May 2, 2022

Hero by Gary Rose

 

America needs heroes. People we can look up to and imitate. As a youngster, I admired Superman, Mickey Mays, Hank Aaron and Dwight Eisenhower. In those days, America was the shining star in a world full of misery. Truth, Justice and the American way was more that a saying from Superman, it was a way of life. Most of all, America was a religious nation; everyone went to church and tried to genuinely follow the Christian example. As I grew into adulthood, I came to admire Jesus and have done my best to follow his teachings.


As I consider these things, the following passage from the book of John comes to mind…


John 1 ( World English Bible )

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.

6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.

9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.

11 He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.

12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:

13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’”

16 From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.

17 For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.


Jesus: from creator to human form to teacher, healer and God’s emissary, Jesus and only Jesus stands above every other human that has ever walked on this earth. His life on this planet is an example for all to follow and his death was nothing less than the deliverance from sin for all who will truly obey God.


Jesus is my hero, bar none. Is HE yours?

"CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE CHURCH" Institutionalism by Mark Copeland









 

"CHALLENGES CONFRONTING THE CHURCH"

Institutionalism

INTRODUCTION
  1. In this series, so far we have considered the challenges of...
    1. Authority In Religion
    2. Denominationalism
    3. Sectarianism
    4. Factionalism
    5. Traditionalism
    6. Secularism
  2. Each of these contribute toward changing the church...
    1. Into something very different than Jesus intended
    2. Creating churches that are more worldly than spiritual

[Most of these challenges have a long history in confronting the church. A more recent challenge confronting the church is that of institutionalism...]

  1. THE DEFINITION OF INSTITUTIONALISM
    1. CHURCH SUPPORT OF HUMAN INSTITUTIONS...
      1. "...the doctrine or practice of a church sending money to an institution of some kind in order to carry out some work that the church has deemed worthy of support." - Ryan Waldron
      2. "... this may include supporting missionary organizations, orphan's homes, nursing homes, schools, other churches, even political organizations." - ibid.
    2. SUCH INSTITUTIONS ARE PARACHURCH ORGANIZATIONS...
      1. "The parachurch is effectively a new form of religious organization that dates from the early 19th century." - William McDonald, Parachurch Organizations
      2. "In the first quarter of the 19th century, parachurch organizations were abundant in many forms -- Bible tract societies, independent educational organizations, independent missionary groups, and moral reform organizations." - ibid.
      3. "The defining characteristic of a parachurch is that it stands outside of the organizational structure of well-established religious bodies." - ibid.
      4. "Parachurches are often the creation of an entrepreneur or a small cadre of people who seek to achieve specific goals." - ibid.
    3. THE ISSUE OF INSTITUTIONALISM...
      1. The goals of such institutions are certainly noble: evangelism, benevolence, edification, etc.
      2. The issue in this study is not whether such institutions have a right to exist
      3. The issue is whether local churches should support them out of their treasury

      [Is institutionalism really a challenge confronting the church? Some consider it a blessing: "Look at all the good churches can do through parachurch organizations!" But consider some thoughts regarding...]

