Strive toward Self-less living

2 Corinthians 5: 14-15 

Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. (Message)
2 Corinthians 5: 14-15 
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (NIV)

I love reading two versions of the same passage, side-by-side. I can often see more clearly what the words intend for me to understand. It also helps me see how I can personally apply these words to my own life. For application is where the rubber meets the road. Simply reading these inspired words without giving thought to how they might apply to me, is wasting opportunity for growth.

When Jesus was on the earth, He modeled the selfless life perfectly. Then he admonishes us to do the same. I know that I am far from self-less. In fact I am, more often than not, selfish and make everything all about me and my desires. 

Jesus acted for the benefit of those around him, by thinking of others' needs and suppressing His own desires. Jesus died for each of us. That is the most selfless act of all time. John 15:13 reads: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. We might think we can act like this too. Remember Peter when he told Jesus, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." (John 13:36) We know how that turned out. If not, read John 13:38.

Life lived while deferring to our neighbors, is the type of living Jesus wants for us. Unity will thrive in an environment of selflessness.


2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Best News Ever!

Ephesians 2:16-18 (MSG)
¹⁶  Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility.
¹⁷  Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders.
¹⁸  He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father. 

One of the most difficult things to do is love those who are so different from us. The race issue is one thing, but what about the economic divide? How many times have we avoided someone because the main difference between us was the neighborhood where we lived. The phrase 'from the wrong side of the tracks' is a real thing. We often fear people who live in certain neighborhoods.

I wonder how Jesus would deal with this? Would he be afraid to walk down some streets? Would he avoid some neighborhoods where the people were poor?  Or sick? What do you think? Verse 18 says He treated us as equals, and so made us equals.

There are many barriers that can divide us from other Christians: age, appearance, intelligence, political persuasion, economic status, race, theological perspective. One of the best ways to stifle Christ's love is to be friendly with only those people that we like. Fortunately, Christ has knocked down the barriers and has unified all believers in one family. His cross should be the focus of our unity. The Holy Spirit helps us look beyond the barriers to the unity we are called to enjoy.

                                                                                                               ---Life Application Study Bible

The Jews were near to God and they knew Him and studied scriptures. The Gentiles were far from God, they knew little or nothing about Him. But, neither group could be saved on their own, they could not be saved by their good deeds or knowledge. They both needed to hear about the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. They are/were united in that fact.

The same is true today. We all need the salvation of Jesus. None can achieve eternal life on out own, we are alike and united in this truth. And the best news ever is that Jesus came of all of us!

Ephesians 2:14-21

Jesus Unites

“Why do you do this? Are you paid to come here?” an inmate finally summoned the courage to ask me during a few quiet moments on the Kairos Prison Ministry weekend. It wasn’t the first time an outside volunteer had been queried this way, and it certainly hasn’t been the last, for as incarceration serves its social purposes of justice and protection, the loneliness of isolation and the sense of worthlessness may well be the most difficult aspects of doing time. “We aren’t paid anything,” I replied, “We are here because we have experienced the love and mercy of Christ in our own lives, and we want to share it with you.”

Do we need to hear the percussion of slamming steel doors behind us or to behold the glare of gleaming razor wire above us to understand the reality of separation? No, “alone” may be more acute for the condemned, but we’re all acquainted with its pain. We know relational severance at a human level—whether we suffer it through the sting of death or the shock of rejection, or we be the ones who drive the splintering wedge of division—and we also experience it from in the spiritual sense, because deep inside we know sin separates us from a holy God who will not tolerate evil as we do.

Yet in pure love for us, God sent Jesus to close the gap between us. No one can bring charges against us anymore, for it is God himself who declares our right standing before Him in Christ. No evil power can condemn us, for Jesus intercedes for us before the Father. No society or any of its members can marginalize us as losers, for we are “more than conquerors” through Him who gave His life so we may gain ours. And nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I think my newfound friend dared to believe me, for, no longer isolated from care, he began to open up about his dreams, his aspirations after release, and his possibilities in a new life of freedom. Hope was stirring.

