ICS Daily Devotions
Chosen to Love One Another
1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and his own special people because of the establishment of the New Covenant through the blood of Christ that included the Gentiles.
All of us are partaking the blood of the New Covenant from the same cup when we gather for the Holy Communion. We cannot be fighting with each other after partaking of the New Covenant together. We remember the Lord’s death and His second coming as often as we drink the cup and eat the bread.
He died for us so that we can live our new lives in a community of believers. Jesus will be coming back for His bride, a glorious church, especially a church that is filled with love. The blood of the New Covenant should be pulling and drawing us closer to one another. We are closer than brothers because of the covenant relationship.
When your church is in a time of trouble, what do you do? Do you go to a healthy church? Or do you criticize and stand aloof? Since you are in covenant relationship, you should stand with the church and intercede on behalf of the believers. What happens to them, happens to you.
There are obligations in a covenant relationship. In a biblical example of covenant relationship between Jonathan and David, Jonathan was a tremendous blessing to David despite knowing that David is God’s chosen one and the anointed of God to succeed his father, the king Saul. Jonathan protected David from his own father and warned him of impending danger.
Friends who are in covenant relationship watch out for each other and their families. It was a kind of relationship among two friends that was closer than among brothers.
We need to remember that we have a common enemy. His name is Satan and he has a hierarchy of fallen angels with him. They will do whatever within their abilities to divide and conquer the church, the families, and the individuals. Therefore, we need to watch out for his tricks, schemes and ways. One of the ways for us to overcome them is to walk in love towards one another and ensure that we give no place to the devil and his cohorts.
Romans 13:8 (NKJV) Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 12:5-8 (NKJV) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
We need to see that we are in covenant relationship with one another when we are in the same home church. We are connected with one another in the body of Christ, building up each other in Christ’s gifts and love. We are to walk together regardless whether we are in good or bad times. How we live affect the lives of others, especially the Body of Christ. Let us stay in unity of love and pray for the spiritual impact of our church that we have been called to!
Sermon series: Our Church experiencing God Together (CG campaign 2)