  2. THE PROBLEM WITH INSTITUTIONALISM
    1. PERSONAL CONCERNS...
      1. It has no scriptural support
        1. There is no example of NT churches sending money to human institutions as a way of carrying out their work of evangelism, edification, or benevolence
        2. The practice began in the 19th century (see above)
        3. NT churches sent money directly to other churches or individuals - Ac 11:27-30; 1Co 16:1-4; Ro 15:25-26
      2. It gives oversight of the local church's work to those not its elders
        1. Human institutions are governed by board members, CEOs, or other individuals
        2. Churches outsource their work and their oversight by giving to such organizations
      3. It turns local churches into collection agencies for man-made organizations
        1. Institutions appeal for churches to support their organizations
        2. The local church thus becomes a mini "United Way" for human institutions
      4. It tends to denominationalize the church
        1. Institutions usually identify their association with a particular group of churches
        2. E.g., a "Church of Christ college", or "Church of Christ benevolent home", etc.
        3. The use of "Church of Christ" in such a way contributes to a denominational mindset
      5. It has led to division among many churches
        1. Supporters of human institutions fight hard to get them into churches budgets
        2. Churches and individuals that do not go along are often libeled ("anti!", "orphan hater!")
        3. Brotherhood papers have used such issues to quarantine and isolate the opposition
    2. ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS...
      1. It deprives the church of workers
        1. "One result is that capable teachers and preachers have been called away from their primary ministries in order to become administrators."
        2. "If all mission board administrators were serving on the mission field, it would greatly reduce the need for personnel there."
      2. It is an inefficient use of funds
        1. "Another result of the proliferation of organizations is that vast sums of money are needed for overhead, and thus diverted from direct gospel outreach."
        2. "The greater part of every dollar given to many Christian organizations is devoted to the expense of maintaining the organization rather than to the primary purpose for which it was founded."
      3. It can hinder the spread of truth
        1. "Organizations often hinder the fulfillment of the Great Commission."
        2. "Jesus told His disciples to teach all the things He had commanded."
        3. "Many who work for Christian organizations find they are not permitted to teach all the truth of God."
        4. "They must not teach certain controversial matters for fear they will alienate the constituency to whom they look for financial support."
      4. It contributes to factionalism
        1. "The multiplication of Christian institutions has too often resulted in factions, jealousy, and rivalry that have done great harm to the testimony of Christ."
        2. "Consider the overlapping multiplicity of Christian organizations at work, at home, and abroad. Each competes for limited personnel and for shrinking financial resources. And consider how many of these organizations really owe their origin to purely human rivalry, though public statements usually refer to God's will." (Daily Notes of the Scripture Union)
        -- William McDonald, Parachurch Organization
    3. ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE...
      1. "An acute writer, contrasting the apostolic work with the more usual modern missionary methods, has said that 'we found missions, the apostles founded churches.' The distinction is sound and pregnant."
      2. "The apostles founded churches, and they founded nothing else, because for the ends in view nothing else was required or could have been so suitable."
      3. "In each place where they labored they formed the converts into a local assembly, with elders - always elders, never an elder (Ac14:23; 15:6, 23; 20:17 Php 1:1) to guide, to rule, to shepherd, men qualified by the Lord and recognized by the saints (1Co 16:15; 1Th 5:12,13; 1Ti 5:17-19); and with deacons, appointed by the assembly (Ac 6:1-6; Php 1:1) - in this contrasted with the elders - to attend to the few but very important temporal affairs, and in particular to the distribution of the funds of the assembly..."
      4. "All they (the apostles) did in the way of organizing was to form the disciples gathered into other such assemblies. No other organization than the local assembly appears in the New Testament, nor do we find even the germ of anything further."
      -- C. H. Lang, quoted in Parachurch Organization
CONCLUSION
  1. Again, the question in this study is...
    1. Not whether institutions per se have a right to exist
    2. But whether local churches should support them out of their treasury
  2. We have seen that church support of human institutions...
    1. Is without scriptural precedent
    2. Affects the church in its ability to do its work
    3. Contributes to factionalism and denominationalism
  3. Let us not forget that the local church is limited in its resources...
    1. It can easily become "burdened" - cf. 1Ti 5:16
    2. It can be hindered or distracted from fulfilling its true purpose intended by God

Do we want to be guilty of hindering the church instituted by Christ, purchased with His blood (Ac 20:28) from doing its divinely authorized work...?


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2022

 

“Abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3) by Roy Davison


http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/avoidfornication.html

“Abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed is undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). The word ‘fornication’ refers to all kinds of sexual intercourse outside of marriage (including homosexual activity), and adultery is fornication that violates a marriage. Some versions translate the one Greek word “fornication” as “sexual immorality”.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8). In fornication and adultery, people take advantage of each other, they “use” each other.

The laws God has established regarding sexual activities are to preserve the sanctity of marriage and the well-being of man.

What is required, according to Scriptures, to preserve personal purity and the sanctity of marriage? First, men and women are to remain virgin until marriage. All sexual relations outside of marriage are forbidden by God and are referred to as fornication, a sin that had the death penalty under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant one can be forgiven and purified by the blood of Christ. It is a sin, however, that is extremely damaging to those concerned, to society and to marriage as an institution.

After marriage one is to have sexual relations only with the marriage partner. Sexual relations with any other is adultery, which also earned the death penalty under the Old Covenant. We read in Hebrews 13:4 that God wants marriage to be preserved from the damage caused by these two sins. Immorality harms people physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

The root meaning of the Greek word “fornication” is “filthiness”. A boy and a girl who keep themselves pure until marriage and remain faithful after marriage, are a separate island. They never come in contact with the filthy cesspool of venereal diseases that are passed around from person to person by immoral people.

