Galatians 5:14-15 (NKJV) For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
We have read about how Christian family members have bitten and devoured one another through words and lawsuits. Some of the divorce cases among Christians can get very ugly especially when it has to do with the division of assets and child custody. However, all of this can be prevented if we choose to walk in love, deal with the differences before the sun sets, and not allow offenses to simmer. Walking in the Spirit means to walk in love and love fulfills the law. We have the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to overcome the temptation to devour one another through our words and actions. We have a choice! Love helps us to overcome being offended to retain the joy and peace in our lives—that’s living the abundant life. God has given us many promises in the Bible that pertain to life and godliness, but we must take by faith what rightfully belongs to us.
Unity in the family, the church, and the office doesn’t happen by chance. It takes a lot of dying to ourselves, picking up the cross, and denying ourselves so we can walk in love, extend grace, and forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people including all of us in the church. There is no perfect church in this world until we are in heaven. Therefore, we will be very disappointed if we look to men and not to God for strength and encouragement. There will be words uttered either in judgment or comparison either knowingly, unknowingly, or innocently.
Every one of us is growing at a very different rate in our Christian life. God is still working in us and pruning our character including the pastor. If we neglect to work on the offenses, we will allow resentment, jealousy, and all kinds of the work of the flesh to grow within us. We will be walking in “40 years of wilderness” if we always choose to be offended. On the contrary, we can choose to walk in love to take hold of the abundant life. We can choose not to be offended and keep our peace and joy. This is following God wholeheartedly and having a different spirit so that we can live the abundant life.
We are given a promise as a church to represent Him to the community. He has given us a strategy to reach the community. Are we flowing with the church’s vision of reaching out to the lost as a body of believers who follow God wholeheartedly while stepping out in faith, or are we pulling in a different direction murmuring and complaining?
Sermon Series: Having a Different Spirit
做出智慧的选择
加拉太书 5:14-15 因为全律法都包在「爱人如己」这一句话之内了。 你们要谨慎，若相咬相吞，只怕要彼此消灭了。
我们曾读过基督家庭也会发生通过言语和法律诉讼彼此伤害。一些基督徒的离婚案件可以变得很糟糕，尤其是涉及财产分配和子女抚养权时。然而，如果我们选择顺从圣经的教导活在爱中、在日落之前解决分歧、也不让冲突继续发酵，所有这些都是可以避免的。顺从灵里而行意味着活在爱中，而爱完全了律法。圣灵赋予我们力量来胜过用我们的言语和行动彼此相咬相吞的试探。我们有选择！爱帮助我们克服被冒犯的不适，保持生命中的喜乐和平安 —这就是活出丰盛的生命。上帝在圣经中给了我们许多关于生命和敬虔的应许，但我们必须凭信心来获取属于我们的那一份。
家庭、教会或办公室中的合一不是偶然发生的。这需要我们多次治死老我、背起十架和放下自我，以便我们可以活在爱中、延伸恩典和赦免他人，如同主赦免我们一样。我们生活在一个没有完全人的不完美世界中，包括我们教会里所有的人。这个世界上没有完美的教会，直到我们去了天堂。因此，如果我们期望从人而不是从上帝那里得到力量和鼓励，我们将会非常失望。总会听到论断或攀比的话，无论是有意、无意或者不知情的。
我们每个基督徒生命的成长速度都是非常不同的。上帝仍在我们里面作工，塑造我们的品格，这包括牧师。如果我们忽视了在冒犯上下功夫，就会让怨恨、嫉妒和各种肉体私欲的事在我们里面生长。如果我们总是选择被冒犯，我们就会在“四十年的旷野”行走。相反，我们可以选择活在爱中，享受丰盛的生命。我们可以选择不被冒犯并保持我们的平安和喜乐。这就是全心全意地跟随上帝，拥有与众不同的灵，使我们可以活出丰盛的生命。
作为教会，我们被赋予了一个应许，代表上帝去接触社群。祂给了我们一个接触社群的策略。我们是否与教会的异象一致，作为一群全心全意地跟随上帝的信徒肢体凭信心走出去？
还是我们在抱怨和埋怨中走向另一个方向呢？
讲章系列：有一个与众不同的灵
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