A few days ago my mother in law passed away at 95 years of age. My wife has faithfully been taking care of her for the last twelve years, and of course, it was a heart wrenching time. Having dementia, she had become nonverbal, unable to properly speak, and unable to understand much of what we endeavored to communicate to her. The goal was keep her home with us to the very end; which we are truly thankful we were given grace to be able to do so.
Going through all her things, sorting out all her keepsakes, my wife found in her bible some things from the past which I had written forty years ago when back I was first ordained as a pastor through a ministry I was affiliated with at the time. I was 32 at the time, and it was interesting look back at my thoughts form back then. I must admit I have learned a lot since then, but haven’t left my positional understanding of both faith and the calling of God for His people.
It is my intention to share three things she had as I can upload them to my site. The following is from a February 1987 monthly Newsletter I was sending out back then to members and followers of our ministry. I pray it speaks to those who might need to prayerfully consider such a message.
Corporate Necessity Verses Personal Preference
“…Speaking the truth in love, [that we all] may grow up unto Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from Whom the WHOLE BODY FITTLY JOINED together and compacted by that which EVERY JOINT supplies, according to the effectual working of EVERY PART, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15,16)
One of the things the Lord has been impressing upon us is the necessity us all of being “fitly joined together.” A lot of us have friends whom we are close to simply because “we” like them. The relationships are good (or pleasant) because there’s usually a sharing of like interests. However, these relationships often turn Christians into re-specters of persons. If not watchful, we all can be seduced into a mere “joining” of ourselves to a select group of persons out of “personal preference” instead of “FITLY joining” ourselves to the body according to God’s will and purpose.
We would do well to remember that it’s God who builds the Body of Christ. He adds to it “such as should be saved” (Acts 3:47). However, it is by our obedience to His Spirit that God firmly sets “the members EVERY ONE of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him,” not according to our preference or convenience, (See I Corinthians 12:18 and II Peter 1:10,11).
Christians who “join” a particular group (even a group inside a church) out of “personal preferences” open wide the door for problems. First, the tendency in such groups is usually to develop individual loyalties. Such loyalties cause Christians to start making “excuses” for each other’s inconsistencies–which then develops into tolerating the discrepancies in each other’s lives. Of course, this is done in the name of “love and longsuffering.” However, what they are really doing is refusing to deal with sin, their own and each other’s. Thus, their “love” is nothing more than “preference.” It is having “respect of persons.” Their “longsuffering” is really sinful compromise in its most repulsive state, religious hypocrisy. Such relationships, if not repented of, can and will kill one or all involved.
As “members one of another” we’d do well to remember in our dealings with each other that “faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful (and frequent)” (Proverbs 27:6).
Another problem with “preference groups” is they often become virtually impenetrable groups. Because of “their love” for each other they’re often insensitive to people outside the “gang.” Many lonely brothers and sisters who are experiencing personal difficulty are often left out and literally rejected. Not that these groups intentionally reject anyone, they’re just easily blinded by the interests of the group. The toll of their “group-centeredness” on others outside is often spiritual murder by neglect. People just seem to somehow “fall away” when not allowed to be “fitly joined” and embraced as necessary part(ners).
Finally, and most seriously, some “preference groups” become so sensitive to each other that they become insensitive to the Holy Spirit. Although zealous with “their causes,” they’re oblivious to what’s going on around them. Blindly pressing on they become more and more obsessed with the group’s “interests.” The end result is an ignorance of spiritual reality. They’ve been seduced by their “love” which they believe is a “godly bond”. But it’s not. It’s “preference love” and “preference love” is not a righteous love, or “Agape” love. It has sinful respect for persons. It’s worldly, fleshy and carnal through and through.
Acts 10:34 – Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.
A Christian’s “love” MUST be “righteous love,” a love that is in sync with God’s heart. It must ALWAYS honor God’s precepts and NEVER, NEVER abandon righteous judgement. Righteous love will ALWAYS rejoice in God’s truth and will NEVER fail (I Corinthians 13:6,8).
All relationships must be based on God’s truths and established by His order. No one, Christian or not, can “afford” to be ignorant of spiritual reality. WE MUST ALL BE, “by ONE SPIRIT …baptized into ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and… made to drink into ONE SPIRIT” (I Cor. 12:13). This can ONLY be accomplished by our absolute sur-render to Jesus’ lordship, making Him “our Life” (Colossians. 3:1-4).