Venereal diseases are sexually transmitted diseases. Such a disease, because of its characteristics, is transmitted from person to person almost exclusively through sexual intercourse. Transmission usually requires either that the pathogens remain at body temperature (otherwise they die) or direct blood to blood contact. Sometimes such diseases are also transmitted through injection with a dirty needle or from mother to child in the womb or at birth.

The World Health Organization states: "Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are very common. The most widely known are gonorrhea, syphilis and AIDS (HIV infection), but there are more than 20 others. According to current WHO estimates, there are more than 333 million new cases of STDs every year throughout the world. About one million new infections occur every day."

Several sexually transmitted diseases are incurable, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and genital herpes. Others, although curable, cause lasting damage. Several of these diseases show no symptoms for a long time after infection.

These diseases would disappear if people obeyed God. According to the word of God, both men and women are to remain virgin until marriage, and a married couple are to remain faithful to each another. Even in a world where immorality is rampant, people who obey God have virtually no chance of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. The marriage bed is holy, but fornication and adultery are filthy.

According to the law of the Old Testament, Israel would be kept pure because those who committed fornication or adultery were stoned to death.

Forgiveness is possible under the New Testament on the basis of remorse and repentance. If you have committed fornication or adultery, you can repent and be forgiven. Your soul can be purified by the blood of Christ. You can determine that from now on you will keep yourself pure.

Even though you are forgiven, you have placed yourself in great danger with regard to sexually transmitted diseases. You should see a doctor and have tests made to be sure that you have not contracted an infection that you might pass on to your present or future marriage partner, or your children. Your former immorality can also have adverse effects on your marriage even though you have been forgiven.

This means that you must strive to be the kind of person whom someone with high moral standards would want to marry! And it means that you must be extremely careful whom you marry! Find someone who has the same high moral standards based on faith in God that you have. If a potential marriage partner has been immoral, be sure there is evidence of true repentance and that the person has changed.

It can still happen that one is deceived or betrayed, but we must make every effort to avoid marrying someone who does not have a high standard of morality. People who have sex with each other before they marry, are people who are willing to have sex outside of marriage, which makes them more susceptible to committing adultery after marriage than someone who had high moral standards before marriage.

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). “Keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22). Amen.

Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from The New King James Version. ©1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise. Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
http://www.oldpaths.com

Biblical Consistency and the Believer’s Treatment of False Teachers by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

 


 
https://apologeticspress.org/biblical-consistency-and-the-believers-treatment-of-false-teachers/
 
 
 

Biblical Consistency and the Believer’s Treatment of False Teachers

From Issue: R&R – May 2022

If Christians are to be kind and loving to everyone (Luke 10:29-37), some question why 2 John 10-11 teaches, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine (‘the doctrine of Christ’—vs. 9), do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”1 Also, why did Paul instruct Timothy to “shun profane and idle babblings” (2 Timothy 2:16; 1 Timothy 6:20-21)? Are Christians to shun those with whom we disagree, and even go so far as not to greet them or allow them into our homes?

First, Scripture, indeed, repeatedly calls for Christians to love everyone—whether family, friends, fellow Christians, or enemies (Matthew 5:43-48; 22:36-40; Romans 12:9-21). We are to “[r]epay no one evil for evil” (Romans 12:17), but strive to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave” us (Ephesians 4:32). But Christian kindness and love are not antithetical to such things as, for example, punishing rule breakers. A father who loves his son, and would even die for him, will promptly discipline him for unruly conduct (Proverbs 13:24; Ephesians 6:4). A school principal may genuinely love and care for every student under his oversight, but he may occasionally have to expel a disorderly child from the school for at least two reasons: (1) so that the hundreds of other students who want to get an education can safely and successfully do so, and (2) in hopes that such drastic measures will cause the unruly child to awaken to his senses before it is too late (and he does something far worse as a teenager or as an adult). An uninformed outsider, who sees a father disciplining his son or a school principal punishing a student, may initially think less of these adults and wonder how they could call themselves Christians. The logical, more informed bystander, however, will quickly size up the situation and easily see the consistency in loving, disciplinary actions.

In the epistle of 2 John, the apostle expressed his concern for the eternal destiny of Christians, saying, “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward” (vs. 8, NASB). John was alarmed because deceptive false teachers who denied the incarnation of Jesus were a serious threat to the salvation of Christians. “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” (2 John 7). These false teachers (known as Gnostics) alleged that Christ could not have been incarnated because the flesh is inherently sinful. And, since the flesh is supposedly intrinsically evil, Gnostics taught that Christians did not need to resist fleshly temptations. Just “do whatever feels good” and know that such wicked actions are only physical and not spiritual. Allegedly, the soul could still be pure, even if the individuals themselves participated in wicked activity.2

The apostle John (who had “seen” and “handled” the actual body of Christ—1 John 1:1-4; i.e., Jesus did come in the flesh) repeatedly condemned the central teachings of certain Gnostics who were confusing and misleading first-century Christians.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world (1 John 4:1-3).

