How do the Other Gifts Compare to the Foundation of Agapé?

Other Gifts, Compared to the Foundation of Agapé

1^st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Introduction

We spoke about the supremacy of Agapé love in God’s valuation. We saw that Jesus’s “New Commandment” was specifically that we practice that care for one another. Finally, we saw the 15-point outline of the character of Agapé in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8.

Now, we will back up and look at two questions:

How much value do the gifts have without Love (Agapé) and
How long will the other gifts last as compared to Agapé?

Value of the Gifts, without God’s Love

Paul lays out a very clear, and rather curt dismissal of all the gifts absent the core value of Agapé:

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

[Only verse in the Bible that suggests (or reveals) that angelic language may be different than human languages. We are given no further information on this subject, so I am going to let it rest as stated.] The real issue? If the “gift of tongues” is there, but agapé love is not, then it is just “noise.” Maybe a thrilling noise, like a gong or cymbals or the rattle of a tambourine, but it is still just noise.

²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Aren’t those Gifts Important?

Prophecy seems pretty important! Speaking for God is an honor and a terrific responsibility. Supernatural Wisdom that “sees through” all mysterious puzzles is also a wonderfully valuable gift. Supernatural Knowledge seems to be able to answer all questions. That seems pretty powerful as well. And supernatural Faith that can (perhaps) move mountains…. They all seem great!

But Paul says all these things amount to nothing of value, unless the Love of God is both empowering them and motivating their application. More specifically, he says that a person manifesting the gifts, but not the Love, is nothing!

³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

He says that generous, heavy giving and personal sacrifice, too, (even including martyrdom,) are valueless without the Agapé love. The person who lives this way is investing their time and effort and money and life itself in something that has no eternal value.

**The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal**

Paul lists some of the gifts and points out their limitations:

⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

These three gifts, specifically, he says, will cease. He goes on to give us some hints about when they will cease. People argue endlessly about the time-line, but verse 12 pretty much clears up the controversy.

⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

“Partial” as compared to “completion” is the issue. The Greek word translated as “perfect” is “teleios,” and it always means “complete” or “ripe” or “mature,” not “without flaw.” But usually it means complete. So, Paul contrasted our partial knowledge against complete knowledge. Prophecy has always told only part of the whole story. The fulfillment virtually always includes some sort of irony, or a twist in the tale, so to speak.

A Biblical Example: The prophet informed a rich, political official that although he would see plentiful food, the next day, he would not get to eat any of it. He undoubtedly thought, “Oh yes I will!” But when they A Biblical Example: The prophet informed a rich, political official that although he would see plentiful food, the next day, he would not get to eat any of it. He undoubtedly thought, “Oh yes I will!” But when they opened the city gates, the starving people pressed through. In their frenzy to reach the food outside the gates, they trampled that rich, arrogant man to death in the gate!

The prophecy only told the truth. It did not tell how it would be fulfilled.

What Is the “Perfect” that Shall Come?

This is a passage over which there has been a fair amount of controversy. One fairly standard reply to the question is that the “perfect” (or “complete”) here is the completion of the Bible, specifically, the completion of the New Testament.

Yet another is the completion of the Body of Christ, the Church.

Another is the second coming of Christ, Himself.

Whatever it is, we have to agree that when that “perfect” comes, there will be no more of those three gifts, at least. (Perhaps it actually applies to all the miraculous gifts.)

¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

He doesn’t leave much room for argument on that issue. So, the main question left is “What is the “Perfect” that he predicted?”

“Growing Up” Issues

¹¹When I was a child, (Greek, “nepios”…a baby who can’t talk yet.) I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, (Greek “aner” …a man, or in some cases, a husband) I put away childish things.

Paul uses the example of a child growing up to maturity. He demonstrated that some things will be best left behind as one matures to adulthood. So, let us compare this passage to the passage in Ephesians 4:11-16, where God tells us to “grow up into Christ,” and see what He means.

Ephesians 4:13-15 says “grow up into Christ.” Paul begins by saying that all the gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11-12 will continue until the events in verses 13-15 have been completed.

He then goes on and tells us to grow up into the measure of Christ Himself, to a perfect man. If the “perfect” in 1^st Corinthians 13 is the completion of the New Testament, then the passage in Ephesians is wrong, as the office gifts in Ephesians 4:11 have not produced the Church as a completed man, in the stature of Christ. Sorry, the Church at large is far from complete, and its members are, on average, far from mature!

“New Testament Completion” Problems

If I say that the “perfect” is the completion of the New Testament, then I have to face verse 12, and ask myself, “Do I truly see Jesus, face to face? Do I know God as well as He knows me?”

¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

If my answer to that is, “No!” then there are only two possible things I can say:

Either I have failed to know the written Word well enough to allow me to see the Living Word, face to face (Can that even be done?) And I must have failed to apply His Word diligently enough that I know God as well as He knows me (That sounds somewhat blasphemous, to me!)
Or, I have to admit that the completion of the New Testament is not the “Perfect” to which Paul is referring.

Church Completion problems

As we noted, the Church is neither complete nor mature, and the gifts will not be needed, by the Church, once the Church is completed and raptured. We will be with the Lord face to face! We will “know him as we are known,” etc. It all seems to fit! But the rest of the world will not know him, nor will the tribulation saints: those who come to faith during the Tribulation.

Forty years ago, someone told me that the word translated as “Perfect,” in verse ten was a feminine word. So I reasoned that it could not refer to either the Written Word of God, or to the Second Coming of the Living Word of God, as both are about Jesus, and He is fully masculine.

But they were wrong! And, as a result, I taught it wrong! I recently looked up the word for “perfect,” in the interlinear, and it is the Greek word, “teleion.” This is not to be confused with the word “teleios.” (What’s the difference?) “Teleion,” the word used in 1^st Corinthians 13:10, is masculine, NOT feminine! It cannot refer to the Church, which is the Bride of Christ.

Combine that with the dreams and visions that Israel will experience during the Tribulation, after the Church is gone, and the prophetic judgments that will be laid upon the world during that time, and we have to concede that the “perfect” cannot be the completion of the Church.

“Second Coming” Answer

The Return Of the King obviously seems a great option, simply because Jesus certainly is “perfect,” both in the sense of being flawless, Holy, etc., and in the sense of “completed.”

Also, we realize that after His return, there will be no more need for prophecy or tongues or special gifts of knowledge, because every living human will have seen Him face to face, and “The knowledge of the LORD will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9)

And, yes, the entire Body of Christ will be “All Grown Up!”

Combine that truth with the fact that the noun translated as “Perfect” in verse ten is masculine, and we can see that the Personal Return of Jesus, to reign in Jerusalem as the immortal King, is what the “perfect” has to be.

So, What will Remain?

Some things will remain, even after the Return of Christ:

¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Faith, Hope and Love will remain after the Kingdom begins. There will still be people born who will reject faith, and secretly hate the Lord. They will be revealed at the end of the Kingdom age. But believers will still be saved by faith, and they will hope in the final fulfillment of God’s Word. They will Love the Lord with agapé love, and love those around them in the same manner.

But Evangelism will no longer happen. The knowledge of the Lord will be complete. People will still have to decide whether they will enter into a faith relationship with Him, but they will all know who He is.

So, What Should We Do With This Information?

To begin with, I think the principle in Matthew 6:33 applies. “But, seek ye first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” I entered into a permanent relationship with Him by His Grace, through faith. That placed me into His kingdom, and into His body, the Church, but it also implanted in me His righteousness. Not “something I do,” but rather, “all that He did!” 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 says that “He (who knew no sin) became sin for us, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.”

Philippians 3:9 says that we need to be found “in Him,” “…not having my own righteousness,” which is by the Law (by our works,) “but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

We need to learn to walk with Jesus in such a way that our works conform to His, by Faith and by Love. This gives us great assurance of Hope, knowing that we are aligned with His Love.

Lord Jesus, Please free us from our slavery to sin, and pride, and public opinion. Lift us up, every day, to continue walking with You.

August 2, 2025August 2, 2025

Learn How To Understand The Love Of God

A Letter to the Children (Part 11)

1^st John 4:7-13

How to Understand the Agapé Love

Introduction:

It is interesting to note that “Agapé” is the only word John uses for “Love,” in his three epistles. The only place the Greek word “phileo” even occurs in his epistles, is as part of another word, in 3^rd John 9. Where Diotrephes “loveth to have the preeminence,” the Greek word is “philotropeuon.” (Not a good love!)

One other “key” place where John uses the word “phileo” is John 21:15-17. John quoted a conversation: “phileo” happened a total of four times: Jesus had asked Peter, “do you love (agapé) Me?” and Peter replied using “phileo,” saying “Yes, You know I love (have deep affection for) You!”

This exchange happened twice. But the third time, Jesus also used the word “phileo.” It grieved Peter, because this time Jesus asked, “Do you phileo Me?” But he again replied using “phileo!” (Peter may have felt he could not claim “full commitment” to Christ, as just six weeks earlier, he had denied that he even knew Him!) Therefore, he claimed nothing greater than affection.

John used the word “phileo” eight times, in the Gospel of John. He also used it twice in Revelation (3:19 and 22:15.) Total of 15 times, always regarding the idea of “affection.”

