Jesus Christ “…gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4); furthermore, “…He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).
 
The Son of God died for us! He committed no sin (compare 1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15).
 
However, the Bible clearly reveals and bluntly states this about the rest of mankind: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Here is the reason: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8).
 
A change must occur!
 
For those who have this knowledge; who have been called by God; who have repented of sin; and who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit–conversion is taking place if we are continuing to become more and more like Jesus Christ!
 
Becoming a Christian is not just a single event–something we choose to say we are–it is a process of living just like Christ lived! Note how Paul addresses this:
 
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).
 
Now, while we are instructed to “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), we are additionally reminded that we are still battling sin:
 
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2).
 
While we have just once again commemorated the death of Jesus Christ by observing the Passover (compare 1 Corinthians 11:23-26), we now are in the midst of observing the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread–which includes a special Holy Day on both the first and last of these days (compare Leviticus 23:6-8). During this time we are to eat only bread (or other food) that is unleavened, as well as put all leaven out of our homes. In addition, God’s instruction is that some unleavened bread is to be eaten each day of this Feast (compare Exodus 13:3-10).
 
Paul uses this observance to show that we are to also be removing sin from our lives—this is what the true Church of God has continued to practice:
 
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
 
As we carefully clean our lives of leaven–a type of sin–let us be even the more diligent to remove and eliminate sin, “…for sin is the transgression of the law” (KJV 1 John 3:4).

In less than three days, baptized members of the Church of God will observe the annual Passover, by humbly participating in the foot-washing ceremony and by soberly partaking of unleavened bread and red wine, symbolizing the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They will deeply appreciate the solemn occasion of this unique festival, reflecting on the death of their Savior and High Priest, who was willing to die for them so that they could live.

They will have examined themselves to make sure that they will not eat of the bread and drink of the wine in an unworthy manner—that they will not be guilty of refusing to discern the Lord’s body. They will have tested themselves to see convincing evidence that Jesus Christ is indeed living within them. They will have reflected on the incredible love which both God the Father and Jesus Christ bestowed on them; and when they participate in the Passover service, they will again be reminded of the great Sacrifice that the God Family was willing to make for them.

In His great love which far exceeds the love of any man, the Father gave His only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but could inherit everlasting life.  Jesus Christ was filled with the same godly love. He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God the Father, but He was willing to give up His glory and divinity to become a man; to live and die in the flesh; to struggle against and overcome sin; and to cope with and endure the trials of life.

He knew His fate from the beginning. He KNEW that Judas would betray Him. He KNEW that all—even His closest disciples and friends—would deny and forsake Him and leave Him alone, showing no empathy for His suffering and pain. He KNEW that His own mother and His brothers and sisters would, at first, not believe in Him, thinking that He had become insane. He KNEW that He would be betrayed and delivered into the hands of Gentile sinners and the Jewish leadership. He KNEW that He would be illegally arrested at night, under the “cover” of darkness; illegally “tried”; blasphemed; spit at and hit; beaten under Pilate several times, with more than just 39 stripes at a time.

He KNEW that He would be mocked and tortured and finally crucified to experience a most excruciating death. He KNEW that this trial would be extremely difficult to bear, and He confided in His disciples how distressed He was until His “baptism” was accomplished; and He even prayed that if it was possible, that “cup” would be taken away from Him.

It is terrible enough when a guilty person has to suffer such a cruel and inhumane “penalty,” which only the sick, Satan-inspired human mind could have concocted; but Jesus was completely innocent, even by the legal standards of man. His arrest, “trial,” torturous “punishment”  and execution by crucifixion were illegal and in violation of the Jewish law—a blatant miscarriage of “justice” and an abomination in the eyes of God.

And Christ KNEW it, ahead of time! He KNEW that evil selfish power-hungry hypocritical men would kill Him under the disguise of false accusations. He KNEW that He would be “taken from prison and judgment,” and illegally murdered instead. He was willing to accept this fate as a humble, quiet “lamb”—and He did it for you and for me. He was willing to die for our sins, paying our deserved penalty on our behalf. Even though technically, Romans and Jews killed Christ, in reality, we all killed Him. We all brutally participated in and consented to the illegal arrest, “trial,” torture and murder of a completely innocent man—a “righteous man”—GOD in the flesh. We all killed the One who created us—the One who gave us our very life! THAT IS WHY converted members of the Church of God deeply and soberly reflect, before and during the Passover service, on what they did to Christ, and what Christ did and does for them.