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil…. Whoever has been born of God does not sin (1 John 3:4-9).

False doctrine was a real and present danger in the first-century church, just as it is today. Christians were (and are) to be on “guard” because “some have strayed concerning the faith”—profane and idle babblers and teachers of contradictory doctrines of “what is falsely called knowledge” (Greek gnosis; 1 Timothy 6:20-21; cf. 2 Timothy 2:15-26). Denying the physical life, death, burial, and resurrection of the body of Christ was heresy, and thus John and others warned the early church of such deception. What’s more, claiming that “all unrighteousness is not sin,” was to directly contradict the Law of Christ. In truth, “the works of the flesh are evident,” and “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19,21). John wrote: “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God,” because “all unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 3:10; 5:17).

Christians are commanded to withdraw fellowship (lovingly, faithfully, and sorrowfully) from brethren who rebel against the teachings of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). Such actions by Christians and churches are taken for at least two reasons: (1) to keep the church and the Christian families that comprise her from being harmed spiritually by the defiantly unfaithful (whose very tolerated presence would have even more damaging effects than an incessantly disruptive student in a school room; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7); and (2) in hopes of causing the wayward child of God to come to his senses (being “ashamed” of his sinful conduct; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; 1 Corinthians 5:5)—repenting of sin and being restored to the family of God.

Similarly, in 2 John 10-11, the apostle of the Lord instructed hospitable Christians to recognize the seriousness of greeting and housing deceptive false teachers. [NOTE: “The greeting was ‘Chairo!’ literally, goodspeed or God speed. This greeting was more than mere formality; it was an approval of the course being pursued by the one thus greeting, and included a desire for success in the effort attempted.”3] First-century roaming teachers and preachers “depended on the generosity of the members of the church” for their housing and hospitality.4 John the apostle, however, wanted the church to understand the serious threat that these dangerous false teachers posed to the precious bride of Christ. Doctrinal error is not something to “play with,” especially when such error involves the foundation of the Church (the life of Christ—2 John 7) and the denial of sin (the very thing that results in eternal death for the impenitent—Romans 6:23; Luke 13:3,5). By refusing to house and bid God-speed to deceptive teachers, the ungodly efforts of these misleading “messengers” would be greatly diminished. In time, they might choose to (or have to) stop their sowing of error altogether because of lack of opportunities, assistance, and encouragement. Such a result combined with genuine repentance would be the very thing for which Christians hope and pray.

Anyone who can see the reasonable and loving consistency of parents telling their children to “be nice to everyone,” but “don’t listen to these dangerous people” (showing them pictures of known child molesters), should be able to see the consistency of God’s message concerning Christian love and hospitality, and the way Christians react to false teachers who espouse damnable error. Children who shun dangerous sexual predators are protecting their own innocence, as well as keeping themselves and their families from a moment (or a lifetime) of grief. What’s more, the avoided, dangerous strangers are not given the opportunity to continue in their sins. Thus, the children’s obedient avoidance of them could be of great help to the sinful strangers in the highest way possible—if they awaken to their spiritual senses.

Christians are actually fulfilling the Law of Christ to “do good to all” (Galatians 6:2,10) even as we identify and refuse to embrace and fellowship false teachers. We are “doing good” to the “household of faith” by helping keep her pure and unaffected by cancer-spreading deceptive teachers (2 Timothy 2:17-18). Allowing error to spread would be tantamount to “rejoic[ing] in iniquity,” which is unloving (1 Corinthians 13:6). What’s more, the false teachers themselves are in no way encouraged to continue down the road of deceit. Rather, it is the hope and prayer of Christians that false teachers would become convicted of the error of their ways and repent before the Master Teacher (Luke 2:47; John 7:46) returns and judges them eternally for their doctrinal deceit (2 Peter 2).