Father, thank you for uniting me with you through Jesus, who died for my sins and who raises me to new and forever life in Himself. Send your Spirit to live in me, that I would flourish in the truth of your love; then send me to others with the liberating message of unity with you through Christ. In His name, I pray. Amen.

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:33-39

Christ in me is salvation.

Living with Arms Locked in Unity

What a contrast we, as Americans, observed about the nature of man. Over the past couple of weeks, we witnessed actions of hate and bigotry on August 12th. August 25th, when Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas, unity, love, and concern for one another surfaced. Though most of us were complete strangers we watched, prayed, and then acted.

Romans 3:22-23 (MSG) 
The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. 

Strangers jumped into action in stunning ways. Memories of the shouts and acts of hate only two weeks before changed, as the observer watches a nation rally to support and rescue those caught in the devastation of a powerful storm. 

People rallied to help their brothers and sisters. We loved strangers - those we declared so different from us. We cared, we grieved, we rejoiced when we saw the response of people sacrificially love all hurting people.

Romans 3:23-24 (MSG) 
Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

Oh, what joy it would be if from this day forward we lived and loved as we did this past week. No prejudice, no judgment, no differences to set us a odds with one another. Compassion and the desire to make a difference can help us stand, forever locked arm-in-arm.

Romans 3:21-29

United we Stand

Ephesians 4:13 (NIV) 
¹³  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

The verse preceding this talks about preparing God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. I read the text for today several times before writing; trying to wrap my mind around just what was meant in verse 13.  The message shared at the worship service I attended today was helpful.

Our church is learning how to reach outside our walls, to build relationships with others, to invite people into our lives.  Through these relationships, we begin to care for each other. The goal is to get to the point where our new friends are curious about our faith. When they begin to ask questions, we are preparing how to answer with truth and love.

The key is unity. We need to be united in mind and spirit in order to be able to share our faith. It is important we are comfortable with each other, and that we have a few special friends praying for us as we journey out into the mission field of life.

Some of us will be called to provide food or shelter, meet the physical needs of people who are struggling just to live each day. Some of us will be called to befriend a lost or lonely person – visit a nursing home, a homeless shelter.  And some of us will be called to share our faith.

It is all possible when we are united in Christian love and have a heart to bring others into this community.

Ephesians 4:4-6,13

“WE” vs “THEY”

Philippians 2: 1-11

 

Many months ago, our church was in turmoil over choices/decisions being made which were unpopular (not unbiblical) leading to some dissention, adversarial confrontations and lack of trust.  I found myself thinking and commenting (a more civilized term for “angrily spewing”) about others who did not agree with me and were being “so negative.”

 
One day, right in the middle of another one of my tirades about “them,” shaking my finger at an invisible, mostly unknown group of “They,” God quietly asked, “Who are ‘They’?”  And answered the question Himself in a way that made me stop mid-sentence: “Don’t you and “they” attend the same services?  Belong to the same body of believers – My body? Want the best for my Church?”  The light dawned in my brain – in the body of Christ, there is no “we” and “they” – it is all “we.”

Live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you. [vs 2, Phillips]

 

Lord, forgive me of my polarizing thoughts, my judgmental statements, my elevated view of my opinion.  Help me, when there are disagreements among us, to refuse to allow my thoughts and communication to disintegrate into “we vs they” camps. Give strength and courage to be able to say, “We together have a problem, let’s work it out together with God’s help.”

None of you should think only of his own affairs, but should learn to see things from other people’s point of view. [vs 4, Phillips]

 
There’s an older contemporary song that says:

            We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,

And we pray that our unity will one day be restored

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Can we be one? Can our unity be restored? Can we come together to solve our differences?  Can we do it?  Only as we allow our Mighty God to guide us and have His way in our midst.

 

Dear, Lord Jesus, help us listen to You and to one another as we seek to live well together as Your Church. “Above all things [help us] be loving, humble, united”*

 

*from the introduction note for Philippians 2: 1-11 in Phillips translation

You before Me

Acts 21:13 (NLT)
¹³  But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 

'It's not all about me', is a phrase coined from Rick Warren's popular book, The Purpose Driven Life. It is a concept I remind myself of regularly. It is so easy and comfortable even, to make the happenings of each day to revolve around me. They must please me and/or fit into my comfort zone or I bail.

