06/11/2011 - TREATING OUR BRETHREN WELL

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Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content

Philippians 4:11

The love of the Apostle Paul towards his brethren in faith was real, true and without any self-serving purposes. Yet, there is nothing sadder than to see many Christians replacing love for feelings that do not please the Lord. Some, interested only in the profit they can derive from others, start to act treacherously just as the staunchest unbelievers do. Now, that should not happen among the saved ones because their love must be true; after all, if a bit of pretense is found in them, there will be an equal dosage of demonic action – and woe to those who give the devil permission to use them!

We show that we love God when we have that same feeling towards our brethren and not when we use the divine commandments only in our favor which, by the way, would be sheer selfishness. God’s love is completed whenever we see someone – whether a neighbor or a stranger – going through a difficult situation and we feel compelled to help them. Have you ever thought of consecrating yourself in favor of those who live in a distant country; or in favor of the poor and miserable? Would you be willing to sacrifice your life to go to far-ff regions in order to talk about Jesus to those people?

What is the meaning of loving your brethren? It is giving yourself over to God in order to obtain the revelations that they need to have; it is to put up a battle prayer, as if you were at war, in favor of someone who is falling into transgression, who is acting in a manner contrary to the Bible, sinking in vanity or committing any other sin.

What we see among the people of God is the condemnation of those who departed from the Way. Yet, we need to pay heed to this fact: we only love God if we also love our brother the same way we love ourselves. What to say about those who are lost, those who do not even know that they were already chosen by our Father and that they could be one of us? Sometimes we condemn them, don’t we? However, we must oppose sinful practices and not the sinners.

Regardless of who the saved ones are, everybody should be our joy. After all, those people are members of the same Body we are a part of: The Body of Christ. What would become of our life if, for instance, our liver waged war against our heart or if our eye did not like our feet and if the tongue did not like the mouth? Hard questions, aren’t they? Likewise, the Body of Christ suffers when we think and behave in an opposite manner to what has been pre-established. We have to love one another to fulfil the divine commandment.

Saving the lost is the Lord’s greatest mission in our days and those who convert to Him are our reward! We may not even know why one day we spoke in tongues. Wouldn’t it be so because we were interceding for the conversion of those who are lost?

My brother, what is the point of despising the children or the siblings our Father gave us? Undoubtedly, the salvation of any sinner greatly increases our reward. Those brethren from Philippi were firm in the Lord, so we have to help all those who come to the divine family so that they remain steadfast in the evangelical faith. The success of our brethren will also be our success too. Therefore, take this seriously: pray and do what is necessary both for those who are lost and for those who are saved!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares