Love One Another - Part Four
To read the previous post in this series, please click here.
The Same Care One for Another
John 13 (KJV 2000)
1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.
Ephesians 5 (KJV 2000)
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
1 Corinthians 12 (KJV 2000)
12 For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
18 But now has God set the members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased him.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our less respectable parts have greater respect.
24 For our more respectable parts have no need: but God has arranged the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Would you describe the Body of Christ today as having “no schism”? As having “the same care one for another”? I wouldn’t!
A consciousness of the fact that we are members of one Body would help us walk in love towards one another. One Body, of which we are all members in particular. No matter what issues we have with other members of the body of Christ, we must always try to resolve them in a positive and edifying way which helps the whole Body.
Our membership of one Body cuts across denominational lines. Sometimes I have seen a scandal exposed in one church, and members of other churches join the world in laughing at them. If you joined people to laugh at a drunk man lying in the gutter, you’d probably stop laughing once you noticed it was your brother.
Matthew 25 (KJV 2000)
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was hungry, and you gave me food: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in:
36 Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you hungry, and fed you? or thirsty, and gave you drink?
38 When saw we you a stranger, and took you in? or naked, and clothed you?
39 Or when saw we you sick, or in prison, and came unto you?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Since you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.
To show love to “one of the least of His brethren” is to show love to Christ. To fail to show love to “one of the least of His brethren” is to fail to show love to Christ. He that loves the Body loves our Lord, he that does not love His Body does not love our Lord.
We must have the same care one for another. Our attitudes towards one another shouldn’t be “I have nothing against him”. No, you’re commanded to love sincerely and fervently!
1 Peter 1 (KJV 2000)
22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto sincere love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Corinthians 13 (KJV 2000)
7 [Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Continue in grace!
