The Brotherhood

 

If anyone should be saying that "I am loving God," and should be hating his brother, he is a liar; for he who is not loving his brother whom he has seen can not be loving God Whom he has not seen. 

First Epistle of John 4: 20, Concordant New Testament  

I was reminded once again this week of the value of having a solid group of brothers in the faith around me.  I am proud to say that through my years in the mainstream church I have developed and maintained friendships with more than a few Godly men.  The brotherhood can help us in those instances where the accuser comes to mislead us.  That, after all, is his mission.  His lie deceived Adam and Eve in the garden, and it continues to deceive many believers today.  Yet having a solid group of friends around us can help us navigate those situations where Satan attempts to inject himself into our lives.  Those friends in the faith around us can help remind us of Satan's rightful place in the big scheme of things...behind us!  That's right, the accuser has already been defeated.  His only tactic he has left is to wander the earth seeking to distract God's children.  When you look at the world around us, it might seem as if he is doing pretty good at his objective.  All around us, the Lords chosen stumble and fall each and every day to the distractions of Satan.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I have fallen victim to his antics more than a few times.  But the truth of the Lord Jesus is on our side.  The accusers fate has been sealed.  Jesus became sin that we would no longer live in bondage {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}.  The apostle Paul proclaims that we consider ourselves now to be indeed dead to sin {Paul to the Romans 6:11}.  Contrary to the teaching of the mainstream church, sin is no longer that elephant in the room we can never be free of.  Jesus took our sin upon Himself and nailed it to that cross.  Yet the accuser will continue to prowl the earth seeking to remind us that we're all sinners {Paul to the Romans 3:23}.  For many years in the church I continued to hear the phrase "Sinners saved by grace."  While this may be true in some respects, we're sinners no more.  Through the selfless love of Christ Jesus, we're no longer held in the bondage of sin.  

In Whom there is no Jew nor yet Greek, there is no slave nor yet free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

Paul to the Galatians 3: 28, Concordant New Testament 

A good friend once reminded me of the truth of our accuser.  He said that when Satan comes to remind you of your past, remind him of his future.  Amen!  The strength in the bonds of brothers in the faith comes from encouraging each other and reminding one another of the truth of the deceiver.  I have been blessed with having a group of friends who do just that.  Not only that, I have gathered around me a group of the Lords children at my local gym.  Like the brothers which surround me, it is my goal to be that bond of faith with those who surround me as well.  I believe that when Jesus spoke of loving one another, this is what He was referring to {Johns Account 13:35}.  Paul spoke of a key thought in our belief, that of seeing those around us as one in Christ as we ourselves are {Paul to the Galatians 3:28}.  If we see others as one with Jesus, how is it that we can think wrongly of them?  If we see others as one with Jesus, how is it that we can be in conflict with them?  Sounds like a good plan, right?  Well, everything looks good on paper.  When my brother reminded me this week of my wrong thoughts toward another, I was not seeing them as one in Christ as I am.  However, I am grateful that I have once again been reminded of this truth.  As the scripture proclaims, two are better than one {Ecclesiastes 4:10-12}.  Give Satan his rightful place in our rear view mirror.  

~Scott~