ICS Daily Devotions
Love In A Living Body
1 John 4:11-13, 20-21 (NKJV) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit……… If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God ；must love his brother also.
The children and young people may be searching for God today. They look upon us and want to know whether we are real regarding what we claim to believe. They should be able to see Christ in us through the love that we have for one another and for them.
There are possible healthy or unhealthy sibling rivalries in a family. Similarly, there will be differences in opinions, personalities, and views from the members in the family of God. What binds us is the love for God and people even when there are differences. Ideally, there should not be any church politics because we have understood the love of God and we are practicing it. We have a chance to search our hearts in every situation because the Holy Spirit will convict us when we have done wrong. We would have reflected on our action at the end of the day. We will also have an opportunity to search our hearts at the Lord’s table before we partake of the Holy Communion.
Matt 5:23-24 (NKJV) Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, an；d then come and offer your gift.
Broken relationships with God’s people are a symptom of a broken relationship with God. If our relationship with God is strong and we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, then we will practice and apply what is mentioned in the verse above. We will make good the relationship with the person whom we have offended immediately. We will not want the offense to continue and affect our relationship with the Heavenly Father. We want to be the first to reach out to make the relationship good.
It may be easier to love God whom we do not see, especially when He is perfect in His ways. It can be challenging to love fellow brothers and sisters when we are able to witness their short comings and weaknesses. It is very easy to be offended, to get into strife and bitterness.
All of us have our short comings. Therefore, Jesus said that we often look at the speck in our brothers but forget the log that is in our own eyes. Nobody was able to lift a stone to stone the woman caught in adultery because everyone was convicted of their sins in their lives. Therefore, we will experience peace in life if we are able to make reconciliation with our brothers and sisters before we approach the throne of God. It keeps us humble and enables to consciously walk in love when we have such an attitude. This is really picking up our cross by crucifying our flesh to follow Christ’s love although our whole being is crying out for vengeance.
We are to pursue love and godliness towards one another by dealing with the differences. We are to choose to forgive and walk in love. Never allow anger, strife and bitterness to simmer in our heart and mind because it will be the devil’s playground. If we are honest with ourselves, our heart will be very hardened towards the person once we harbor bitterness.
A wise Christian knows that since God is gracious towards us then we should also be gracious to the members in the family of God. We should pursue love and reconciliation. The world would be a much better place if we are more loving and gracious towards one another. Since God so loved us, then we ought to also love one another. When we walk in loving relationship with God’s people, the Christian testimony to the world is profound.
Sermon series: Our Church experiencing God Together (CG campaign 1)