[NOTE: Near the conclusion of his excellent commentary on 2 John, Guy N. Woods made an appropriate observation that both Christians and critics of 2 John 10-11 should consider: “John does not here forbid hospitality to strangers, or, for that matter, to false teachers when, in so doing, false teaching is neither encouraged nor done. Were we to find a teacher known to be an advocate of false doctrine suffering, it would be our duty to minister to his need, provided that in so doing we did not abet or encourage him in the propagation of false doctrine…. What is forbidden is the reception of such teachers in such fashion as to supply them with an opportunity to teach their tenets, to maintain an association with them when such would involve us in the danger of accepting their doctrines…. The test is, Does one become a partaker by the action contemplated? If yes, our duty is clear; we must neither receive them nor give them greeting; if No, the principle here taught is not applicable.”5]

Endnotes

1 Cf. Steve Wells (2015), “Should Believers Discuss Their Faith with Nonbelievers?” http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/discuss.html.

2 For more information, see “Gnosticism” (1982), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), 2:484-490.

3 Guy N. Woods (1979), New Testament Epistles of Peter, John, and Jude (Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate), p. 349, italics in orig.

4 I. Howard Marshall (1978), The Epistles of John (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), p. 74, emp. added.

5 Woods, pp. 349-350, emp. added.


Published

Five Attitudes That Edify by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

https://thepreachersword.com/2013/12/17/five-attitudes-that-edify/#more-4963

Five Attitudes That Edify

Stars

John Maxwell tells a great story about a woman, Thelma, who moved with her husband to a military training center in the middle of the Mojave Desert.

She lived in a one-room shack in the unbearable heat–125 degrees in the shade of cacti. She was lonely with no one to talk to. Thelma hated it. One day she wrote to her parents and told them she was giving up and coming home. She said she would rather be in jail. The 2-line letter her mother wrote back changed her life…

Two men looked out from prison bars

One saw the mud, the other saw the stars

When Thelma reread these lines a few times, she felt ashamed and decided that she would try to see the stars in her present situation. She made friends with the natives and took an interest in their weaving and pottery. She learned about the their customs,  different forms of cacti, and the habits of the prairie dogs. Her life transformed. The Mojave Desert hadn’t changed but she had.

Yesterday we introduced the word of the week “Edify.” Today consider these 5 attitudes the Edify.  Build. Improve.  And make a difference in the lives of others.

#1 The Attitude of Love

The Bible says, Knowledge  puffs up, but loves edifies” (1Cor. 8:1)  Love is the basis for all other constructive attitudes.  Love  says, I care about you.  I want to help you.  I want to encourage you.  I’m interested in you.

Love edifies when is exhibits the fifteen qualities of 1 Corinthians 13. Love is kind. Patient.  Unselfish.  And looks for a way of being constructive.  Love edifies.

#2 The Attitude of Respect 

There is a general lack of respect today among different social, economic and racial groups. It is seen in Washington.  In our communities.  Homes.  And too often in our churches.

The Bible exhorts, “Therefore comfort each other  and edify one another, just as you also are doing. And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake (1 Thess. 5:10-13)

The attitude of respect, esteem and honor should not only be expressed toward our leaders, but all of God’s people. The apostle Paul commanded, “Give preference to one another in honor (Rom 12:17)

#3   Attitude of Service

Ephesians 4:12-16 teaches that every member of the body of Christ has a function.  A part.  A place. A means to minister.  When that happens, Paul says, “the body edifies itself in love.” 

Jesus taught, “He that is greatest among you shall be the servant of all”   (Mt. 23:11).  It is true.  Because serving others edifies!

#4 The Attitude of Peace

Too often the Christian community has displayed to the world a divisive spirit.  One that tears down.  Causes confusion. Fractures fellowship.  And is a breeding group for murmuring, grumbling and gripping.

The Bible simply admonishes us all to “pursue the things  which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (Rom 14:19).  Unlike little children that often delight in irritating and aggravating their siblings, brethren in Christ look for those things that calm.  Encourage.  Ennoble.  And provide an atmosphere of serenity.  Solace.  And comfort.

#5 The Attitude of Cooperation

The Jerusalem Christians were of  “one accord” (Ac 2:26).  One mind.  One heart.  One soul.  They worked together.  Prayed together.  Shared with each other.  And put aside differences for the cause of Christ.

What if brethren in all churches followed this Biblical exhortation? “Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification” (Rom 15:2) Think how much more could be accomplished?  And what a great spirit of unity and harmony would prevail.

Love.  Respect. Service. Peace. Cooperation. These attitudes edify.  But don’t wait for others to change.  Let it begin with you.  No matter how bleak your situation.  Look for the stars.  Edify others.  And your will be blessed.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman