A Journey Into Divine Love预览

You were not meant to do life alone.

The Christian life does not really exist without sincere, loving relationships. It would be a loveless faith, which is no faith at all. If Yeshua’s love is in us, then it needs to be displayed not only in our relationship with Him but in the way we relate to—and enjoy and forgive and encourage and love— other people.

To participate fully in the life of Yeshua, we must live in relationship with other people. Messiah Jesus prayed in John 17 that His people would be one, even as He is one with the Father. Notice this is a group endeavor, not a program for lone rangers.

The enemy is the one who divides and isolates. God always unites and draws people together. In fact, the promises of God in the New Testament are usually given as corporate promises, not individual ones. They are given to a body of people. Paul never conceived of individual Christians pursuing their faith journeys alone. Rather, he spent a lot of time teaching local groups of Christians how to get along with one another. Take a look at just some of the things he wrote, encouraging unity and peace:

Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. —Romans 16:17–20

Always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. —1 Thessalonians 5:15

In other words, we all need to be connected to one another, though we differ significantly. None of us are islands unto ourselves. We are each called to be a part of Jesus’ body.