2. The second identifying sign is
“He who does not love his brother is not of God”
Loving one’s brother is not so
difficult to understand as practicing righteousness, for it is clearly defined
saying; “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us, we also
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s
goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does
the love of God abide in him? My little children let us not love in word or in
tongue, but in deed (action) and in truth” (1John 3:16-18).
One important admonition we have
regarding the poor is; “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren,
within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you
shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you
shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need
whatever he needs,” For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I
command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your
poor and your needy, in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8, 11).
These are the two outward signs or
hallmarks that differentiates and identifies the children of God from the
children of the devil, the question is, are we able to identify ourselves with
them? For in the scripture it states: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and
precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to
shame.”
Now to you who believe, this stone
is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone,” and, ‘A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock
that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message – which is
also what they were destined for” (1Peter 2:6-7).
The message or word which they were
destined to do, but stumbled because of disobedience is no other than the
message of the cross and of Course its practical application. To the Jews a
stumbling block: and to the Gentiles and those who are perishing foolishness,
but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.
Jesus Christ plainly stated; “I am
the way (representing His body depicted by the unleavened bread), the truth(representing
Jesus Christ Himself the Word of God sitting at the right hand of the Father interceding
on our behalf) and the life (representing the blood of Jesus Christ for the
life of every creature is in the blood, depicted by the wine). No one comes to
the Father except through Me.
And so, we have been duly
forewarned saying; “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to
wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless,
is it not the communion (fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we
break, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the body of Christ? For we,
though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1Corinthians
10:14-17).
It is the lack of understanding and
proper application of this very important message of the cross that many believers
perish as we have been duly instructed saying; “Therefore whoever eats this
bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of
the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him
eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an
unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's
body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” (1
Corinthians 11:27-30).
It is the improper discernment of
the message of the cross and its application as to when and how to apply it that
is the main downfall of the Christian community despite the fact that we have
been duly instructed saying; “Command the children of Israel, and say to them,
'My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you
shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time” (Numbers
28:2).
And the appointed time to offer the
Lord the food for His offerings is clearly defined in scriptures. These times
of ignorance God has winked at and now commands every man everywhere to repent.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BFP1SMV
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9QXQ4E
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FV4WTWQ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYGDD7M
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJJ9M1X7
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
No comments:
Post a Comment