Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with you without fear, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.
1 Corinthians 16:10 (emphasis added)

What is it about humanity that we constantly need warnings like this? Why is it that still today we worry about how our friends or family will be treated when they go somewhere? Our ourselves, for that matter. Why is it that what we think about a person dictates how we treat them? This is a huge issue facing the world today. What is it they say? To be against something is to be phobic about it? While that can be true, it should not be the norm. Whether we agree with someone’s lifestyle, politics, religion, or fashion sense, we could still accept the person as someone worthy of being loved. Of being accepted. You don’t have to permit or put up with immoral behaviour and still want the best for someone. God is love. And we are commanded to love. I am capable of saying that God’s morality says X is wrong without being prejudiced, biassed, or against the person doing X. The person has worth and I will respect them because of it. They have a 100% right to choose to live as God says we should or not. I had and have the same choice. Part of what God says to do is love as a choice.

Jesus said it during the last supper. The very last time that He had to teach anything to His disciples, and He mentions it twice. Once in John 13:34-35 and again in John 15:12, 17. Jesus said it when He had limited time. Jesus said it twice. That makes it kind of important, doesn’t it? He doesn’t say it as a stand alone. He didn’t say it off the cuff. He says it as part of a larger web of teaching. Jesus said it was the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36. Paul taught on it in further detail in Romans 13:8-10 “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not give false testimony,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.”

This is a moral conduct issue, then. This is witnessing, because the world doesn’t do this. At all. They have moments of kindness, but they are selfish. They have moments of love, but they walk in grudge more than forgiveness. They have moments of goodness, but at their core nature are not. No one outside of Christ can manage an entire worldview based on unselfish, holy, unconditional love. He is the only one with a righteous nature. If we’re not inhabiting His nature, we’re going to fall back on the patterns of the flesh. If we subject ourselves to Christ Jesus we gain through Grace His Spirit, through whom we have access to all the fruits of the spirit. We have the ability to choose love without agenda. It doesn’t happen automatically. We must choose, declare, and walk in the fruit of the spirit with intent. We must cultivate and tend our spiritual tree. We are commanded to love one another. The world, yes. But also each other within the church itself — something so obvious and basic that most of us miss it completely.

1 Thessalonians 4:9 says “But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.” Brothers and sisters in the Lord should love each other. Accept, support, encourage, and lift each other up. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you” (John 14:26). Holy Spirit will teach us. Guide us. Inform us — in our spirits — on what is the acceptable way of communicating. I cannot tell you how often I am saying something to my kids and a prickling kicks up in my spirit — either a ‘change the words’ or a ‘good words’ prickle. We need to be open, yes. But we need to be motivated by nurturing love. What else does family do? We rise above differences of opinion. We form a unit of diversity devoted and set apart from the rest of the world. A cocoon of kindness toward one another with a bond no one else shares.

As believers we are all in the Body of Christ. We are the Bride of Christ. We are ONE UNIT. We can rise above our differences of opinion. We can rise above minor theological arguments. What if all the different theological points that came to cement denomination were really further revelation and operational options we had within a single church entity? If the offices of the church were given with variety (Ephesians 4:11 tells us “He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers”), then doesn’t it make sense that there is also variety in operation within the body? Perhaps some were meant to walk in faith healing while others were meant to walk in liturgical ceremony and others in riverside baptisms and others in Holy Ghost Singing and Shouting extravaganzas? So that the wide variety of human personality, temperament, and personal comfort level could find a home within the church? Find something that speaks to them where they are at whatever stage of development and spiritual walk they were on? Sanctification is a journey after all. We are never in the same place all the time. We move and walk and journey at all different levels along the experience of life. Doesn’t it make sense that the church was to be a single unit, a single entity, but with many different offices of participation to address that constant flux of the human spirit as we are transformed from who we were to who we are in Christ Jesus our Lord?

You may not believe that or think that, and that’s okay. It’s a thought for consideration, not doctrine to ram down anyone’s throat. What IS something for us all to do. What IS something that IS a command is for us to stick together and be together united in Christ. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the middle of them.” I don’t think He meant to hold us apart while we attempt to punch each other’s faces. Agreement is a key component to standing together and asking the Father. As the same body, the same family of believers, we can put aside our differences and respect each other enough to get along and fellowship. I know, I know. The humanity in us is groaning at the effort that seems to entail. Is there a way to do it? Yes. Being in Jesus will accomplish it if we let Him accomplish it in us.

1 Peter 1:22-23 says “Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.” Being obedient to God and loving is easy when we are in Christ. We are new creatures. Not an identity of sinners saved by Grace — which clings to the unworthy sinner part of salvation. An identity of redemption and having been made new by Grace — which clings to the sin is gone forever through Jesus’ part of our salvation. We have new lives. New spirits. New personalities. Loving one another is a key aspect of the Kingdom. It has been from the beginning (1 John 3:11-17). It is also a proof of our salvation (1 John 3:23-25). When we make it part of our spirit by simply accepting and applying the truth Jesus has for us, we can conquer our love of jealousy and strife replacing it with a love for our fellow brothers and sisters (Philippians 2:3). When we let Jesus renew our spirits, when we strive to develop a fellowship with Jesus through the Word and through prayer, we prosper in all things (3 John verse 2) which includes healing of our hearts, emotions and bodies. New creatures. When we seek the Lord, honestly and in love, we lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). When we love one another honestly, and by conscious choice, we will have good fellowship.

Love one another. It’s a lifestyle. It’s a blessing. And it’s a command.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

As a believer, should anything hold you back? Yes, and yes again. The love of Christ. Jesus died for us. Every one of us. He died for you. Paid the price for your sins. For all sin. Enabled you to choose to have eternal fellowship with His Father in heaven. He died for you and you died in Him. You rose again to life with Him. And now you are a new creature. Hallelujah for that! The love of Christ should be your watchword. The thing you aspire to and that you judge everything by. Because you are living in Him, you should do nothing that He didn’t or wouldn’t do. Jesus is a Righteous Judge (Revelation 19:11). We’re saved by Grace, but Jesus is still the Judge. If Jesus would not condemn, we should not. If Jesus would love, we should love. Period. By Grace, through Faith, in Jesus we can do it. Live righteously in Him as He call us to. He gives us His Spirit so that we can THROUGH HIM achieve Righteousness. Not on our own. On our own, we can do nothing. But the merciful God helps us. Be helped today. Rely on Holy Spirit to keep your paths straight (Proverbs 3:6-7). Accept His love. Walk in his love. He IS love.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.