Those are the only times in ALL of John’s writings where he used the word “phileo.” But he used the word “agapé” a total of 73 times!

John committed himself to the principle of Agapé!

The Principle of Agapé Love

⁷Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

John says “beloved (to all believers) let us love one another, for… (because) Love is of God…”

I have long felt that “probably” the true agapé love was only possible by the Holy Spirit. This verse seems to confirm the notion. I will no longer say “probably!” Here’s why:

(Agapé) Love is of God (as opposed to any other source!)
Every one who loves (with agapé love) is born of God.
- (You must be born again, or it can’t happen!)
AND (using “ginosko,” the experiential, practical, ongoing personal relationship word) knoweth God! It means you not only must be born again, but you have to be in fellowship with God at that moment, so that the Holy Spirit is in control! It does not mean simply that “you are acquainted with Him!”

You see, John gave us three facts: (a) God is the only source of agapé love. (b) Therefore, only a born-of-God believer can experience it, and (c) It can only be experienced by one who is currently under the control of the Holy Spirit!

On the basis of those three facts, John says, “Let’s put it into practice!”

Love and Fellowship

⁸He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

If we bear in mind that the word for “know,” here, is “ginosko” (meaning an experiential, ongoing, “present-tense relationship” knowledge) and that the only word for Love, in this epistle is “agapé,” then we can see that John states unequivocally that if you are not exhibiting the agapé love, then you are out of fellowship! (And why?) Because “God is Love!”

People routinely quote this passage as if it were some sort of “Re-definition of God.” But, while God exemplifies the Agapé Love in every way, this passage does not say “God equals Love.” Therefore it also cannot be inverted to claim that “Love equals God.”

Thus, it also does not say “God is the Author of anything and everything that anyone might call Love!” So, the people today, claiming, “Love is Love!” are dead wrong. This verse is specifically about the Agapé Love…nothing else!

Attributes of God

Some people also want to use this passage to claim that “God’s primary attribute is Love.” This is also not true: His primary attribute (stated over and over, in both the Old and the New Testaments,) is Holiness!

In Isaiah 6:1-8, the Seraphim, surrounding the high throne of Christ, did not remark about the Love of God: They cried out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of Hosts! The whole earth is filled with His Glory!” And Isaiah, in response, did not say, “Wow! I’m surely glad to know He loves me!”

No! He said “Woe is me, for I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts!”

Isaiah thought he was about to die, because he, as a sinner, had seen the King! He saw the Holiness of God, and his own unholiness! He feared the inevitable, terrible Judgment of God! (That is a good fear! God says so, in Psalm 19:9!)

But Isaiah went on to learn the Love of God.

The Love of God

⁹In this was manifested [made known] the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

This matches perfectly the Love described in John 3:16. “For God ‘so’ loved …” Meaning, “In this manner God loved: God demonstrated His agapé Love in this way. In the Spanish Bible, it is very clear: “Porque de tal manera amo Dios al Mundo…” In this manner, God loved the World….

What IS Agapé Love?

The Love of God has nothing to do with emotions or feelings: It has to do with a commitment to the well-being of the recipient of that Love.

We have discussed all of this, before, but, when we look at 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8, where God gives the most comprehensive description of the Agapé Love, we find that every single descriptor is an action word: Nothing is dependent upon emotions or feelings. All of it has to do with how we respond to the needs of those around us.

God demonstrated that agapé love by going to the Cross for us. Jesus, as God in the Flesh, willingly presented Himself as the only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the whole human race.

What Changed?

Hebrews 10:5-10 explains the transition between the Old Testament sacrifices (all of which pointed toward the Cross) and the Cross itself:

“⁵Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering [The Old Testament offerings] thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: ⁶In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. ⁷Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

⁸Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; ⁹Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. ¹⁰By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Notice that Jesus came, knowing why He came! (“A body thou hast prepared for me! I come to do thy will. In the volume of the book, it is written of me!)

Despite God the Father confirming that Jesus, God the Son, was the Creator (see Hebrews 1:6-13, especially verses 8-10) Jesus (God the Son) came in obedience to God the Father, to be the sacrifice for our sins!

The Ultimate Source

In Jeremiah 2:12-13, God calls upon the whole creation to see the two evils that His people, the Jews, had committed:

They had forsaken their God, the only source of Living Water (compare John 7:37-39.)
They had made for themselves “cisterns” (holding standing water at best… rains, whenever they came, would fill the cisterns.) But, the Cisterns were cracked anyway, and could not even hold water…the stale water they thought they would use rather than depend upon an ongoing love-relationship with their Creator to provide the fresh, living water they truly needed.

The Only Source

He, (Jesus specifically) is the only source of Living Water: He is also the only source of the Agapé love! When we try to manufacture a pious-looking “love,” via programs, or 12-step plans, or any other human “gimmickry,” we are missing the point.

Trying to “achieve His Love” by our own strength or our own “clever methods” is comparable to the Israelites attempting to “store up manna” for the next day. It did not work! They had to gather the Manna every day, for that day alone! The Creator God has to be the source of The Love of God, on a continuing basis: You can’t “store it up and use it sparingly,” hoping to “have enough for later.”

¹⁰Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

The Love that God requires from His people has only one possible source: It emanates from an ongoing love-relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. The source is invisible, but the results are not!

¹²No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

God’s love does not need “perfecting,” as we use that word. The word translated as “perfect” in scripture usually has to do with “completion:” God’s Love finds completion as it is exemplified in His people by means of the Holy Spirit actively working through them. We become His hands and His feet. Speaking as His ambassadors, we serve as His mouthpiece. We Love the People in His Name, and by His Spirit.

Our Confidence in Him

¹³Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Each of us, as believers, can look back and remember the times when God has stepped in, and by His Holy Spirit, conformed us to His image, in one area or another. We are aware (to one degree or another) of His abiding presence, and we are grateful that He will never leave us.

God also calls us to see that presence as permanent evidence that we have already been placed into the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit has permanently indwelt us. All of this happened at the moment you were born again. But He also gives us the ongoing witness of the Holy Spirit, encouraging us, and comforting us. He is always there, and He reminds us that we are not alone. (See 1^st Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:12-14.)

The Biggest Change

But the change in our lives that is most astonishing is that we can actually care for someone else, without being concerned with our own selfish interests. A young woman once shared with us how she had gone to a “women’s retreat” of some sort. After the retreat began, the leaders assigned the women times wherein they would help serve food or wash dishes, etc..

She told us, “ And, I thought, ‘But I didn’t come here to serve! I came here to be served!’ ” Immediately, the Holy Spirit used His Word to convict her heart: She instantly remembered what Jesus said, in Mark 10:45, “The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many!”

The result? God changed her heart, on the spot! She served cheerfully, knowing that in so doing, she was obeying Him and blessing others!

As believers, and as followers of Jesus, we desire to see the Lord change our hearts in similar fashion!

Lord Jesus, please steer us way from the trap of being conformed to the values of the World. Inspire our hearts with Your Holiness and Your Love, and transform us by the renewing of our minds! Fill us with Your Living water, and let it flow through us to the World beyond.

May 25, 2025May 25, 2025

How To Know You Are In Fellowship With God

A Letter to the Children (Part 4) Loving the Brethren

1^st John 2:3-11

Introduction:

Last week we learned what an advocate is and what a propitiation is, and why each is important to us. Today, in 1^st John 2:3-11 we will learn how we can know we are in fellowship with Jesus.

Loving the Brethren

³And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. ⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

⁷Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. ⁸Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

What “Commandment?”

Verse 2 says that Jesus is the propitiation of the justice and holiness of God. It completely satisfied the demand of His Holy Law, which required that I must die. So, the Law now says I am already dead. But, if that is really true, then, what commandment is left? What could I disobey and call into question my relationship with Him?

And, While we are asking Questions: What does it mean, “To Know?”

What is the Greek word translated as “know,” in verse 3? As it turns out, both uses of the English word “know” are translated from the Greek root verb, “ginōskō.”

The word “ginosko” means an “experiential knowledge.” It is not a simple mental awareness, such as “knowing the boiling point of pure water, at sea-level, in degrees Fahrenheit.” That would be the Greek word, “oida,” (or sometimes it is spelled eido.”) It implies that you know a fact, but it says nothing of your personal experience in the matter. In contrast, claiming to have “ginosko” knowledge means “I maintain an experiential awareness and a relational knowledge” of someone or something…Perhaps a topic, even.

So, verse three might read, “In this way we can have an experiential awareness that we have an ongoing relationship with Him: If we keep His commandments.” Not whether you have ever met Him, nor whether you are saved: But he tells how you can experientially know that you are now walking with Him in a growing relationship.

Compare 1^st John 1:6…. He says, “if we say that we have fellowship with Him (there is that ongoing relationship.) And walk in darkness, (there is the walking.) We lie and do not the truth.” So, now we are introduced to another, more specific, standard by which to determine our spiritual or carnal condition.

**So…What Commandment is in Question, Here?**

Verse 4 says, “⁴He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Again, the Greek word for “know,” used here in verse 4, is “ginosko.” If I say that I am in a healthy, ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ (“knowing Him”), but I am ignoring His commandments, I am lying. Remember: Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (The implied answer is “No!”)

