THE MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER
The church is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ and we who are called in Him are individual members of His body. As individual members of His body, we should have the same care for one another and there should be no schism in the body. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; and if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1Cor. 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
1Cor. 12:25-26 25that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
What is criticism? What is envy?
Criticism and envy are not borne out of love but of hatred. They do not manifest goodwill but enmity because these characteristics originate from Satan and not God. A believer who mistreats his fellow brethren cannot be called a member of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ for he has become a messenger of Satan instead.
1Tim. 6:3-4 3If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,
Phil. 1:16UP The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, …;
Before his departure to Jerusalem, Paul warned the believers that among themselves some would speak perverse things that would lead to hostility and divisions.
Acts 20:29-30 29For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Paul did not regard the church of Corinth as a spiritual church but a carnal church for there were envy, strife and divisions among them.
Some believers said, “I am of Paul”, or “I am of Apollos”, or “I am of Cephas”. Thus, they were no different from worldly people.
1Cor. 1:11-12 11For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are contentions among you. 12Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ."
1Cor. 3:1-4 1And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?
Those who are spiritual do not envy but love one another, bear all things and believe all things. Conversely, those who are carnal are incapable to love but thrive on contentions and divisions.
1Cor. 13:4,7 4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Phil. 2:14-15 14Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “…and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”
Matt. 12:25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
It is a common trick of Satan to infiltrate and destroy God’s church by stirring up dissension among members, causing them to fight among themselves and be divided against itself.
Today, some members may have already fallen into the snares of Satan. They vent their anger by uttering harsh words to verbally attack God’s appointed workers. They even claim to be following the will of the Holy Spirit but their real intention is for the divine workers to fail in their entrusted mission.
These believers justify their actions by claiming that they are merely following the will of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, it is obvious that their actions have gone beyond the teachings of the Bible. They lack compassion and neither worried nor grieved but rejoiced in the failure of fellow members in discharging their divine duties.
Man is not God, there is none who is blameless before Him.
We must remember that the rise and fall of a church depend on how we correct our fellow believers through love and compassion.
How should we react to the trespasses of other members?
It is out of our love for other members that we reproach them strictly. Although we may cause them anguish and tears, this is incomparable to the perils that arise from the attacks of the enemy.
The Bible records that love edifies. Thus, it is only through love that we can build ourselves up [in the most holy faith].
1Cor. 8:1LP …. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
Phil. 2:2-5 2fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
Eph. 4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Jude 1:17-21 17But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. 20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
As members of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, may all of us take heed and keep His teachings in our hearts, care for one another and strive together for our belief and His gospel. Amen!
(The Holy Spirit Times – 28.02.1964 - ACTS-2023-0506)