Brothers and sisters in Christ for you

In previous writings we have seen how Christ did not come into the world to create different religious groups but that because of man’s aim for power we can see that many churches came to bring division.

When Jesus started his public life he chose some brothers like Simon Peter and Andreas, James (son of Zebedee) and his brother John to follow him. for the master teacher it was important that brothers were in love with each other; In case they had quarrels with each other or some grudges against each other they had to solve the problem first.

“”But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ’Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ’You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Mt 5:22 NAS)

“”And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.” (Mt 18:15 NAS)

“21 Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Mt 18:21-22 NAS)

“”So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”” (Mt 18:35 NAS)

For Christ it was clear that we should leave the world for what it is and have to deny oneself having brotherly love coming in the first place when we wanted to follow him. But for following him we have to take up our cross.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mt 16:24 NAS)

“And He summoned the multitude with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mr 8:34 NAS)

“And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”” (Mr 10:21 NAS)

“Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”” (Mt 19:21 NAS)

“”If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” (Joh 12:26 NAS)

“”And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Mt 10:38 NAS)

“And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Lu 9:23 NAS)

“”Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Lu 14:27 NAS)

“And Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes, and followed You.”” (Lu 18:28 NAS)

“Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”” (Joh 21:22 NAS)

Several people gathered around Jesus when he was alive. After he died there were still people interested to meet with the disciples of the Nazarene rabbi Jeshua (Jesus Christ) who asked the followers of Jesus not to stop meeting each other.

All those who call themselves Christian should be followers of Christ holding a firm grip on the promises that keeps them going. In the hope we have by the ransom offering of Christ Jesus and his resurrection, we should take all means to come together and to worship the One and Only One True God, like Jesus worshipped that God of Abraham. Today we may find lots of people who do not like those who follow only the teachings of Jesus and the books he followed (the Tanakh). This can not, however, disrupt us and certainly not cancel our faith.

The master teacher had to be inventive in how he would reply to the many questions asked. Some questions were asked to bring him in discredit or in a difficult position. Though he managed to stay calm and to give a dismantling answer. Always he tried to encourage the people around him to look for answers in God’s Word. Always he asked people to bring up love for those around them. He wanted that each person would show his or her love for the other and would be willing to helping out.

Jesus also went regularly to the synagogue and never stopped talking about his God and the way we should worship that God. Like he brought people together to worship God we should do that as well. We should not avoid worshipping together, as some might find it not necessary to go regularly to a gathering. Those who call themselves Christian should take on an attitude worthy for a follower of Christ and should be spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

“23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25 NAS)

In this world there may be lots of people who try to undermine that stimulation of others. Though we with all that want to be real Christians should unite and accept each other as different parts of the Body of Christ. Participation in the Body of Christ demands an attitude Christ worthy. Even when we may be working night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we continue to preach the gospel of God to those around us. (1 Thessalonians 2:9) doing that preaching work we as true followers of Christ should bless them that persecute us and feel sorry for those who curse us. We should show to those around us we have enough reason to be joyful though we also sometimes weep with them that weep. Most important is that we want to unite with others as brothers and sisters, being of the same mind one toward another.

As true followers of the rebbe Jeshua we like him do not set our mind on the things of this world but aim for much more precious things. It is not in us to render to evil for evil, but to those who are against us we answer with love and with an invitation to come to Jesus and his God.

Let us not be overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good and let us try to help also our enemies and those in need. (Romans 12:14-21)

We should know there are already enough people, like scoffers who follow their own evil and unglodly desires. Their deeds will follow them. But when we call ourselves Christian we should be lovers of God and His creatures and have to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. We may be confronted more than once with such people who want to divide those partakers in heavenly calling and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ and of the Body of Christ, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (Jude 1:16-19).

We, as brothers in Christ, believe you too are created to come closer to the divine Creator and to be victorious over sin, putting rebellion against the Most High Elohim in oblivion. We are not created to fight each other, but to become worthy members of a kingdom which shall have no end. Each created being is invited to join hands with the other created beings to go for the relay race. Together we should make it easier for all to run the race with grace, making it to a good end, enabling each other to enter the Kingdom of God. We should help each other and give each-other hands so that we can overcome this present world.