Even though this occasion is a memorial of His death, it is also pointing to the joyful time of His return. On every Passover evening, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Even before Christ entered into the final hours of His human life—a life which was rejected by all—He focused on the time of joy which would follow. It was for the joy that was set before Him, that He was willing to endure the cross and despise the shame; and He told His disciples, before going together to the garden of Gethsemane to face His merciless accusers and enemies, that His joy would be in His people.

When we participate in the Passover service within a few days, let us deeply and humbly reflect on its fundamental and momentous meaning: God became man to suffer and die for us—the Righteous and Just for the unrighteous and unjust—so that we, who were the enemies of God, could become His friends, experience healing and ultimately everlasting life with Him in His very Family. That is LOVE—the love of GOD.

Many of us have decisions to make each and every day. Some decisions come easily; so easily that we may make them on auto pilot. Other decisions may take some thought and extra effort. And then there are the BIG decisions!

One of those BIG decisions may involve difficulties that we may have with another person or persons. We are all unique with different personalities, different levels of understanding and may be from different cultures. There may be other factors involved, including age, marital status, personal likes and dislikes, and how seriously we take God’s instructions as outlined in His Word.

Some little while ago, I had a brief “difficulty” with another Church member, and I knew what the instruction in Matthew 5:23-24 clearly stated: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

What was I to do?  Ignore this because pride got in the way and because I thought that I was right, or “bite the bullet” and make the peace? Usually there is right and wrong on both sides of almost every disagreement and in the final analysis, does it really matter who was right or wrong?

I did make the right decision to reconcile and because the other person must have felt the same, we resolved what was a relatively minor problem pretty quickly because both parties knew that this was God’s Way. Decision time had arrived, and I believe that both parties passed the test.

When Jesus Christ was hanging on the stake, He made this astonishing statement, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).  Here was a completely innocent Man, asking His heavenly Father to forgive those who had committed this vile and most painful of acts against Him.  And yet, sometimes, we can hold grudges against others for months and years!  

It is surely one of the great paradoxes of our time that the odd innocent word – or even look – can cause so many problems, but much more serious issues are accepted as the norm. It is a great irony, a self-contradiction that can permeate our so-called civilised society.  
 
There is such a sensitivity with words today that people can easily take offence – sometimes – or even often – where no offence was meant. 
 
Over the years, I’m sorry to say, there have been situations where Church brethren have been offended, albeit over minor matters in many cases – but God’s people really should be above those sorts of things. But, unfortunately, these things do happen.  It is a sign of character to see how we react in times of pressure and trial.  

In a little bit over a week, baptized members of the Church of God will be taking the Passover. Have they left “their gift at the altar” and attempted to reconcile with anyone who may have something against them?   If not, they will be ignoring the clear biblical teaching on the matter and the consequences could be grave. If this does apply to us, it is incumbent on us to do something about it – and quickly. When I reconciled with the person whom I spoke about earlier, I felt better for having done so and for having followed God’s instruction on the matter. I am sure that the other person will have felt the same.

If anyone still has any outstanding situations that fit into this category, it is now “decision time”. What decision will be made?

Satan would love nothing more than to drive a wedge into our spiritual life and separate us from God. His ultimate goal is to do whatever he can to take us out of the Church, the body of Christ. Now, especially at this pre-Passover time of the year and at this juncture in the end-time, he is for sure doing all that he can to disrupt us in our walk towards the Plan of God.

Imagine a spirit being that has been around for eons – 6,000 years would be a short time to him.  Knowing that he only had this short time, he, as an entity that never tires, would be relentless in his goal to derail true Christians.  Night and day, he would accuse the brethren before God (Revelation 12:10), and he would walk around seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8; Job 1:7; 2:2). 

Now imagine that this very short period of 6,000 years is almost up.  How much more, if it were possible, would Satan be stepping up his effort to thwart the Plan of God? 

God would love nothing more than to have us as members of His Family in His Kingdom.  His ultimate goal is to do whatever He can to see that we are successful in this calling.  Now, especially at this pre-Passover time of the year and at this juncture in the end-time, He is for sure doing all that He can to reconcile us in our walk towards the Plan of God.

Imagine a loving God—the Father—who has inhabited eternity with only one other Family member—Jesus Christ. After all that time, He began carrying out His plan that included fashioning the physical universe with all the laws to govern it. God also created man and gave him His laws to be governed by.  He sacrificed His only Son to pay for the penalty for our sin in order that we may live and have access to His Power – the Holy Spirit which further aids us in attaining His goal for us—to grant us the awesome opportunity to qualify for a position in His Kingdom and Family. 

