announcement and is not intended to convict the innocent.