⁴For whatever is ^[a]born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4 NASB)

Born of God we do not need to follow cleverly invented stories. We have the apostles who were eyewitnesses of Jesus his majesty (2 Peter 1:16). even we do not know the apostles personally, we believe their accounts and know how to follow them.

⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to ^[a]follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, ⁸nor did we eat ^[b]anyone’s bread ^[c]without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; ⁹not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would ^[d]follow our example. (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9 NASB)

We do not have the need to follow human doctrines because

¹¹For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11 NASB)

It is with him we do have to be united, being in union with his teachings and with his heavenly Father His wishes, making sure to be one with His Spirit.

⁷But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (1 Corinthians 6:17 NASB)

³being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3 NASB)

¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the ^[a]knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[b]which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13 NASB)

⁵For if we have become ^[a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be ^[b]in the likeness of His resurrection, (Romans 6:5 NASB)

As brethren and sisters (or adelphoi) in Christ there is no place for a Church divided over leaders. All of us agree with one another in what is written in the Holy Scriptures and which faith we follow. Together (sanctified in Christ Jesus) we all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, unite in Christ plus in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10)

Be Like Christ

2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any ^[a]affection and compassion, ²make my joy complete ^[b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³Do nothing ^[c]from ^[d]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; ⁴do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵Have this attitude ^[e]in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:1-5 NASB)

As brothers and sisters in Christ we, committing our lives to “walk as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6), have God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose. (Philippians 2:13) Together we confess with our mouth that Jesus is master or lord and let others know that they too should believe, as we do in our heart, that God raised him from the dead. We believe that knowledge is also one of the element to be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9-10) Without Jesus’ resurrection our faith is “futile,” and we are “still in [our] sins. (1 Corinthians 15:3). All come from Adam and Eve, and nobody who lived or lives on this earth, except Jesus, is without sin. Therefore we need Jesus and each other to go the right way and to get the spirit of Christ and the Spirit of God. When following the Biblical Truth, opening our mind to receive the Spirit of God, the Spirit himself shall testify with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:9, 16)

The evidence of a true Christian is displayed in both faith and action. Like James as brothers and sisters we have put our old self away and show our faith by our works (James 2:18)

Despite the wide variety of beliefs that fall under the general “Christian” label today, the Bible defines a true Christian as one who has personally received Jesus Christ as his Saviour, who trusts in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins, who has the Holy Spirit residing within, and whose life evinces change consistent with faith in Jesus. We do not have to hide or stay at the side, in a dark corner. We do not have to have our faces covered. We do not have to be with shame for our faith. Because continuing to behold in the Word of God, which we consider infallible, as in a mirror the glory of Jehovah God Almighty greater than all gods, the Lord above all lords and King above all kings, we are constantly being transformed into Jehovah His very own image in ever increasing splendour and from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from Jehovah God the Spirit.

¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ¹⁸But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

Let us therefore, encouraged in heart and united in love, focus on oneness with Jesus like Jesus is one with God and behave accordingly with the knowledge that when we have That Spirit of God we may count on a better freedom, overcoming this world (Colossians 2:2; 1 John 5:4)

Are you willing to come to the full richness of complete Biblical understanding, in order that you may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ? And are you willing to share that faith?

Wherever you may be in your quest about God, Christ and Faith, we are here to help you. We give our helping hand and hope that we shall be able to show you that Jesus is the way to God.

Please are not afraid to ask us for help or to contact us.

Also are not afraid, when you are a Roman Catholic, a member of the Protestant Church of Belgium or from the Netherlands or any other Protestant Church, a Church of England member, a Baptist, Methodist, Calvinist, Lutheran, a Wesleyan, a Pentecostal or a member of the many evangelical churches, who also thinks that we all should be united as brothers and sisters, respecting each other as partakers of the Body of Christ, to let us know you too want to be such a partaker of that Body and want to follow Christ Jesus. Your reaction underneath shall be welcome and appreciated as your commitment to Christ, the sent one from God and son of God and as a support for all who want to go for Christ as their master.

Preceding

God’s Self-Revelation

The Greatness of the eternal God

The New Testament and Judgement

To be prepared for the Day of Judgment

Living as a believer in Christ

A participation in the body of Christ