Even as a church, we have a tendency to do this. But as we grow in relationship with Jesus our attitude changes, our hearts expand beyond our small little world and we begin to recognize the masses, starving for what we have. They are so hungry they can't even identify what is it that is missing.

When I consider what it means to live a life worth imitating, I know it won't be easy. Paul was ready to give it all for the sake of The Gospel. Am I willing then to give up my will?  Am I prepared to take a back seat when all others are clamoring for the driver's seat?  Unity...not easy to attain...not easy to maintain...but worth the battle!


Acts 21-3:15

United We Stand Tall

Some of us don't look forward to the holidays or family gatherings because of feuds and disharmony among siblings or parents. We often dread coming together for celebrations when there is fear of the drama which is sure to ensure.

Such tension takes the fun out of times meant for laughter and happiness. But, that is the way we are sometimes; unforgiving, and holding grudges for long periods of time.

There is a comforting sense of peace when we experience unity. When people are loving and tolerant of one another, family gatherings can be fun and a great place for memory making. What are your holidays like? Do you look forward to them or feel like just skipping the whole thing?

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s Temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

Whether it is the family community or our church community, we are called to love one another; to get along and to overlook someone else's shortcomings as they overlook ours. None of us is perfect, so we must often simply agree to disagree and be done with it. 

Many of us know from personal experience that differences in opinion or belief fade when face-to-face with tragedy. Somehow our perspective changes and that which was so important once - doesn't hold water any longer. That is how it will be when Christ returns. 

So why not try to get to that place now and enjoy each other and our differences.

1 Corinthians 3:1-17

Together in the same boat

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”  Psalm 133:1

When she was in high school, my daughter-in-law had rowed on their Midwest champion crew team.  Not knowing a lot about the sport, I asked her what quality was most crucial for success in crew.  Was it strength?  Technique?  Timing?  Her response surprised me. “Trust,” she said, “Each person has to be able to trust in the commitment of everyone else in the boat.”

Applying every ounce of energy with precisely honed technique requires the assurance that each team member is doing likewise, and it is inspired by the knowledge that everyone else in the boat is counting on the same from us.  This is true in crew; it is true, also, in life.

When a brother or sister in Christ is called or gifted differently than we are, we can trust that God knows what he is doing and that he has a specific purpose for that believer.  We need not be discouraged from our shared task.  

When we see a flaw in another, we can trust that God sees it more clearly than we do and that sanctification is the Coach’s responsibility.  We need not be distracted from the race or our role in it.  

When we see more needs around us than we can possibly meet, we can trust God to recruit other teammates who are just as passionate and capable as we are, and better fitted to the need.  We need not be disheartened.

We cannot afford to be distracted from the race by our differences, our flaws or even our shortfalls.  Ours is to commit our all and to trust each other.

For God is developing each of us; he is coaching all of us. 

"[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."  1 Corinthians 13:7

[To see the daily reading, Psalm 133, click here.]

True Love

When I read today’s passage I can’t help but think of my son. Almost four years ago we adopted this little boy, bringing him into our family and making him a Sherrill. Evan is one of us no exception. When Jesus died on the cross, the way to eternal life was open not only for the Jewish believers, but also for the Gentiles.

I am a Gentile, so today’s passage is special to me. “Remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth… excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

I was struck by the words, without God in the world. Our son was once without parents in the world, but when he came into our home that ended. I never think of him as anything but my son. Through the blood of Christ, all Gentiles are now Children of God.

God no longer sees the difference between Jew and Gentile. He does not say, "I love you, even though you are a Gentile." He just says, "I love you." When I look at Evan I don’t say,” I love you even though you were adopted.” I just say, “I love you.”

Think about this and take some time to thank God for how much he did for you on the cross.

Read today's passage at Biblegateway Ephesians 2:11-22