Accepting Our Church Family

In this country it has been estimated that over 6 million devoted believers do not belong to a local church. Every one of these people has excellent reasons for not joining an assembly. Does this mean that God misspoke when he commanded that we gather together with others? In an attempt to answer this question let’s look at some reasons for the local church. Jesus established the Church while He was still living on earth.  One day Jesus declared; Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matt 16:18 (NLT) If we overlook the many discussions about this verse we can still see that the church belongs to Jesus and that He is building it out of people. It is only possible to build with people being the stones because the Church is not a physical building but spiritual. People do have the potential to become the image of God but they must be cleaned up. This is where our local church enters into the process. Maybe we could say that our local church building is the machine that tumbles all the building stones until they shine for God.

Some people resent being tumbled among other people until our rough edges are smoothed out. However, the way that a human becomes like God is to suffer at the hands of other people and learn from God during the experience. We all know about the suffering of Jesus and yet it made Him love us all the more. At the end of His life He commanded us to follow the godly road even when people hurt us; This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:12-14 (NLT) Instead of being upset with our church people we must learn to have compassion for their failures. This will really mean something to God. The Spirit of God lives in us to help us love our church the way we should. The Bible says: Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 1 John 2:10 After we have suffered various wrongs we should really try to spare others the same pain we have felt, this is part of a godly life.

Our battle at times is not actually with other people. Often it is a battle with our old selfish nature. We want to protect our own pleasures. Paul tells us; If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. 2 Tim 2:21 (KJV) We must accept our church family with all their faults, including our own, if we ever want to be the type of vessel that the Lord can use. We will never truly accept human faults until we have given up our own rights and pleasures. There are church people that put more value on doctrines and creeds than their love for others. All law has been superseded by love. The Bible says: If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 1 John 3:14 (NLT) This verse does not say that we pass from death to life when we force the law upon other people. It says “if we love them” we have proof of our salvation. When we empty out our selfishness it will make room for God’s love.

Accepting the church family is our job. Our new eternal life is always going to be about fellowship. Similar to an earthly family we do have what is called “a common identity of origin.” Because of our new birth we actually have gained real brothers and sisters that are born into the same family. Unity of love is always possible because of the position we have gained from our common birthright. Some family’s have a member who refuses to love their siblings. They avoid the society of other people in the family. Sometimes when they remove themselves from social contact they will retire to a secluded place. In their selfishness they want to be a world unto themselves. God has asked us to live a life that reflects His love for people. Instead these people have made the decision to live in their old selfish nature. John said: If we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters. 1 John 4:20-21 (NLT) My friends, we must find a way to love other people no matter how difficult it seems.

Contact with family members is important for security in this world. All humans are involved in a deadly game. Long ago Adam and Eve made selfish decisions to live by their own rules. Failing to obey God, they initiated a human diversion we could call “Love lost”. When our local church gathers together we are attempting to find this “lost Love”. Lost love is the reason Cain killed Able and humans began their long history of hate for each other. By regaining love we can defeat the Devil and win the deadly struggle for our soul. This is what the Bible says about love: Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 1 John 4:11-13 (NLT) This certainly involves our seeking the well being of our church family. Working to build a godly family should be the goal of every Christian. Refusing to be part of the local family is a sign to God and others that we placing ourselves above their needs.

When God accepts us into His family it is a new legal relationship. Our choice of salvation includes a responsibility to join God’s family in a way that honors our savior. Paul wrote this summery for us when He said; Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Col 3:12-13 (NLT) There are even believers who have great zeal but show little or no love for others. Today we must allow God to shed abroad His love into our life. If we allow His love into our life, it will overflow to the people around us. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. Col 3:14-15 (NLT) What a great plan God has for us if we will thankfully join His family. The light of God’s glory will shine from our face when we accept our church family.

Loving Others

Love is the goal of all authentic Christians primarily because our Savior came to earth in great love. There are thousands of ways to demonstrate our love, short of giving our life, for other people. Of course, the fundamental ways are given to us in the New Testament. Let us look at the writings of Paul since he understood the effects of being “Spirit led” better than anyone. Humans, left to their own abilities, can never comprehend loving others the way God has determined that it should be done. Many Christians are attempting to love in the old way of following religious rules. But this involves our own interpretation of what should be done. Like the other commands of Jesus, our only real success comes when we rely on the new way of being directed by the Spirit. These two types of religion are always a choice for us, doing things our way or doing them the Spirit’s way. As we consider loving other people, may we think only of doing it as directed by the Spirit?

Maintaining harmony among believers is one of the major ways we can show our love to others. Usually discord in a church reveals a lack of love that people have for each other. Many times it is some small matter that would never be an issue if there were more love in the church. Paul said: For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness (righteousness) and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Romans 14:17-19 (NLT) Love will cause us to build up others, more than normal, when we are obeying the Spirit. Loving other Christians is righteous and building them up is the kind of thing that will promote harmony. Peace and joy is abundant when the Spirit directs our life but not when we interpret religious rules.

Another principle of love is to work hard and then give-away what you have earned. Giving away our money seems crazy when we do it in a legal way but Paul said: …use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need… Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Eph 4:28-30 (NLT) Maybe we could say that when the Spirit is directing our life we will to do some things that do not make sense to our old nature. However, when we look at the big picture of loving each other and living together as a family for all of eternity, it puts a different light on our giving to others. Notice in this passage that for us to “not” follow the directions of the Spirit will make God sorrowful. We must not accept salvation and then displease God’s Spirit.

Encouragement is a lowly activity that can greatly promote love in our church. The better part of encouragement relies on the Spirit to show us the need and to give us the correct words for the situation at hand. Paul said this: Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church. 1 Cor 14:12 (NLT) If we overlook the arguments concerning the Gifts, we can see here that using the things God has given us to strengthen others is what the Lord wants. We already talked about giving from our hard work and now we simply extend that attitude to include the things we have not worked for. A few lines later Paul tells us: Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given… 1 Cor 14:26 (NLT) Encouragement includes anything that lifts the spirit of people. This is easily seen by the gifts of singing or teaching the Gospel message.  

The beginning and the end of a discussion on Christian love is contained in the reality of our “fellowship.” At first it is about the fellowship that we can have with God but in the end it is about our fellowship with other people. Our friend Paul concluded by saying: Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet each other with Christian love… May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor 13:11-14 (NLT) It is interesting that Paul mentions growing-up in this passage. We all know that a baby is selfish and thinks only of what it wants. If we want to be part of the “fellowship of love” it is impossible to live in our old selfish natural ways. This includes both our fellowship with God and with the Church. Even our greetings should be in a way that shows our love to others. Let us make an effort to follow the Lord by loving others.