But Jesus did give at least one “New Commandment” in John 13:34, 35. He said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; As I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (Incidentally, this is the Agapé love. It has nothing to do with how you feel: it has to do with how you treat others: how you respond to them, and to the needs in their lives.)

1^st John 2:5, 6 says that our obedience to Christ is the outward evidence that we are “in Him.”

An Appropriate Sign

⁵But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. ⁶He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

This expectation is appropriate: If you say you are “abiding in Christ,” then the reasonable hope should be that your life will reflect His values and His character. In John 8:31, we see, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;”

Notice that the people to whom Jesus spoke were already believers: they were the Jews who DID believe in Him. The issue is discipleship! It means following Jesus…walking with Him! And Jesus said that it required “continuing in His Word”…keeping His Word. That is what followers do! (How important is it? In John 10:27, 28, He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow Me, and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.” Following Jesus is “normal behavior” for a believer. Do sheep sometimes “wander and get out range of hearing of His Voice?” Yes, and He says He comes to find them!)

Think Carefully

We want to think carefully here. Remember Lot: In 2^nd Peter 2:6-8, God clearly said Lot was a righteous man. And yet, he lost everything through all the bad decisions he made. So, from our human perspective, he seemed to be an unrighteous man, though in Genesis 18, Abram referred to him as “righteous.” (Abram did not actually use his name, but he was pleading for Lot’s life.)

So, was it “appropriate” for Lot, who already had been “declared righteous” by God, to live just like the World? He lived so comfortably among the Sodomites that no one could tell whether he, himself, was any different than they were! Of course, the answer is “No! It was not appropriate!”

And, yet, he maintained his “position” in the Savior, and he became a perfect Old Testament example of the man in 1^st Corinthians 3:15. He had the opportunity for great reward. But he lost everything in the judgment, though he himself was saved. He was saved from that fiery judgment and destruction, literally by being dragged out of what was about to become an inferno!

His position in Christ was perfect and unchangeable: His condition was terrible, and it cost him everything, including his reputation. (Consider: No one remembers Lot as a “shining example of Godliness.” Quite the opposite.) If you say that you are “in Christ” as a true believer, and that you are in an active, ongoing relationship with Him, then your life should reflect that truth.

Ask Yourself

As we see the Word of God transforming us from the inside, (as Paul said in Romans 12:2) “through the renewing of our minds,” it gives us a growing confidence. We gain increased confidence that our own faith is genuine, and that God truly has claimed us as His own.

But, if that is not (or especially, if it has never been) the reality in your life, then you have good reason to be reexamining yourself. You should look back and ask whether you have ever placed your full trust in Christ as your Savior. That faith relationship should start cause internal change, that works out into an outward change, as well. If it does not, then there is something wrong!

Notice: I am NOT suggesting that the believer can “eradicate his sin nature.” Some teach that doctrine, but it is a false teaching. Not only does the scripture clearly teach the “two natures of the believer,” but any honest believer will attest to the spiritual war going on, within which their old sin nature is a vigorous enemy. (Read Romans 7:7-23, and Galatians 5:16-21) But we are to be victors over these enemies, and gaining stability as we grow, by the Grace of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit.

If nothing has changed, not even your desires… then you should be concerned. Your old sin nature could never desire to serve and honor God. It could never rejoice with the Word of God, or be thrilled by the Majesty of Christ. Your new nature cannot rejoice in sin. It is fine to examine yourself, but the bottom line is still, “Did Jesus die for MY sins, personally? Is His sacrifice what I am trusting for salvation?

**The New Commandment is the Old Commandment We Had “From the Beginning.”**

⁷Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

Keep in mind that 60 years had passed since Jesus gave the “New Commandment!” So, to any believer at that time, they would remember it as “the Commandment we had from the beginning.” They would think of it as the Old (new) Commandment. John says they should have been abiding in this commandment all along, and that if they are not, they had better be asking themselves “Why Not??”

1^st John 2:8-11 connects us to 1^st John 1:5-10, regarding “Walking in the Light!”

⁸Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. ⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. ¹⁰He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

If you truly have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are now a ‘child of the light.’ (1^st Thessalonians 5:4, 5 says “⁴But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” And Ephesians 5:8 says, “⁸For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”

As we saw in 1^st John 1:5, 6, it is completely possible for a born-again individual to lapse into carnality and walk in darkness. But John and Paul agree completely, that this should not be the case. And a negative overall response to other believers is a telltale sign of “being in darkness.”

Love of the Brethren

The “Love of the Brethren” is the key positive “symptom” of one who is a real believer, and one who is currently “walking in the light.” I have gradually become convinced that the Agapé love may not even be possible for the carnal or natural man to produce. Increasingly, as I study the Scripture, it seems to be always a result of God working through believers. Perhaps I am wrong, but that is how it looks.

Further, verse eleven says that this specific “darkness” blinds us so that we can’t see where we are headed. We don’t see the coming consequences and the resulting wreckage, because we have become judicially blinded by our disregard for God’s light. Disregarding God’s light will eventually result in judicial blindness, so that we can no longer see our bad decisions for what they are. We literally “know not whither we go,” as verse eleven predicts.

Old Testament Example:

In 2^nd Chronicles 18, we saw Jehoshaphat, (who was a good king, and a true believer,) drawn away into a war, helping an unbeliever (Ahab, who was a wicked king.) The battle was a disaster, and Ahab was killed. God saved Jehoshaphat’s life, but in 2^nd Chronicles 19:2, on his way home from that losing battle, a prophet stopped him. He told Jehoshaphat what God thought of that situation! He said, “Why should you help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? Therefore there is wrath upon you from before the LORD.” Jehoshaphat was in trouble with the LORD! He was trying to fight on the wrong side!

That is not the kind of thing we want to hear from God, is it? But when we shower our attention and our friendship upon those who despise the Word of God, and who secretly (or openly) mock His Name, then perhaps we need to pause and take a hard look at where we are.

Self-Examination:

Who do you really prefer to spend time with, and why? Where is your real treasure? How do you feel toward other believers? Are they precious Brothers and Sisters in Christ? Or something less? These are questions you have to answer for yourself. I know, in my own life, it took some time, and I had to confront this issue more than once. We all desire to be accepted and valued by our fellow workers in the world: classmates, friends, etc. But at what cost? Give this some thought!

In Hebrews 13:12, 13, God invites us to join Jesus “outside the camp.” The writer says, “¹²Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. ¹³Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.”

Jesus was rejected by His people. We should expect, if we are truly following Him, that we will also probably find ourselves “on the outside looking in,” where the World is concerned.

We can anticipate “social rejection:” But remember that “all those other social rejects” that have also responded in faith, are now our “family in Christ.” If that makes us uncomfortable, then we need to ask why. Loving the Brethren is a critical matter in which to strive for obedience!

Lord Jesus, transform our hearts, as we confess before You that we frequently are not loving the Brethren as we ought. Open our hearts to one another, so that we can have true fellowship around Your Person and Your Word. Reach through us to the dying World around us, in the power of Your Name.

December 14, 2024December 14, 2024

How to Apply Agapé Love to Maintain Unity

Forbearing One Another in Love
© C. O. Bishop THCF 1/12/14 (revised 2024)

Ephesians 4:1-3

Introduction:

The vast majority of the writings in the Church Epistles address the Local Church. They are about, the Local Church…not the Universal Church. Why? Because the Church Universal only includes believers. And, the majority of them are already with the Lord. They do not need correction, as they no longer even have their old sin-natures. They are truly perfect in their inherited, imputed righteousness.

The Problems in the Local Churches

The Local Church, in contrast,(hopefully) includes mostlybelievers; but, in the first place, it is entirely possible (and common) for an unbeliever to “infiltrate” the ranks of the local assembly, and, in the second place, the believers themselves (yes, every one of them) still have their sin natures, and they still regularly fall prey to the evil one.

And there lies the root of all the problems in all the churches throughout history: We are Sinners, saved by Grace. God sees us entirely in our new natures, so He does not condemn us for our sins. But we do sin, and we offend one another, as well as the unbelievers around us.

The Result of Those Problems

Romans 2:24 states that the unbelievers “blaspheme the Name of God” because of the actions of the People of God. In that particular instance, it specifically referred to Gentiles whom the Jews offended. But the same truth holds solid during the Church Age. the Local Church often offends both Jewish unbelievers and non-Jewish unbelievers As a result of our sin, they speak evil of the God of Eternity. I have seen bumper-stickers saying, “God Save Me From Your Children!” That is pretty tragic.

Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples: if ye have love, one for another.” (John 13:35) Everyone is supposed to be able to recognize the Agapé Love in us: not just our besetting sins.

How Should We Respond to Our New Position In Christ?

Paul spent three full chapters explaining the new position of the believers: We are in Christ. He also began stating the reasonable expectation of God for us, as new believers—that we are to step into the good works that God has planned for us, and “walk in them.” We are to grow in our understanding of the Holiness of God, and the Magnificence of His inheritance, etc. But now he also says to completely change the way we get along with one another.

Paul had already received severe beatings for the sake of the Gospel. He had been imprisoned at various times, and he (evidently) knew that his ultimate end was to die as a martyr. But he did not “pull rank” and tell the younger believers, “Hey, suck it up, and get with the program! If I can do it, you can do it!” Rather than that, he is pleading with the believers, asking them to grow up and get along with one another, as befits the people of God.