Now imagine we only have a short time left.  We are quickly coming to a crossroads – a time when God will pronounce His final judgment on the firstfruits of His creation.  Then, in the twinkling of an eye, it will all be decided.  Do we sense the urgency?

We must be committed to the Work of God in supporting its effort to preach and publish the gospel of the kingdom of God in all the world as a witness. The gospel is a message of good news from the God Family, including the fact that God’s government will be established on the earth at the return of Christ. We manifest our financial commitment to God not only by tithing to the Work, but also by additional financial means. Tithing is required; but if we only carry out our duty, then we are rendered unprofitable servants. Luke 17:7-10 makes this very clear, quoting Christ’s words as follows: 

“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”

A much better way of telling how deep our commitment to God and His Work is, is by focusing on our offerings to God. They will show where our heart is, and where we want our treasure to be. Matthew 6:21 tells us: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

We are commanded to tithe, and we are commanded to give offerings. The amount of the tithe—ten percent of our increase or earnings—is pre-determined. The amount of our free-will offerings is not. And how we determine these amounts is indicative of where our heart really is.

In fact, there are two types of offerings mentioned in Scripture. The first category refers to the annual Holy Day offerings which we are commanded to give on each of the seven Holy Days. Deuteronomy 16:16-17, referring to the three Holy Day seasons (in the spring, in the beginning of summer and in the autumn), states:

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you.”

In order to give an offering which is pleasing to God, we need to think about it and plan for it ahead of time. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.

The other type of offering refers to those kinds of additional occasional contributions which we might decide to give to the Work of God throughout the year, apart from the bi-weekly or monthly tithe and the seven annual Holy Day offerings. These also show to God where a person’s heart really is.

What is interesting to note again is that no fixed amount is mentioned in the Bible as to how much we give for offerings. The criteria we are to use are how much we are blessed, not only in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual food and knowledge that one receives from God through His servants. This is something on which one cannot put a price tag. Rather, it is like the famous pearl of great price.

Of course, when we pay God’s tithe and give Him an offering, we are not to boast about it, but we are doing it quietly, discreetly, and from the heart. God can and will, in His due time, bless us openly when we behave with a right attitude. Remember, God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).

This world places too much trust in people and physical things. Many times people don’t end up getting what they ask for and what they want. The reason becomes obvious when we consider how they ask, what they ask for and whom they ask. Many forget or don’t even know about the bigger picture and who it is that supplies all desires and who is the source of trust.

Where do so many people put their trust?  They trust in riches, in their jobs, in their boss and co-workers, in physical things, or in certain individuals like a doctor or a lawyer; they trust in their religion, friends and family and their mate; or they trust in their political leadership or the opposition.

So where do WE put our trust?  Do we put our trust in the same things that the world does?  Do we put our trust in what we hear on TV or what we read in the paper, as distinguished from our weekly updates?  Do we trust in man like a political leader; for instance, the president?  Do we trust in our country?  Do we trust in a false god and false religion or a false teaching?

Micah 7:5-7 tells us that we should not even put our ultimate trust in a friend or any human being, including ourselves, and Proverbs 20:19 states that we must be careful with certain people. The Bible also warns those who put their trust in money: “He who trusts in his riches will fall” (Proverbs 11:28).

We should know whom we ought to trust. But do we? Do we really trust God the Father; Jesus Christ; God’s Word, the Bible; and God’s Church—the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15)?

We must never leave God out of the picture.  It is through God and because of God that we can have certain trust in selected individuals, but we must be aware that trials will come to test our trust. We also have to be careful that we don’t trust in ourselves, without God in the picture, as it says in Proverbs 28:25-26: “He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered. He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

Tough times are ahead of us, and as the Church’s annual conference approaches in just a few days, tough decisions may have to be made.  We have been admonished by the ministry to pray and even fast for the success of the conference, and that everything will be done and decided with total trust in God. This principle applies to every facet in our individual lives as well.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us: “Trust in the LORD  with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” When we trust in Him, He will give us the desires of the heart, as it says in Psalm 37:3-4.