An Unprofitable Commitment
If I’m so committed to my friends and causes that I would give “ALL my goods to feed the poor and… give my body to be burned and have not charity (righteous love) it profits me nothing,” (I Corinthians 13:3). But yet concerning the giving of one’s life Jesus says there’s no greater love than this, “that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Now it seems as though there might be some discrepancy between these two verses, but there’s not.
There are many very committed Christians involved with groups and causes (not to mention the political arena) who are NOT in the will of God. Commitment must first be to God–not men and causes (or campaigns).
Let’s view John 15:13 with its bookend verses;
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, IF YOU DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU” (John 15:12-14).
There are basically four points listed here. First, we are COMMANDED to love one another. Second, we are to love each other as Christ loves us. Third, there is no greater love or commitment than a man lay down His life for his friends. Last (but not least), we are told that we’re Jesus’ friends IF we do WHATSOEVER (whenever) He commands us to.
The message? Obey God. The verses start by commanding us to love and ends by saying we are Jesus’ friends when/if we obey Him. We are commanded to be unprejudiced in our love–this will be the heart piercing testimony of our love for God.
“…Love one another AS I have loved you… BY THIS shall ALL MEN KNOW that you are My disciples, IF you love one another,” (John 13:34,35).
Jesus has set the standard for “righteous love” by His death on the cross. Without a doubt there is no greater love or commitment than a man lay down his life. But did Jesus die because He was committed to us? Or to the Holy Spirit?
Jesus told us, “…I lay down My life for the sheep. Therefore, does My Father love Me… This COMMANDMENT I HAVE RECEIVED from My Father” (John 10:15,17,18). Jesus laid down His life FIRST of all in obedience to His Father, SECONDLY because He loved us. This is confirmed by Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, “O My Father, …not as I wilt, but as You wilt,” (Matthew 26:39).
It is obviously, by Jesus’ statement, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me,” that it was not the will of Jesus (in His humanity) to die. But in His statement, “NEVERTHELESS… as Thou wilt” we see that it WAS Jesus’ will to obey. Why? Because His first love was to His Father. It was a “righteous love.”
“Righteous love,” like “righteous judgement,” cannot be lawless. There needs to be parameters for love, judgement and obedience–and there are. They are presented by the Holy Scriptures and revealed to the diligent by the Holy Spirit’s personal leading (Hebrews 11:6). It was such leading that caused Jesus to set his face like flint to endure the cross. First, in obedience to the Father, and secondly, to redeem us. That’s “righteous love.”
The lesson for us? Our love, or commitments, must be founded in the will of God. Our willingness to lay down our lives should be because we desire to honor the will of God, NOT the preference of man. “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I please men, I should not be the servant of Christ,” (Galatians 1:10).
Good intentions and costly sacrifices won’t suffice. Only by faithful compliance to the Holy Spirit’s gentle voice will we be justified. Remember, there is “no condemnation to them which are in [the will of] Christ Jesus, who walk not after the [whims of the] flesh, but after the Spirit. For the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS has made me free from the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH,” (Romans 8:1,2).
Two laws here, 1. The “Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.” And, 2. The “Law of sin and death.”
The first, “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ” works this way, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal,” (John 12:24,25). If we crucify our “old man” with all his preferences “the body of sin is destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe we shall also live with Him,” (Romans 6:6-8).
The “Law of sin and death” is when we were the “servants of sin” we were “free from righteousness,” sold under sin and “the wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6:20,23). “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for WHATSOEVER a man soweth, that shall he reap. For he that sows [invests] to his flesh [personal preferences] shall of the flesh reap corruption; But, he that sows [invests] to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting,” (Galatians 6:7,8).
Obedience is a MUST if we’re to have liberty and life in Christ. And no wonder, Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life. “This is the record, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is IN His Son. He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son has not life. All unrighteousness [or disobedience, or faithlessness, call it what you will] is sin… We know that whosoever is born of God sins not, [or, continues not in sin],” (I John 5:11,12,17,18).
“My little children, these things write I unto you that you sin not. I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you have heard from the beginning. “Love not the world, neither the things of the world. IF ANY MAN [and God’s not a respecter of persons] love the world, the love of the Father is not in Him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: BUT he that DOES the will of God abides forever. If a man say, “I love God” and hates [neglects] his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom He has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this is the commandment we have from Him, That he who loves God love his brother also. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous,” (I John 2:1,7,15-17, 4:20-21, 5:2,3).
FULLFIL THE LAW
“Brethren, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to [fulfil the preferences of] the flesh, but by love SERVE one another. Bear you one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF.” (Galatians 5:13, 6:2, 5:14)
Stay blessable, on fire, and unburnable…
