This week we’re going to talk about compassion, love and unity in the faith. Believe me church, these are all compatible and built into all true believers. The problem is, many believers don’t know, have never been taught or just plain don’t practice these God-given traits. Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. Everyone is welcome in this place.
You know church, there are times when we as believers must be reminded of the good spirit God has given us. The Holy Spirit of God will lead you into being a compassionate and loving person, one that desires to be one with other persons of like faith. Let’s take a good look of how God expects his children to act toward each other and others. We will begin by reading Colossians 3:12-14. And this is what it states:
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any: Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness.”Notice that this scripture begins by saying ‘put on therefore.’ Then it goes on to say because of who we are in Christ it is our responsibility to on purpose behave and act with mercy, kindness and love towards others. Even though God has saved us through his son, Jesus Christ, and has given us such holy and beautiful traits, he leaves it up to us to put on therefore his personality and to make it our own.
Our number one desire as believers should be to be as he is. The apostle Paul is talking to all believers here. And guess what folks, that includes us. Remember the Bible is the instruction Book of Life. This is a very troubled world, my friends. There is dissension at every hand. Nobody trusts anybody anymore. Manners seem to be a thing of a bygone era. Everywhere we look from government to churches, people are treating each other with total disrespect. Do not think for one moment that nonbelievers do not see the hypocrisy of believers preaching love but acting in hate toward those who do not agree with them.
The apostle Paul is telling us to stop this foolishness and be who and what God has made us - a loving and trustworthy servant of God and his son, Jesus Christ. It is time, my fellow believers, to practice what we preach. If believers would set aside petty differences and just show love to one another and others, we would be winning over the lost souls that need a Savior. If they do not see Jesus in us, why would they want to become like or even be one of us? We must begin to show love to one another first. Then we can share the love of Jesus with others in unity. That my friends, will draw the lost to Jesus. I John 3:14 states:
“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”These are pretty strong words, church. The way some people in the church talk and feel about others, makes you wonder if they have passed from death unto life, doesn’t it? Understand this – I am not saying these things to be critical of you. I am saying them to encourage and inspire you to be more like Jesus. In the first scripture we read today Paul tells us who we are as believers. He said that we have been elected by God to become his child. That means God has chosen us to walk with and to serve him. It goes on to say that we are holy and beloved. That is all part of what salvation means, my friends.
The truth is, no one comes to God on their own. That is not built into the human nature. No, we are drawn by the Spirit of God and that is what is meant by being the elect of God. The only variable is that we have the right to accept or reject the Holy Spirit’s outreach to us. But, I am mainly talking to believers today. You have accepted the urging of the Spirit to become God’s child and representative on the earth. That is what is meant by being born again.
Now, just as you received and developed a personality in the natural, in the new birth you received the personality of God and his son, Jesus. As you grow in him by reading his Word and renewing your mind to the things of God, his personality traits become your own. These traits of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and long suffering should not fade with time, but should grow in you. That is why this scripture says so clearly to “put on therefore these things.”
Verse 14 of the scripture we read in Colossians is the icing on the cake. Here the Holy Spirit so clearly states through the apostle Paul the words we must learn, know and use. Once again it says “and above all things.” Did you get that, church? Above all things put on love!! Love is the bond of perfectness. In other words, love is the glue that seals us to the perfectness of God. My friends, there is no room in the church for hate toward one another. There is no room for hate toward anyone.
Love must be our first quality. When the apostle Paul says “above all things put on charity,” which means love, he is not kidding. The point I am making here church, is this: God has given us through his son Jesus a new way of life. It should be a life of love, peace, mercy and grace. We should be the most positive people on this earth. It is built into us that all things are possible with God. All I am asking you to do is to be who you really are in God.
We should be praying and encouraging each other in the Lord. Our prayers should be positive, knowing that God loves us. Our mission should be God’s mission. That is not to condemn the world and those that dwell therein, but to save the world. It is much easier to accomplish this mission with love. It is impossible to do with hatred and self righteousness.
This world needs you, church. Become a light to the world and draw people to Jesus by the love you show to the lovely and the unlovely people that are watching and observing you.
Bro. Bob
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