We read about several individuals in the Bible who put their trust in God, like David who went to God many times in prayer to ask for deliverance from his persecutors (compare 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 7:1).  Job went through some very serious trials and had to trust God that there were reasons for his suffering. Abraham trusted in God when he was to offer his son as a sacrifice. Moses had to trust God when he was commanded to free Israel from Egypt. Even Jesus Christ, when He was on this earth, had to trust in His Father to get through many trials, and also, when He was being tempted by Satan. Christ could have sinned because He was in fact human, but through trust, faith, and the power of His Father’s Holy Spirit in Him was He able to overcome and remain sinless. He did it for us, for our benefit, so we could inherit eternal life.  

Trust and faith do go together.  We can’t have faith if we don’t have trust, and we must pray with good intentions, as it says in Hebrews 13:18-19: “Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.”

The Bible prophesies that times will get more and more tough. We have to stay strong and trust in God and what God promises us.  The world is blind and in darkness. They don’t realize what is to come in the near future. If we are ever in doubt about somebody or something, we should always remind ourselves who it is that we can count on at all times, and where we should put our trust. Remember: In God We Trust!!

Without question we tend to spend too much of our time on those things that prove to be unimportant. It just kind of happens! But how much of our efforts are focused on the priorities of our lives—especially, the one that is preeminent?
 
Jesus unequivocally taught that His followers must establish and then keep as their first priority an abiding love for Him. That love finds definition in what He stated: “‘If you love Me, keep My commandments’” (John 14:15).
 
More specifically, Jesus gave this over-arching answer to what is most important—what is the greatest commandment for us to keep:
 
“‘“And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment’” (Mark 12:30).
 
Solomon wrote of this, and he warned of the alternative that people so often and so easily embrace:
 
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
 
Do we know better than God? As preposterous as this question is, it seems that we answer “yes” when we don’t obey God. Issues such as: prayer; Bible study; fasting; Sabbath attendance and fellowship; in loving one another and resolving hurt feelings; in faithfully tithing; in taking sound guidance through sermons, writings and personal counsel; and, in being faithful to the truth of God—all of these and more are matters in which we must not compromise!
 
When we do wake up and realize that our life’s course no longer mirrors God’s, then it is time to seek God:
 
“‘Now, therefore,’ says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning’” (Joel 2:12; also, verses 13-14).
 
Is God really and truly first in your life, and do you believe that “with all of your heart”?

As you will see from the announcements in this week’s Update, a new child was born on Sunday; and last Sabbath, a new child was spiritually begotten into the Family of God, through baptism. Those who understand the truth may want to contemplate again on the marvelous parallel between the begettal and birth of a human child, and the spiritual begettal of a child of God and his or her future birth into God’s Kingdom. Those who do not understand this amazing analogy and falsely believe that we are already born again when we receive God’s Holy Spirit, miss out on one of the most important truths in the Word of God.

As we know, the Greek word, which is variably translated as “begotten” or “conceived” or “born” or “brought forth,” is “gennao,” and it can indeed mean all of those terms—it is just a matter of context. However, when addressing the spiritual begettal and birth process, the Bible clearly says that a born-again person IS spirit and invisible (John 3:6, 8); and nobody, who is still human, is therefore born again. Christ also said that we must be born again to be able to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3). This is true as the Kingdom of God is the Family of GOD, composed of Spirit, and human eyes cannot see God or the Kingdom of God (1 Timothy 6:16). We even read that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). In order to be able to enter God’s Kingdom, we must be spirit, as God is Spirit (John 4:24), and we must be God, as God is God (1 Corinthians 15:49; Hebrews 1:1-3).

Still, the amazing truth is that when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at the time of our baptism (after repentance and faith in the Sacrifice of Christ and belief in the gospel of the Kingdom of God), we are begotten by the Spirit, and we have thereby already become children of God; or, we might say, we have become part of the Kingdom of God “in embryo.” As begotten children, we must grow in the knowledge and understanding of the truth (2 Peter 3:18).

We are desirous of the pure milk of the word (1 Peter 2:2), being nurtured by our “mother” (Galatians 4:26)– the church of God — as a new-born human child is being fed and cared for by his or her human mother (compare Ephesians 4:11-16, telling us that we are to be edified by the ministry to be able to grow up in all things into Christ). Notice the interesting analogy, which Paul uses in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8: “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you have become dear to us.”

And in that sense, Paul could also say that “in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore, I urge you, imitate me (1 Corinthians 4:15-16; compare Philemon 10). Of course, the One who REALLY begets us is God the Father (as a human father begets a child).

1 Peter 1:3-5 tells us:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be REVEALED in the last time.”

When our salvation is revealed, at the time of Jesus Christ’s return, then the following breath-taking prophecy will become reality: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has NOT YET been REVEALED what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Then we will be able to see the Kingdom of God. But not only that, we even read in Romans 8:19 that “the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the REVEALING of the sons of God.”

