See, many of us "True Believers" have have forgotten where we, ourselves have come from! We have forgotten how deep down in the much and mire or our sinful mess, that JESUS had to reach down and pull us up out of. It seems that way, because we still struggle and judge each other in Christ, further continuing to divide the church. It's not the outside, (the world) doing it. It is US! Christians, "those that proclaim anyway. It is us, tearing away at the very essence of why we are who we are in Christ and what he stands for...LOVE, patience, humility, wisdom, knowledge, compassion. Jesus also knew his place in God
(though he is the physical incarnate or extension of God), even as the Savior, the ultimate Master, Teacher, Prophet. JESUS, UNDERSTOOD HIS PLACE! More of us, "True Believers" need to understand ours! We are no better and in no position to think ourselves better than another. WE, not one of us...is JESUS! WE, not one of us, CERTAINLY are not God!
Though many of us think ourselves high above others in the world and in the body of Christ..we are in no real, such position! For your sake and for the sake of others you may be leading, be mindful, my brothers and sisters in Christ! Be more mindful of who sits high above even you!
Excuse me ...if you feel you need to. BUT, if you have been in Christ for more than a minute, then you know what I'm saying is true! In any case, the topic of who are my "Sisters and Brothers in Christ?" is a good topic to discuss. 'Cause many of us have issues about this that can help to put wedges between people in our lives and between us and God. Sitting in your judgement not being fair, prayerful, or loving is a HUGE problem for the church, as a whole! /everyone will not be on board with this, but there are many who will consciously make an effort to submit to loving their brethren according to God's will. God calls for the church to be united. STOP defying him!
For this blog, I use the Life Application Study Bible, N.I.V.
New International Version
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Wheaton, Illinois
JESUS' CRITERIA
FOR WHOSE HIS BROTHER & SISTER
SCRIPTURE
In Matthew~12: 46-50
(v.46) While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. (v.47) Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are hear standing outside, wanting to speak to you." (v.48)He replied to him, "Who is my mother andwho are my brothers?". (v.49) Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. (v.50) For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
FOOTNOTES
Matthew 12:46-40
Jesus was not denying his responsibility to his earthly family. On the contrary, he criticized the religious leaders for not following the Old testament command to honor their parents(Matthew 15:1-9). He provided for his mother's security as he hung on the cross
(John 19: 25-27). His mother and brothers were present in the upper room at Pentecost
(Acts 1:14). Instead Jesus was pointing out that spiritual relationships are as binding as physical ones, and he was paving the way for a new community of believers (the universal church), our spiritual family.
Meetta again.
Hmm. Curious! See, according to the previous scriptural passage that we've just read, Jesus didn't even just specify proclaimed Christians! (By the way, not everyone who proclaims Christianity or claim to love God, is doing God's will!)
In any case, Jesus said said, "For whoever..." Though we are taught that the main followers of Christ are those that believe and have proclaimed him as their Lord and saviour, nowhere in there did it say that you and I had to like them nor did Jesus mention any other deciding factor on this matter other than those that are doing the will of God! And HE KNOWS who is and isn't! He don't need you to tell him that! YOU DON'T GET TO HAVE A VOICE IN THE MATTER! By the way, God sees all! HE'S GOD!! Proverbs 15:3 states, "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good."
Trust that God knows how to deal with the unrighteous, even and especially those who proclaim to be his, just as well as you trust him to deal and reward you, oh righteous one!
Though we may be Christian believers, I may not like you personally, nor you me, BUT we are accountable in our care for one another. We are responsible and held accountable in Gods eyes, how we treat, speak even how think about one another. We are to love. Most of us need to go back and investigate what love "really" means! Also, if you do have an issue with about someone spirituality you need to take that up to the Lord and while your at it, take yourself to him as well! Ask him to open your heart, fill it with compassion and "right" prayer. That he may also redirect your focus and your energy, that it may put to better use for the building up of HIS kingdom and not your own! Trust me when I say, though God is a master at teaching in the spiritual, he also enjoys creating teachers in the natural, of course, to ensure that you and
I get these valuable lessons as well! I have been taught and continue to be and boy oh boy, does it sometimes hurt this flesh of mine!
My point is though, neither yours, nor is my personal opinion of another Christian relevant to Jesus deciding who is his brother or sister! We don't get to determine who has earned the right to be called brother and sister or even his mother! Truth be told, because of the hearts of man (and women and children) if we did have that kind of power, many of us "True Believers" would have a mere few in our respectable, collective family. It would definitely be a gravely, relatively smaller group in comparison to the vast amount of people that God has had mercy on over the centuries!
So. it is then, that we as proclaimed Christians, need to be careful about whether Jesus can even claim each one of us, as his family member?
Many of us are SO adamant about who we will call or who we will let call us their brother and sister in the body of Christ, that we have been tragically and carelessly unconcerned, about the more important matter of if we are doing the will of God in our individual lives? Doing his will also includes LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF. Many of us don't really love ourselves! At least according to how we treat others, including those who are also in the body of Christ right beside ourselves! Doing the will of God,
ESPECIALLY loving, so we can count it all joy knowing Jesus can rightfully claim us as his family!
"Think on these things."
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