He is telling them, “You have an incredibly high standing with God! You ARE the children of God! Live as though that is what you are! Handle your interpersonal relationships in the same way that He would do it.”

(And how would He handle it? What would that look like?)

“Walk Worthy of the Vocation Wherewith Ye are Called”

Do any of you still say, “I don’t feel called”? Well, God says He has called you. He says that your calling is “high and holy,” but that the result should NEVER be a “high-and-mighty” attitude!

Quite the opposite! The sure knowledge that our position is completely because of Jesus, His supreme sacrifice at the Cross, and His perfect resurrection three days later, should produce in us a sense of unworthiness and humility. Our position in Him has absolutely nothing to do with our own personal righteousness: It is entirely His righteousness. We now are in a position in which we never can “look down our nose” at another person. It should never produce any self-righteous arrogance: It should always result in humility and gentleness.

Godly Wisdom and Character

In James 3:13-18; we can see several important points that apply to this concept:

Godly Wisdom should produce good behavior, and, specifically, gentleness; meekness, as the KJV puts it. It means “yieldedness to God”, to be precise.
If it does not produce that behavior, then the wisdom is not from God!
Wisdom that is from God is:
- Peaceable—peace-loving—a peacemaker, by nature
- Gentle
- Easily approachable—easy to be entreated
- Full of Mercy and good fruit
- Impartial
- Genuine—not hypocritical
The seed whose fruit is Righteousness is sown in Peace by those who make Peace.

The apostolic records of Paul and James are in complete agreement. the Christian life ishould not include Pride and self-will. If the character of the person who claims to be wise does not fit the above description, then the “wisdom” they are offering is not from God. It is “human wisdom.” Satan himself has bent and twisted it.

Remember that Satan held himself up as being powerful and wise: He desired “preeminence.” (Isaiah 14:12-15) When a human takes that same proud stance, guess where it is from? (Here’s a hint…it isn’t coming from the Holy Spirit.)

“With Longsuffering, Forbearing One Another in Love”

“Longsuffering” has frequently been translated as “patience.” But the idea of “patience” in our modern language could mean something as inconsequential as “not being in a hurry.” The meaning here is literally “enduring”. The word translated as “suffer” means to endure. It means accepting the reality that life is not always easy. It means embracing that reality, not fighting against it. Compare 1^st Corinthians 13:4; “Charity (the Agape Love) suffers long and is kind…” It not only endures, but it does not become bitter in the process. It does not keep a record of wrongs suffered—there is no grudge-holding, here.

So: Paul says that we are to endure one another’s idiosyncrasies. We are to endure life together. All of us truly are “in this together.”

Philippians 3:10 says we are to be learning the fellowship of His suffering, That is what “fellowship” means—it means we “have something in common.” We do this together. Ultimately, when we endure a hard circumstance that occurs specifically because of our relationship with Him (that is, not just the ordinary vicissitudes of life), then we are suffering with Jesus. We are joining in the “fellowship of His sufferings.” We are partners with Him! And thereby we also learn the Power of His Resurrection, and we are transformed into His likeness.

Agapé is the Governing Principle

Paul concludes that we are to forbear one another in Love. We sometimes use the word “forbear” to mean “hold off”—don’t do whatever it is you are planning. (An orchestra conductor might say, “We would like to ask the audience to forbear applauding until the recital is completely over.”) But Paul is using the word differently: it means to “put up with” one another. And not the kind of “putting up with” that involves exasperated sighs, eye-rolling, and a stormy countenance. Notice that he specifically says, “Forbearing one another in Love.” The Agapé love is to be the governing principle in all of the Christian life. We endure one another’s idiosyncrasies, and we Love one another in the process.

The Agape Love is selfless—when we read the description in 1^st Corinthians 13, we quickly see that there is not one word in that passage about “how we feel” toward one another. It is all about actions. It means choosing to do what blesses the other person, without regard to how it affects us. Agapé Love is always an act of the will. You either choose to love by the power of the Holy Spirit, or you choose to try to do things in the flesh. (Do you want a hot tip? “The Agape Love is not possible in the Flesh!” You should understand that, as a primary truth of the Christian life.)

Every command of God is ultimately impossible by Human effort. Jesus said so! (John 15:5 “…apart from Me ye can do nothing.”) The Christian Life…all of it…is not difficult: it is impossible if you try to do it in the flesh.

The Bottom Line

Notice the last line, here: Paul says that we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the Bond of Peace. God knows that no single party can maintain Peace…both parties have to agree. But this gives us the means by which to approach one another, or by which to approach both parties involved in a church squabble.

Paul, by the Holy Spirit, has begged us to stop the bickering, and maintain (not create) the Unity of the Spirit. We are not told to produce that unity. We are only told to work at keeping that unity…maintaining it.

The next passage defines that Unity. We will deal with that next week. But what we can take away from this passage is that the Love of God is to be spread across ALL Christian relationships, as the “oil” that reduces friction, and as the “perfume” that adds the blessed fragrance of Christ to the local Church.

Becoming the Fragrance of Christ

In 2^nd Corinthians 2:14-16, God calls us to be the “Fragrance of Christ” in this fallen World. To those who despise the Person of Christ, that fragrance will smell of death. To those willing to receive Him, it will smell like eternal life.

May The Lord use His Word to transform each of our lives into that reality. If our local assembly exudes the fragrance of Christ, one of two responses will occur. People will stay away, because they can’t stand Jesus, or they will be drawn to His Grace, as it flows from the church.

Lord Jesus, please change our thinking toward one another, and teach us to love unconditionally, reaching out to bless one another, to heal one another’s wounded hearts, and to pour the water of life into one another’s thirsty spirits. Pour Your Grace through us all, in Jesus’s Name.

June 29, 2024June 29, 2024

How To Govern Knowledge by Agapé Love

Knowledge Must be Governed by Agapé Love

1^st Corinthians 8:1-6

¹ Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. ²And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. ³But if any man love God, the same is known of him. ⁴As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

⁵For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) ⁶But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Introduction:

There are several possible lessons we should gain here:

One is that our knowledge, while it may free us from fear, is not enough to build up other believers. That requires the Agapé Love, considering how to meet the needs of those around us.

Another would be knowing that the food is physically and spiritually undamaged by someone having sacrificed it to an idol.

Still another would be that the idols themselves are nothing: just lumps of clay, stone, precious metals, or wood.

Finally, even the evil spirits associated with the worship of those idols are just created beings like ourselves. They are fallen angels, and we are fallen humans. They are called “gods,” but they can’t be compared with the One True God. He created all of us and them!

Real Life Example:

One of the missionaries we support, Jim Burdett, told of an incident that occurred years ago in Papua New Guinea. He and Gena, his friend and Language Helper, were coming home to Gena’s house one evening. (Gena is one of the Dom people in the Chimbu district of Papua New Guinea.) When they approached the gate, they saw a slim bundle of grasses knotted through the latch of his gate.

To any Westerner, the knot of grasses would have been meaningless…a childish prank at worst. But, to Gena, it was a frightening message. It meant that a witch doctor, or some other practitioner of black magic had placed a curse on his home.

Jim had been living in that culture long enough that he knew what it meant, too. But Gena was a relatively new Christian. So, Jim waited to see how Gena would respond. He did not “decide for Gena.” He wanted to see what Gena would do, on his own initiative.

Gena stood quietly, for a few moments, staring at the taboo symbol knotted through his gate. But then he stepped forward, ripped loose the bundle of grass with his fingers, and he threw it aside. His actions silently discarded the symbol as meaningless. The two men entered the house together, with nothing more to say. But Jim was rejoicing, because he knew that Gena was maturing! He was confident in the indwelling Holy Spirit, not crippled by fear of the Evil Spirits he had once served.

“Knowledge Puffeth Up”

Jim had known the God of the Bible for many years before he ever met Gena. He could have scoffed at Gena’s fear. That would have demonstrated carnality and pride on Jim’s part: (“Knowledge puffeth up!”) But, Jim had taught Gena the principles of the Bible for several years by the time this incident happened. He could see that the attempted curse was going to be a test for Gena: So, he waited. (How would Gena respond?)

Had Gena still been too fearful to enter, Jim might have done more teaching. He probably would have prayed with Gena before persuading him to cast aside his fears.

Also, Gena had the (relatively new) knowledge that the Holy Spirit who indwelt him was immensely more powerful than the evil spirits surrounding him. Just “passing the test” himself was good, but, what if Gena had then turned to the other people living around him and shamed them for fearing the evil spirits? (He did not do any such thing.) If he had done so, he would have damaged his people, forcing them to go where they felt it was unsafe to go, and pushing them to dosomething they believed to be wrong.

“Love Edifieth (Builds up)”

Jim built up Gena’s maturity and strength as a believer, by allowing Gena to handle the situation with God alone as his help. Gena continues to do the same thing today, as a Bible teacher and evangelist in his village and the surrounding villages.

The long-range effects might have been much different if Jim had just stood back and verbally coerced Gena, forcing him to remove the taboo symbol.

Similarly, it is not a loving action, to persuade a “weaker” brother (See Romans 14:2) against their conscience to eat food that they think is forbidden. On the other hand, such a brother is not to accuse those who have the freedom to eat.

Don’t Be An Accuser!

An acquaintance at work confronted my brother-in-law-to-be at lunch, aggressively asking, “Why are you eating ham??” Bill stared at him for a moment with his mouth full of his ham sandwich. So, I blurted out, “Because he’s not Jewish!” Bill swallowed his food and said, “Yeah! It’s because I’m not Jewish!” Both of us understood what God said in Exodus 19:5, that Israel was to be a holy nation, a “peculiar” nation… “a special case!” None of the dietary laws that God gave them were to be passed to the Gentiles.

But the man doing the accusing was raised in a Seventh-Day Adventist environment, and he was adamant that pork was forbidden. So, we did not offer him any ham: we only explained that the prohibition against pork was specific to the children of Israel. He was free to maintain his “non-eating” stance.

I don’t know whether he ever changed his beliefs. He was a very troubled man in many ways. But we went out of our way to try to be a blessing to him, for years afterward. I can’t say for certain that it helped any.

The Food Is Unchanged.

There is no change to the food, because of having been sacrificed to an idol: it is not “dangerous” in any way. But some people are deeply afraid of such things, supposing that they could be attacked spiritually through the food, because of the contact with idolatrous worship.

In Mark 7:15, Jesus said, “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”

This is an important concept: When I was a child, I had a classmate who was alarmed to see me swallow my chewing gum. He insisted that it would “stick to my heart” and kill me. I tried to explain that things we swallow do not just “trickle down” past our internal organs to approach our stomachs: they go directly there, through the esophagus, and eventually out the other end.

But the boy was adamant, saying, “My grandmother told me!” So, we asked the teacher. He seemed quietly amused by the question, and confirmed that there was no danger of the gum “sticking to your heart.” But he was kind about it: he did not shame the other boy in any way.

**It is What Comes Out That Defiles Us**

Jesus also said, later in the Mark 7 passage, that the things you take into your mouth do not enter your heart. (Meaning the seat of emotions and the soul, not the blood-pumping organ.) He said that the things that come out of the heart defile the man, and listed some in Mark 7:21-23. “²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: ²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

Food has no spiritual value. Is it possible to poison good food? Certainly, it is! But that is not the question in this passage: The people thought that some “spiritual danger” was attached to the food because it had been sacrificed to an idol. But, in reality, the food was unchanged.

The Idol Itself Is Nothing

I am always a little disturbed to see physical idols in our society: but some more than others. Buddhist figurines are the most common, but so “foreign” that I am not alarmed by them: They are just a curiosity. Statues of Mary and other humans who have been elevated to semi-deity status are more disturbing because I have known so many people affected by that particular teaching. One rarely sees the statues of specifically satanic idols, but they are truly chilling: Probably because we see that people today are willingly enslaving themselves to evil.

Siddartha Buddha

But the historical man, Siddartha Gautama (Buddha,) despised idols, and he taught against them. So, it is especially ironic that there are more statues dedicated to him than any other deity.

Mary

Mary was a Godly, young, Jewish woman, living in Nazareth. She only gave one recorded command in her life: She told some servants at a wedding (in John chapter 2) to do whatever Jesus said to do. She would be deeply offended by the images of her now in existence! The Jews were forbidden to have images of any kind, specifically to avoid idolatry.

So, as a Godly Jew, she would be horrified that the images were made at all, and even more, that She is now called the “Queen of Heaven!” Why? Because “the Queen of Heaven” was a specific female pagan deity, by whom the Jews had gotten into trouble with God, in Jeremiah’s time!

(Jeremiah 7:18 says “The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.” There are more verses about this female deity, in Jeremiah 44. The people insisted that they would continue to worship the queen of heaven.)

Other Idols

The various other deities, once common there, also included Molech, the vile god to which people sacrificed their children. And today, there is a large statue of a character called “Baphomet:” a monstrous creature with a goat’s head, horns, and hooves. The picture is very disturbing.

**But What is the Real Danger?**

When we look at the picture more closely, we see that the abominable carved image includes images of little children worshipping at the knee of the monstrous idol. There is the real danger: people are drawn away from the living God to serve idols, and their children become the slaves of those evil spirits that are behind the idols.

In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul warns against “false gospels.” He says that anyone bringing a false gospel (in contrast to the Gospel of Christ,) is to be accursed! Even if the person bringing it seems to be a wonderful (or even angelic) person, they are to be accursed.

We do not take lightly the danger of cults and false religions. We also do not tremble in fear of them. As born-again believers, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and He guarantees our security. But the danger is very real for anyone who is not one of God’s children.

The Evil Spirits Cannot Undo the Work of Jesus at the Cross.

Remember that Satan was unable to do anything to Job without God’s permission. The Evil spirits are defeated enemies.

The Creator God of the Universe now lives in you in the person of God, the Holy Spirit. He is the only “Real God” there is. Jesus said so, in John 17:3 addressing the Father as “the One True God.” In John 14:17, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be in the believers. In John 14:23 Jesus promised that He and the Father would also take up their abode with them. As Pat James used to say, “You’re bullet-proof!”

Next week we will talk about how we are to use our freedom in ways that do not damage others, nor mar our testimony with others.

Lord Jesus, please awaken in us the reality of the indwelling Christ. Let us follow You intentionally, choosing moment by moment to do the things that please and honor You.

June 18, 2023June 18, 2023

How are We to Love the Brethren?

1st Thessalonians 4:9-12

⁹But as touching brotherly love [philadelphias: (root is “philéo”)] ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love [agapan: (root is “agapao”] one another. ¹⁰And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren [believers] which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

¹¹And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; ¹²That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

Introduction:

Here in verses 9-12, we see two forms of “love” commanded (in verse nine), and several general commands as to how that is to be carried out.

The first form of love mentioned here in verse nine is the “Love of the Brethren.” The Greek word is “philadeplhias.” The word comes from the root, “philéo,” and is usually translated “brotherly love.” It has to do with a “familial care for other believers:” seeing them as our family, and caring for one another in that way.

But the second word, in the latter portion of the same verse, is from the Greek root “agapao.” It is completely different than “philéo.” And this is the one Jesus commanded the disciples to have toward one another.

What is the Difference?

The “philéo” love has to do with how we feel, and how we function, toward family: It is how we are to feel and act toward a brother or sister. (Always assuming that the family has a bond of familial love and affection and concern for one another: some families fail in that regard.) Paul points out in verses nine and ten that they are already applying this love toward the brethren. He feels no need to exhort them regarding this love.

But the subject has shifted by the end of verse nine: he has switched to the subject of “agapé” love. He says they had already been taught that they were to “Love one another:” (He quotes Jesus on this note. See John 13:34, 35.) He says that they had already been demonstrating this agapé love to all the believers in their geographic area. But he exhorts them to increase and grow in that function.

So, How is that done? What does that “Look like?”

Keep in mind that agapé love has nothing to do with feelings. When we read the description of the agapé love, in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8, we notice that there is no reference to feelings, at all. Every single descriptor is demonstrated by actions. They all describe how agapé love behaves or does not behave.

So, let’s explore each of the descriptors and see how they might find application in our lives.

1^st Corinthians 13:4-8

⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, ⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; ⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; ⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. ⁸Charity never faileth:

Please notice that because the Greek language has about five different words for love, four of which are used in scripture. The King James Translators attempted to set apart the agapé love by using the word “charity” to translate it. The “problem” for us is that the word “charity” has changed over the years, and now it virtually only means “giving to the poor.”

In a way, that makes sense, as the meaning of “agapao” means the pouring out of yourself for the benefit of someone else, without regard for how it affects you. Jesus demonstrated that Love at the Cross: He poured Himself out for us, not allowing His own feelings or comfort to interfere with His sacrifice for us.

**So, What do we see as the Descriptors for Agapé love in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8**?

Agapé Love is patient (longsuffering.)
Agapé Love is kind.
Agapé Love is not envious.
Agapé Love is not given to arrogance, boasting or pride.
Agapé Love is not “puffed up”…not filled with self-importance.
Agapé Love is not given to inappropriate behavior of any kind.
Agapé Love is not focused on self, or the needs of self.
Agapé Love is not easily stirred to anger.
Agapé Love is not given to assuming bad motives in others, nor keeping a “score.”
Agapé Love is not pleased with evil things, no matter to whom they happen.
Agapé Love is happy when truth is honored, even if it is not to its own benefit.
Agapé Love is able to bear up under every load, and withstand every trial.
Agapé Love is able, despite circumstances, to hope for God’s blessing in all things.
Agapé Love is able to outlast any trial, enduring it as part of love.
Agapé Love is eternal, and it has eternal value.

Interestingly, verse eight goes on to point out that some of the things we may think are eternal are not! The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not eternal. They are for this life only. There will come a time when those gifts are no longer needed. But the Agapé Love has eternal value and will not cease to function. Choosing to love in this way is always an act of the will…not a response to feelings. It is not based on emotions, but rather, it is a voluntary choice.

What are some Other things we know about Agapé Love?

Romans 13:10 says “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law.” Jesus confirmed this, in Mark 12:30-33, saying that the twin commands “thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind and all thy strength,” and “thou shalt Love thy neighbor as thyself” were the “core value” of all of God’s commands. That, if you fulfill those two commands, you have fulfilled all the rest!

