SANTOSO
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- Jul 15, 2020
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Brother, you seem nice, but worrying about someone else and their salvation can get old real quick.
Not every Christian you run across is going to be nice, in fact, Jesus Himself wasn't really nice to certain groups of people while He was here. He was more than justified in His anger at times.
It's great when we can have fellowship with one another, but not every person that claims to be a Christian really is, especially on here.
Dear brother,
This is what we have heard:
Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. -Philippians 2:17
Isn’t this love ? With great love apostle Paul declared this.
Likewise, we have heard :
For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. -1 Corinthians 4:15
I urge you, then, be imitators of me. -1 Corinthians 4:16
How are we to imitate the apostles who became our fathers through the gospel ?
This is what we have heard:
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. -1 Thessalonians 5:14
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. -1 Thessalonians 5:15
Likewise, we heard:
And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, -2 Timothy 2:24
correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, -2 Timothy 2:25
and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. -2 Timothy 2:26
Dear brother, I confess I make many mistakes. I had frustration over some people in Christian forum before, too. I realized many who are unaware that they make unhealthy remarks that are hurtful. But God have humbled me to understand that I owe much love to the Lord and now how much I need to love those whom God calls me to love.
Yes, we can be afflicted by those whom we are called to love. We need to bear with those who wronged. Who can stand that ? Unless we seek the Lord’s strength to forgive those who wronged us. It hurts. It pains. It is a sacrifice.
This is what we have heard how we are being shepherded by the Lord :
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." -Revelation 7:17
Yes, we do cry now as being shepherded ! We do mourn now as being shepherded ! But the Lord comfort us in our afflictions and deliver us out of all fear.
Yes, we need more of the Lord’s steadfast love in our life so that we can cast all fears and reach out to those whom the Lord calls us to love.
Even the Lord will not let anger, frustration, insults be in the way of love, as we have heard:
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. -Matthew 5:22
So, we should be like the Lord and seek
His strength not to be angry but to show mercy and steadfast love. We need reconciliation with those whom the Lord calls us to love. We are made right because God reconciles us through Christ Jesus. Likewise those whom the Lord calls us to love are being made right— not because of our righteousness— but righteousness that comes from God, that is, our Lord who love us and gave Himself for us — as a righteous sacrifice.
Let His good Spirit lead us on level grounds.
Let Him lead us on the path of righteousness. Let Him teach us to exercise the gifts of the Spirit in His Spirit of love.
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