As Spirit-begotten children of God, we ought to have the desire to become perfect, as the Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48); to become pure as Jesus Christ is pure (1 John 3:3); to overcome the world, Satan and self, as Christ overcame (Revelation 3:21; John 16:33; Matthew 4:1-11;  Romans 8:3) . John reminds us of the following plain facts, as they apply (or should apply) to, and define Spirit-begotten children of God:

“If you consider that he [Jesus] is righteous, you also know that everyone who acts in righteousness is begotten by him” (1 John 2:29; New American Bible).

“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God” (1 John 4:7; New American Bible)

“For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world” (1 John 5:3-4; New American Bible). 

Christ draws this marvelous analogy between the birth of a humanly begotten child and the birth of a Spirit-begotten child, when He says in John 16:21-22:

“A woman, when she is in labor has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.”

Zion—our mother, the church of God—will give birth to the holy nation of God in one day (Isaiah 66:8; compare 1 Peter 2:9-10)—the day of Christ’s return. When that day arrives, we—who have made ourselves ready (Revelation 19:7)–will be truly born again and enter into the joy of our God (Matthew 25:21)—and trouble and pain and tears and death will not exist for us any longer (Revelation 21:4).

Whenever we have a problem, whether large or small, the expression that “there is always someone worse off than you” can often be mentioned.   Of course, it will always be true for everyone except for that poor soul who is at the bottom of the pile!   However, it can be a way of inferring, without actually saying it, that we should count our blessings and not complain.

In December last year, my wife and I visited family in Thailand and, whilst we were there, we decided that my wife should stay on for a few more weeks to spend time with our two very young grandsons – and to help out with babysitting duties!   I returned home in late December, on my own, to find our home flooded with water.   We had had two different leaks in the extremely cold weather that the UK had been experiencing at that time, and many others had suffered the same fate!   I also had had quite a fall, either bruising or cracking some ribs.   There were other problems too that I was experiencing and dealing with, and I don’t always count it joy, as we are admonished, when such a profusion of events pile up!

My insurance company sorted out accommodation for me, and whilst I was feeling sorry for myself at the discouraging turn of events, an employee at the hotel where I was temporarily staying told me that he was going to the hospital that afternoon, as he was in pain from the bowel cancer that he was suffering from.   He was very positive about fighting that dreaded disease but also mentioned that, not long ago, his wife had been in a car accident where she had lost the lower part of one of her legs.

Oops.   I was being taught a lesson by a non-church member who, at that particular moment, was much more positive than I was, and his problems were far greater than mine.   Indeed, he and his wife were certainly much worse off than I was.

The timing was perfect.   It shook me up.   How many times have those from outside the church taught us lessons when we should have known better?   I would hazard a guess that, at times, we have all fallen short in this area! It was time to do better and, hopefully, from that moment on, I improved. We can all learn from others, and non-church members can be helpful, at times, in assisting us to see our faults and what we need to do. There is always someone worse off!

Volumes of books have been written, sermon after sermon has been given, and debates have taken place in the pursuit of defending positions and answering in the affirmative that one’s organization is in fact the place that Christians should go to congregate. In reality, there is a quick and simple litmus test that will suffice: Is there love for one another there?

If we are genuinely a Christian we will have godly love for our brothers in Christ and they will in turn be displaying the same attitude towards us. The true church is then a collection of these type of individuals.

Because if love for one another exists, then we:

• will be following the example and command of Christ (John 15:12, 17)
• are treating others better than ourselves (Romans 12:10)
• are fulfilling the law (Romans 13:8)
• serve each other (Galatians 5:13)
• humbly bear others (Ephesians 4:2)
• stir up good works (Hebrews 10:24)
• are begotten of God (1 John 4:7)
• have God in us (1 John 4:12)
• keep God’s commandments (1 John 5:2)

It is no small thing that we have been admonished to do. We cannot take this lightly and be hearers only, but because this is an integral part of our calling, we need to be doers as well. So we are to continue to grow, “increase and abound in love to one another” as we have been taught by God (1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9).

This was once a new commandment (John 13:34): new at the time Christ gave it and new for us when we first came in the church. Now it is something that we should have been conscientiously living by for some time. And if we have been doing so, then it will be an identifier not only to us that we are His disciples (John 13:35), but more importantly for others that we are Christians in the true church of God.