Galatians 5:13 says we are not to use our “Christian Liberty” as an opportunity for self-serving, (serving our flesh; our old sin nature,) but rather, by agapé love, we are called to serve one another. (Love Serves!) Jesus said (Mark 10:45) that “the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many,” (Love Gives! Love serves, and Love gives!)

1^st Peter 4:8 exhorts us, “And above all things have fervent charity [agapé love] among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”

Cover sins? “Cover…” how? Agapé Love motivates us to “throw a veil over” the faults of others. God says that in the same manner that He has forgiven us, He expects us to forgive others.

**So, How has God forgiven us?**

In Psalm 103:12, He says that he has removed our sins from us as far as the East is from the West. That is a pretty powerful statement! I have always appreciated that particular comparison because it is unlimited. If I fly North, I can only fly so far before I will suddenly be flying South! And the reverse is also true. But! I can fly East for the rest of my life, and I will never suddenly find myself flying West! And the same is true in the other direction. It is an unlimited separation.

Furthermore, (in Psalm 103:14) God says that “He knows our frame, that we are dust….” He understands our frailties and He accepts us as we are. (Will you be that considerate toward those around you? Will you accept them as they are, and choose to tolerate their idiosyncrasies? Will you tolerate their irritating mannerisms, and their flawed logic?) The word “forbearance” means to lovingly “put up with” one another.

How do you see other believers?

Romans 4:7, 8, quoting King David, says “Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

God the Father sees you in Christ…and only in Christ. He sees you as perfect, clean, and holy, in Christ! The Lord chooses to no longer see you as a guilty sinner. Can you choose to see other believers in that same light? That is what agapé love requires.

If you are loving others with the Agapé love, then you are not so likely to hold their faults against them. In your own mind, you will set aside those faults and you will overlook their shortcomings, and not take into account the wrongs you have suffered. Why? Because their soul is more precious to you than your own comfort. Their well-being is more important to you than “standing on your own rights.”

What are the Results?

The result of agapé love ruling your life will be a more consistent tranquility, as well as a deep concern for the welfare of other believers. You will find that you are no longer likely to be offended by others. You will genuinely care about what they care about, and look for opportunities to be a blessing to others without calling attention to yourself in the process.

Relationships will deepen, as others sense that you genuinely care for them, not just superficially, or “just when it looks good.”

Priorities will begin to change as you begin to see others through God’s eyes. Your focus will shift away from self, and you will increasingly find yourself asking God to show you His way to respond to life, and His path for you to follow. Your church-family will become increasingly precious to you, as you learn to see the brothers and sisters through God’s eyes.

The “Litmus Test”

The reality of whether we love God is revealed by whether we treat the brethren with His Love. 1^st John 4:20 poses the question, “…he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?”

So, if someone claims to love God, but their actions show that they do not love other believers, then God says they are lying about loving God. That sounds harsh to us. But it is in the same verse we just read: It is the first half of that same verse. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar…” The reality is, we are fooling ourselves…deceiving ourselves.

And, in 1^st Thessalonians 4:11, 12, he says another result is that we will be more likely to tend to our own business, and to live quiet lives. We will also be productive, looking for ways to maintain a clear conscience and good relationships with others, particularly unbelievers.

Practical Holiness

We will strive to earn an income through honest work, and use that income in a way to honor God, and not be dependent upon others, for testimony’s sake. These are good principles for today as well: today, there are various programs which may tempt us to milk “free money from the government,” not admitting that it ultimately comes from our fellow taxpayers. We don’t want to have a reputation for being “freeloaders,” of any kind.

Galatians 6:4, 5 agrees, saying “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.”

But if another brother or sister is under a crushing load that they cannot bear, we exercise the love of Christ and ease their burden.

Agapé love is practical. And it looks for the opportunity to bless others in practical ways.

Jesus showed the ultimate example of Agapé Love when He bore our sins at the Cross. He met our need, without respect to what it cost Him. We can either follow His example or fail to do so.

Lord Jesus, fill our hearts with a consciousness of Your presence and Your Love. Teach us to love as You love.

November 21, 2018November 21, 2018

Putting on Christ

Colossians 3:10-16; Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27 Ephesians 4:24

Introduction:

We have been working our way through the book of Colossians; these last chapters are very practical, direct commands, but they are based on the premise that the recipients of the letter are believers: people who have deliberately placed their trust in Jesus as their savior, and, as a result, have been placed into Christ. We are now “in Christ.”

In verse eleven, in confirmation of what was taught in Colossians 2:10 (“…ye are complete in him…”) Paul confirms that such people have been unified in Him, that their old differences are of no further importance. Their new position in Christ supersedes all other issues.

A New Position: in Christ

¹¹Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Whatever you were before you were born again is of zero importance, now. In Christ, the old divisions no longer exist. The ground is truly level at the foot of the cross. Where the Jews were once completely separated from the Gentiles, and slaves were once shunned by free men, and commoners shunned by noblemen, as a rule, they all have been leveled by the Cross. None of those “differences” are of any significance when compared to the Majesty of the Messiah, nor do any of those “differences” alleviate to any degree the total lostness of the human race, apart from the Cross.

He commands us, on the basis of our new position in Christ, to “put on” certain things. The “putting on” is a deliberate choice to behave in a manner in keeping with my position in Christ. In Ephesians 4:24, He said something similar: that we are to “put on” the new man…the new nature which we received the moment we trusted Christ as our savior. He says that the new nature is already there, created, in the likeness of God, in righteousness and true holiness. But he says we are to “put it on”, as an act of the will

Galatians 3:27 addresses the “positional” truth that, as believers, we have put on Christ: (“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”) When you first trusted Jesus as your Savior, the Holy Spirit baptized you into the body of Christ…at that very moment. And God says that you have put on Christ. That is simply a fact, reflecting your new position in Him.

But Romans 13:14 addresses the “conditional” truth that, as believers, we are commanded to “put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” That either will be done or will not be done, as we either obey or disobey.

This passage in Colossians is addressing the latter idea; that, as believers, we are to live in accordance with our new position, in Christ. It is a moment-by-moment act of the will, to either obey or not obey.

¹²Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

We are to choose to live as the chosen ones of God, who are set aside for his service, and beloved of God. There has been a question raised at times as to how one can know that they are one of the “chosen ones” of God. It is a fair question, but notice that Paul addresses the believers, all the way through this epistle, and addresses them as “holy”, as “Saints” (which means the same thing), as “the faithful” (believers), and now as “the elect of God.” The “elect” means the “chosen” of God.

God’s Choice

An older teacher once painted a “word-picture” for me, saying that (as he imagined it); We find in our lives a wall, which separates us from God. The wall is made of our Sin, and God’s Righteousness. We cannot approach Him, though He calls us to do so. Eventually we are told that there is a gate, or a Door: One Way through which we can enter, piercing that wall. We find the door, above which the sign says “Whosoever Will May Come”. The door is fairly narrow, and there is no glamor to the appearance of it. But the invitation is there, for anyone who will believe. We see our sin, and the judgment of God: We hear the good news of the full payment Jesus made for our sake, in His blood at the Cross, and we enter in, through that narrow door, by faith, because the invitation clearly says “Whosoever will may come.” God receives us on the basis of that faith, and we enter in of our own free will.

But, from the inside of the gate, or the door, we begin to look around and learn, and understand a little more. We begin to see the “edges” of the glory of God, and wonder how anyone could miss all this. We hear that, actually, God chose us! Finally, we look back at the door through which we entered, and we see that on the inside of the door, there is another sign, which simply states, “Chosen in Him, Before the Foundation of the Earth!” Both are true: God chose in Christ (there’s that issue of position again) those who would believe in Him. We chose to believe.

Our Choice

We have chosen to believe God. Now we are told to choose to have a heart of mercy toward those around us, filled with kindness, as opposed to judgment, and humility of mind, rather than the secret opinion that we are somehow “superior to the wretches we have to put up with.” (Jesus said that “an evil man brings forth out of the evil treasures of his heart, that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.” If you are hiding arrogance in your heart, it will eventually show itself, revealing your true heart. Don’t think that “as long as I don’t do or say anything bad, it isn’t sin!” God says it always starts in the heart…in the mind. That is why he said that the Pharisees were like whitewashed tombs, looking great on the outside, but full of dead things inside. I really do not want to be like that. I’m sure that you don’t either.

Further, we are to be gentle, and yielded to God: flexible in His hands, so that He can mold us into His likeness. We are to choose to lovingly endure one another’s irritating idiosyncrasies, rather than secretly despising them. “Forbearing” means “putting up with” one another, not allowing ourselves to become exasperated.

¹³Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Remember what sort of things Jesus has forgiven you—the enormous debt He cancelled on your behalf: is it too much for Him to ask, for us to “cancel one another’s debts” as well?

¹⁴And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

As the capstone to all he has already listed, he says to “put on” Charity. This is the Old English word the translators chose to express the Greek noun “agapé”…the love that Jesus demonstrated at the Cross. True, unadulterated altruism. Being committed to the good of those around us, without regard to how it affects us personally. Remember that this is specifically what Jesus gave as His “New Commandment”: that we are to love one another (agapé, again), as He has loved us. To “put on” this sort of Love, is to choose to act in a manner carrying out that Love. Go back and read 1^st Corinthians 13. It is the most complete description of that Love, and every single attribute has to do with actions, not feelings. No exceptions.

¹⁵And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

I have been told that the particular word for “rule,” here (Greek brabeuete) carries the idea of “presiding,” as, perhaps, an umpire, rather than a king or a judge. The word is only used here, in this one place, in scripture, so there is little to which we may compare it. If the meaning is to “act as a leader, or president,” then an umpire is not far off the mark. Let’s say, for example, I am desiring to change jobs, because I am frustrated with my situation at work (a common problem), but I do not have peace about just quitting, unless I have a firm directive from God, and a place to which I plan to transfer. Do I heed the clamoring of my never-satisfied flesh, or do I wait on God?

Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”…and verse 7 says, “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him.” So I think maybe it would pay off to wait for clear direction, and learn to be patient, rather than responding in anger. (Verse 8 says “Cease from Anger, forsake Wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”)

Conclusion:

So, how do we make such choices? We allow God’s Word to begin changing us from the inside out. We allow it to “dwell” in us…live in us, and work in our hearts. Psalm 91:1 states that “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The only way we can expect God’s Word to “dwell richly” in us, is for us to dwell in the Word.

¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

The results should be, that as a group, we encourage and teach one another, and that our hearts will lean toward singing songs of praise and love for God. We have a mutual bond in Christ, and a shared task, as ambassadors of Christ. We are not only to share the work of the Gospel, but to encourage one another as we pursue our common goals. As God’s Word “dwells richly” in us, “in all wisdom”, it should affect us in ways that draw us closer to Him, and closer to one another, as well as making us more effective in evangelism, and discipleship. The burdens should become joyful, rather than grievous, as we share the heart of Jesus, when he said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work!”

God’s Word, rightly applied to our lives, is the only thing that God says He can use to transform our lives. As we feed upon it, we give the Holy Spirit a “toolbox” to work with. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “…shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26) If you don’t actively allow the Lord to speak to you by being in the Word, the Holy Spirit hasn’t much to bring to your remembrance, has He? Load up the “toolbox” with the written Word, and allow the Living Word to dwell richly in your heart.

Lord Jesus, draw us into a love relationship with yourself, through your Word, through your Spirit, and by a daily consciousness of your presence. Teach us to love one another, and to bless those around us with your overflowing grace.

June 1, 2015

Living with these “Saints below”

Living with the “Saints Below”

Mutual Service and Care: Galatians Chapter 6

Galatians 5:25-6:5

Introduction:

Paul has pretty much completed his defense of Grace as a life-principle, and his explanations of how to put Grace in the driver’s seat, so to speak. He completes the letter with a series of observations regarding how Christians are to get along with one another. He says:

²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

²⁶ Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Effectively, he says, “Since you already have been saved, redeemed, resurrected and baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and, in fact, you are already seated with Christ in Heaven…doesn’t it make sense that you function by that principle as well? That you, in fact, allow Him full ownership in your life?” Then Paul begins to address the question of “what would that look like?”

He says we are not only to live by Grace, ourselves, but we are to extend God’s Grace to those around us, as well. (Remember Jesus’ command? “Love one another; as I have loved you, love one another”.) So, verse 26 says:

Don’t live for pride and self will…that is the source of envy and provocation.
Do practice Agapé Love and Unity. That will provide a lasting bond, and eradicate sinful relationships.

This is the only way we can present a testimony that unbelievers cannot condemn without clearly rejecting Christ as well. Remember that Jesus gave the World two ways to judge the church:

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have Love (agapé) one to another.” (John 13:35) and
“…that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:21)

Love and Unity—those are the two criteria by which the World is to judge us. Without the first, they will not believe we are his disciples; without the second, they will not believe that He is the Messiah. Is either of those results acceptable to us? If not, then perhaps we need to take seriously the command to Love one another and pursue Unity.

So, what does it look like when we “get along” the way God says we should? We proactively take care of one another’s needs, but also work to carry out our own responsibilities.

Cleansing and Restoring One Another

¹ Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

This is what we might call a “packed” verse: It is loaded with meaning.

Who are the recipients—those expected to respond? “Brethren”—believers—you and I, as well as all believers who have ever read the scriptures, are addressed by this command one way or another. But he specifically addresses the believers “which are spiritual”; so not all of them are qualified to respond. Remember that it is entirely possible for a believer to be carnal (1^st Corinthians 3:1-3). We are not to shun such a person, or gossip about him, but to “Restore such a one”. And being “spiritual” does not mean “pious”…it means that the Holy Spirit is currently presiding in your life. If you yourself are out of fellowship, then you need to address your own sin before trying to “straighten out” someone else. The Holy Spirit is residing in every believer…the question is, “Will you let Him do more than just ‘reside’?” If He is allowed to preside…to rule in our hearts—then He will over-rule the sin-nature and we will not only bear the “fruit” of the Spirit, listed in chapter 5, but, when we are called upon to help another brother or sister, we will do so without a critical spirit, and without judgment.

“If a man be overtaken in a fault”—this is talking about someone who has fallen into sin of some sort. It could be anything…the point is that they have been “overtaken”—they have stumbled, and have fallen. Christians, unfortunately, have the reputation of “shooting their wounded”—far from restoring them, we tend to abhor them. But here we are clearly told that the object of the correction—always—is restoration. If you are coming down on them as a judge, you are not the “spiritual” one that you think you are.

I remember a church where the young pastor fell into sin (petty theft, of all things), and was reproached by a coldly angry (and much older) deacon, with: “We don’t need your kind, here!” Somehow I doubt that this response helped much toward restoration. The younger man was promptly and permanently out of the ministry. No restoration, no forgiveness, no counseling—nothing. The last I heard, he was driving a truck, somewhere, and lucky to have a job at all.

Consider further: if you see a person physically sick or in pain, for example, you try to find out what is wrong before jumping to conclusions. They may have something wrong that will require medical care—or perhaps they just stubbed their toe. There may be a need that you can meet, or perhaps you may simply offer comfort. It pays to find out for sure what is going on before you jump in to straighten someone out.

However, emotional and relational things are not quite so easy to pin down, and frequently cause a rift, if left untouched. Let’s say someone has acted “snappish” toward you…and you are offended. Then probably you are not “spiritual” at that point…you are miffed, or hurt, and seeking self-satisfaction. So you have to deal with your own response first.

If (rather than being offended) you have concluded that something is wrong, and that they may need help, then possibly you are on the right track. Your desire, at least, is to restore or to help. So you go to them (privately) and ask whether everything is OK. Perhaps you are convinced that they are at odds with you, and you don’t know why, so you ask “Have I offended you in some way? You seem uncomfortable around me, and that worries me.” If they continue to insist that all is well, then you have to back off and let them deal with it, but you can pray for their deliverance. (And it is completely possible that they are telling the truth; that there is nothing wrong, and they are simply tired or not feeling well. I used to keep after my wife when she was just not feeling very good, asking her what was wrong, until I angered her, and then there really was something wrong… it was me. I was a slow learner, I guess.) My motive was restoration, but I was not applying the portion about a “spirit of meekness.” Meekness means “yieldedness”; it is sometimes translated gentleness, but I think it goes further than that. If they say, “nothing is wrong” then I need to back off…or maybe explain why I asked, what I thought I observed…but if they say that I am mistaken, “but thanks anyhow”, then it is time to stop asking.

So, what about a situation where sin is definitely involved; and you are trying to restore a fallen brother to fellowship? Then gentleness and yieldedness are critically important. Further, the enemy can use a wounded soldier as bait to wound or destroy others. So we are admonished to consider ourselves lest we also be tempted. Can he drag you into his sin? Maybe…or perhaps he can aggravate you to the point that you are in sin yourself—a different one, but just as fatal to fellowship.

I have read that in a jungle tribe in Indonesia, when a man goes to the forest to cut wood, he takes a live rooster along, and tethers it to a stake, with string, then sprinkles seed on the ground, and sets snares in a broader circle all around him. As soon as the rooster decides that he is not hurt, and sees that there is seed to eat, he begins scratching the dirt, and calling his hens. Of course, his hens are miles away, but other wild roosters hear him calling, and come to fight him, thinking they are driving off an interloper. When they get there, and start strutting around trying to pick a fight with the captive rooster, it is only a matter of time before they find themselves snagged in one or more snares. So, when the wood-cutter is ready to go home, he carries several roosters home to eat, but his captive rooster lives to strut another day.

When a Christian is in bondage to sin, we need to be vigilant, knowing that while they themselves may not intend to snare us, the Enemy surely may be looking to trip us up. We are called to offer restoration, but God warns that it may be hazardous duty. Along this line, I think it is fair to offer this warning: Men: as a rule, help men! Let a Godly woman deal with the sisters, as a usual matter of course. More men have fallen prey to sexual sin than any other thing, I think, and it is easy to confuse the tender Love of Christ with other feelings, and get confused about why you are there. Stay far back from the edge, and you won’t have to worry about losing your balance. I have read that the most common “last words” of people who die at the Grand Canyon are “Hey, look at me!” and “Hey, watch this!” People get too close to the edge, and a single mistake becomes fatal. Just a word to the wise….

