When you believed in Jesus Christ, what did you gain? Not just salvation. Not just eternal life. Not just the Holy Spirit. You gained something much more than these personal benefits.
You also gained a family.
Jesus said, “Those who do my Father’s will are my brothers, sisters and mothers” (Matthew 12:50). He also said: “Those who leave brothers, sisters, father mother, wife or children for My gospel's sake, will certainly receive many times more in this life” (Mark 10:30).
We are conjoined with a divine blood-bond to all who believe in Him. Since the Blood which joins us is far much more precious than our own, so the relationship with these brothers and sisters should be far deeper and more intimate than with our natural siblings.
Suppose your parents took the rest of your family on a trip overseas, while you stayed home. After a while, you receive a letter from your brother: “Hi, how are you doing? We hope you are having fun. Last week a band of armed men came to our village. They shot up the town and burned down the houses. They took Sis with them, we don’t know what happened to her. They burned Dad alive. Mom was luckier, they just raped her. They cut off my hands, so I’m writing this with a pencil in my mouth. Mom and I are still here in the village. We’re just fine, except there’s no food and we’re starving to death. Love and kisses, your brother.”
How would respond to a letter like that? Would you shake your head, say, “Man, that’s really terrible”, take another Coke from the fridge, and go back to watching TV? Impossible! You would immediately do whatever you could to help your family. If you truly could do nothing, then their plight would become your obsession. Sleep and appetite would fly from you. Night and day you would pray for their deliverance.
But in fact, everything described in this letter happens frequently to our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. But do we lose any sleep over them? Do we slow down for even a moment in our pursuit of personal pleasure?
What does this prove? Simply that we are ignorant of God’s grace. We are hypocrites. We say “brother in Christ” and “sister in Christ”, but these are words only. Our love for God is feeble and half-hearted, because our so-called “brotherly” love for other believers is paltry (1 John 4:20). Spiritually we are emaciated. Jesus gave His body and blood to be our spiritual food and drink (John 6:53-58) – but we partake only sparingly, because we fail to discern His Body incorporated in His Church (1 Cor. 11:28-30).
He who has ears to hear,
let him hear.
Pollen
articles may be copied without permission from the author AS LONG AS (1)
the article content is not changed (2) the original copyright notice is
included. If you have been stimulated or challenged by these articles,
please consider making a financial contribution to CrossPollen."Do
not muzzle the ox who threshes the grain... If we sowed unto you spiritual
things, is it a great matter if we shall reap your carnal things?"(1
Corinthians 9:9-11) Please contact us via e-mail.
Thank you!
| CrossPollen
e-mail: thornroot@juno.com |
Copyright © 1998
CrossPollen
Last Revised: March 20, 1999 |