Members of One Another
Members of One Another
Christians sustain a unique relationship to one another. Being “born again” into the family of God, we have a spiritual heritage as God’s children, brothers and sisters in the Lord. These familial terms describe the “one another” relationship that we introduced last week. This week, we’ll begin exploration of the obligations, privileges, and restraints of this relationship.
Two Great Evangelistic Principles:
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.";
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
John 17:20-23 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”
Jesus, in the night He was betrayed commanded that the disciples “love one another” and later prayed for those that would believe through the disciples’ teaching “that they may all be one.” These two principles would bear witness to the world that, 1) they were His disciples and, 2) that God has sent Jesus. Love and unity that the world may know…It’s a great responsibility!
“One Another”
The Greek word (in English letters) ALLELON, translated “one another,” is used over 40 times describing specific, reciprocal duties of Christians. It is used 16 times describing negative things. All this is based on our being “members of the same body.” A sampling of passages show that, positively, we are to love, be devoted to, honor, be of the same mind, accept, admonish, greet, serve, bear burdens, bear with, encourage, forgive, and submit to one another. Negatively, we must not hate, betray, lust after, cause to stumble, bite and devour, provoke, envy, lie to, show malice toward, speak evil of, begrudge, etc., one another.
God help us as we study some of the most needed and practical ways to improve our relationships in body of Christ and, specifically, this local church.