Supporting One Another

² Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

This is a command, too, and it is a little confusing in English, because we tend to compare it with verse 5, below, and say, “Well, that seems to be a contradiction!” But it is a pretty easy study, if you want to look up the Greek words used—they are not even similar words. The one here in verse 2 is “baré” meaning a crushing weight, or an oppressive load. It is used figuratively to speak of life’s hard experiences and pressures. The word in verse 5 is “phortion”, meaning an assigned load—a ship’s cargo—a backpack, etc. It is also used figuratively to speak of life’s responsibilities. There are things that are our own burdens that no one but Jesus can share, and there are others that are crushing loads that can be a catastrophe if we are alone, or a bearable burden with the fellowship of a friend. This word in verse two actually derives from a verb (bareo) meaning to oppress, or to weigh down. This is not a normal load of life, but an overload.

When a person simply has a job to do, and is able to do it, we may leave them alone to do their work…or share it, if it something that can be shared. But if a catastrophe has overwhelmed them, as a good neighbor, we are to lend a hand. This is true for spiritual things as well. There have been many times that I have been able to help a person think through a situation, and overcome what seemed an insurmountable obstacle at the time. But some of those same people, at other times, have done the same for me, encouraging me when I was discouraged or depressed, without a trace of condemnation…just the Love of Christ.

Bear in mind, however, that we are working for Jesus, not for the other people. So if they do not respond in kind, we need to remember that He is the one to whom we look for reward. There was a time when I worked on a crew where each welder had a certain span he or she had to weld, and most felt that when their section was done they had no further responsibility, so they walked off. I felt that we were a team, and if my partners had trouble with their machines, or something, I stayed, and welded as far into their area as I could reach. But eventually there were times when my machine was the one with problems, and they just stood back and watched me struggle. Once someone even threw stuff at me while I worked. My first response was anger: I thought, “OK, that is the last time I will lift a hand to help those miserable wretches!” But right away, God reminded me that they owed me nothing…they were lost sinners, and I worked for Him, not them. If I would only offer grace to those who would respond in kind, then that was my reward—their response. But if I offered grace when there was no hope of reward, God would provide the reward. So, I repented, and renewed my commitment to serve those around me.

Serving One Another

³ For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

This is not a change of subject: The subject here, beginning all the way back in Galatians 5:16 is “what does it look like when believers walk in fellowship with God?” And the immediate context is the service of “washing the feet” of a sinning brother or sister…restoring them to fellowship, not just letting them stew. If you think you are above that, then you have a problem; you are deceiving yourself.

Look back to John 13, and see Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, which was a job reserved for slaves, in a rich house, and relegated to the individual in houses without slaves. Jesus, the real master, was deliberately giving an object lesson to proud men who would not have stooped to serve in that way; and in Peter’s case a man too proud to permit it, as well, since he considered it inappropriate for the Lord to wash his feet. The issue was not “whether” their feet were dirty—they were dirty! They had no plumbing or sewers or street-cleaners (or even sidewalks) in those days, so wherever you walked you were probably treading in some serious filth. And, as it was a semi-desert area, they wore sandals—not gumboots. The picture for us to see is that every believer needs his or her “feet cleaned” every so often, whether by personal confession, because we can see for ourselves that we have “stepped in something”, or by someone coming to us to let us know that we have gotten dirty…again.

All of us were cleaned by Jesus when we believed the Gospel…but we still live and walk in a dirty world. He said we will need cleansing, and that we are to perform that service to one another just as he did for the disciples. He was not telling them anything they didn’t know, or condemning them for needing their feet washed. (In the physical sense, he got dirty too!) But he was setting up an object lesson about restoring a sinning believer. Paul reiterates it here in Galatians 6, and lets us know that if we think we are too good for that service, then we have a real problem, and have deceived ourselves. He goes on to say that our work will demonstrate who we really are.

⁴ But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

We need to examine our own hearts and see what the character of our own work really is: I am deeply impressed by a man or woman with a servant’s heart, for whom no act of service is too lowly or menial. The man or woman who quietly steps in to serve, not seeking recognition, and does not shun the dirty jobs, is pretty impressive, in my mind. Please bear in mind that the word “Menial”, comes from the same root as “Minister!” Funny how we don’t like “menial” but we do like “ministry”. Seeing the kinds of service one chooses tells me a lot about a person’s character.

I remember a young woman many years ago sharing how she had gone to a women’s retreat, somewhere, and as it turned out, the women were asked to take turns serving in the kitchen, as that was part of why the price was low. Her first thought was “I didn’t come here to serve! I came here to be served!” But the Lord caught her attention with that rather blatantly selfish thought, and she immediately realized that her attitude was precisely the opposite of Jesus, who said “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many!” (Matthew 20:28) She changed her attitude, served with grace, and was blessed by the experience.

Pulling Our Own Weight

⁵ For every man shall bear his own burden.

Remember, this is the Greek word “phortion”, and means our personal responsibilities. Whatever burden God has assigned as your portion in life, is yours. You bear up under it, and you do it in such a way as to honor Him. That is simply being a good and faithful servant. He gives each of us work to do…and it is ours to do, not something we shuck off to someone else. We are to bear our own burden in this way. The crushing load of verse 2 is a whole different matter. When someone is so sick they can’t take care of themselves we may organize a list of families to take meals to them…but when they are well, we stop. Why? Because the issue was the crushing load of the sickness…we helped bear that burden, but when they are well, they take care of their own needs. We each have responsibilities of our own, and God says we are to discharge those responsibilities faithfully.

Conclusion:

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer is “Yes!” We are to watch over one another for the mutual good of all…not meddling in one another’s affairs, but being sensitive to one another’s needs and situation, so that no one is left to flounder under a load they can’t carry; no one is abandoned to the enemy when wounded by sin, and no one feels they are too busy or too holy to help a fallen brother or sister. This is where the agapé love can get very practical, very personal, and not always very comfortable.

If you can commit yourself to this lifestyle, then God can use your life to His glory. If not, then you will be the one people are trying to restore, not the one doing the restoration: the one who needs help, instead of the one helping.

Lord Jesus, stir our hearts to serve. Allow us to see ourselves through your eyes, and become the selfless servants you have called us to be, fellowshipping with you in the joy of service.

Amen.

1st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

Introduction

Value of the Gifts, without God’s Love

Aren’t those Gifts Important?

The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal

What Is the “Perfect” that Shall Come?

“Growing Up” Issues

“New Testament Completion” Problems

Church Completion problems

“Second Coming” Answer

So, What will Remain?

So, What Should We Do With This Information?

A Letter to the Children (Part 11)

How to Understand the Agapé Love

Introduction:

The Principle of Agapé Love

Love and Fellowship

Attributes of God

The Love of God

What IS Agapé Love?

What Changed?

The Ultimate Source

The Only Source

Our Confidence in Him

The Biggest Change

A Letter to the Children (Part 4) Loving the Brethren

Introduction:

Loving the Brethren

What “Commandment?”

And, While we are asking Questions: What does it mean, “To Know?”

So…What Commandment is in Question, Here?

An Appropriate Sign

Think Carefully

Ask Yourself

The New Commandment is the Old Commandment We Had “From the Beginning.”

1st John 2:8-11 connects us to 1st John 1:5-10, regarding “Walking in the Light!”

Love of the Brethren

Old Testament Example:

Self-Examination:

Introduction:

The Problems in the Local Churches

The Result of Those Problems

How Should We Respond to Our New Position In Christ?

“Walk Worthy of the Vocation Wherewith Ye are Called”

Godly Wisdom and Character

“With Longsuffering, Forbearing One Another in Love”

Agapé is the Governing Principle

The Bottom Line

Becoming the Fragrance of Christ

Knowledge Must be Governed by Agapé Love

1st Corinthians 8:1-6

Introduction:

Real Life Example:

“Knowledge Puffeth Up”

“Love Edifieth (Builds up)”

Don’t Be An Accuser!

The Food Is Unchanged.

It is What Comes Out That Defiles Us

The Idol Itself Is Nothing

Siddartha Buddha

Mary

Other Idols

But What is the Real Danger?

The Evil Spirits Cannot Undo the Work of Jesus at the Cross.

How are We to Love the Brethren?

1st Thessalonians 4:9-12

Introduction:

What is the Difference?

So, How is that done? What does that “Look like?”

1st Corinthians 13:4-8

So, What do we see as the Descriptors for Agapé love in 1st Corinthians 13:4-8?

What are some Other things we know about Agapé Love?

So, How has God forgiven us?

How do you see other believers?

What are the Results?

The “Litmus Test”

Practical Holiness

Putting on Christ

Introduction:

A New Position: in Christ

1^st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-13

**The Gifts Themselves are Not Eternal**

**So…What Commandment is in Question, Here?**

**The New Commandment is the Old Commandment We Had “From the Beginning.”**

1^st John 2:8-11 connects us to 1^st John 1:5-10, regarding “Walking in the Light!”

1^st Corinthians 8:1-6

**It is What Comes Out That Defiles Us**

**But What is the Real Danger?**

1^st Corinthians 13:4-8

**So, What do we see as the Descriptors for Agapé love in 1^st Corinthians 13:4-8**?

**So, How has God forgiven us?**