A dear brother in Maine, Kevan Fortier, has written this post, any comments made can be posted here, or I will be happy to forward encouragement on to him. Kevan attends a church in Damariscotta, Maine. Kevan works for the Maine state marshal service. Ministry involvement includes local church youth ministry, jail ministry, and he also does discipleship work with men who have recently been released from jails in Maine. His heart is full of the love of God and I value his input here.
Kevan graciously asked me to share at their monthly men's breakfast. It was a great time talking about this very subject of "one anothering" in the body of Christ. This breakfast represented 6 or 7 local churches working together as the united body of Christ to edify one another and reach out to the communities around them. It was a great blessing to share with them. Now, on with Kevan's post. Thank you for reading.
If we are the Body why aren’t His arms reaching, why aren’t His hands healing, why aren’t His words teaching? And if we are the Body why aren’t His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way? There is a way. Jesus is the Way.-Casting Crowns
Why aren’t we showing the love of Jesus Christ to this world if we are truly the Body? Jesus says this in John15:12-13; “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
What does Jesus mean that we should love as He loved? What is He saying when He says that we should lay down our lives for our friends? Does He want us to die for our friends; our wife or husband? Jesus tells us plainly that we are to love as He first loved us. In Romans 5:8, the Word of the living God says it this way; ‘But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Did He wait until I was lovable? No. I am not lovable now, but my wife lays herself aside daily, not for me but for the cause and the purpose of lifting up the Lord Jesus Christ that I may see Him living in and through her love for me, and others. Jesus wants us to lay ourselves down, set ourselves aside and be set apart for Him; daily.
Then He said to them all, “if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23 NKJ
Jesus didn’t just say that for the sake of His disciples or the crowds that regularly followed Him; He said to them all, He is still saying it to you today in the stillness of your heart; take up your cross and follow Me. When we take up our cross to follow our Lord, we are saying that we will follow Him; we will lay down our lives for our friends just like He did for us. Is this easy? No. But as we draw near to Him, we are strengthened and renewed in His grace (which is always sufficient for us / 2 Corinthians 12:9).
Jesus is our perfect example of how to love one another, and how to lay down our life for our friends; but what about those who are against the Lord? They are not against us, they are against the One who sanctified us and called us into a right relationship with Him? What about our enemies?
“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” Luke 6:27-28 NKJ
When Jesus was led away to be crucified; a death that you and I rightfully deserve, He still loved those who were putting Him to death, He still prayed for his enemies (“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34 NKJ), Jesus gave Himself up for all who would ever call upon His Holy name by faith as the only One who can save us from our sins. He alone is the perfect example of how to ‘one another’.
Knowing this, how do we walk daily with Jesus? How do we love those who spitefully use us? How can we show love and lay down our lives for our friends, and love our enemies? We are the Body of the living Christ! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!!! (Philippians 4:13) We have an amazing Savior who shows us daily the depths of His heart for those who will call upon Him. He has called us into all the nations to show the world who He is (Matthew 28:18-20).
If we are the Body; why aren’t we? Jesus paid much too high a price for us to pick and choose who should come (Casting Crowns / If we are the Body). Do I have the right to say whom I will show His love to? No. Jesus died for all, ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.’ (2 Peter 3:9 NKJ). I do not have the right to choose. If I am the Body, even if I am a fingernail within the Body (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) I have a clear function and purpose that Christ set me apart for, and not for my glory but all to His!!! Amen.
‘Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.’ (Ephesians 5:1-2 NKJ)
If this is how the Father shows His love for us by giving His only begotten Son (John 3:16) while we were still sinners; if this is how He first showed His love to this world by showing us how to be reconciled to Himself, what are we waiting for? If we are set apart and saved through His blood, we shouldn’t be able to contain this great love that God the Father has lavished upon us, we shouldn’t be able to walk by someone and keep silent about His love, the sweetest love I know.
I am trying to die to myself daily and show the love of Jesus Christ to my wife, my co-workers, family and friends. I am seeking Him for the strength that only He can provide, and the peace that surpasses all of my understanding. Jesus laid down His life for us not so that we can do what we want, but that we can show His love to this world. If we pick and choose who we think would be willing to listen, what have we done with this great love Christ has for us (read James 2:1-13)?
Jesus touched the untouchable (Luke 5:12-13), He raised the dead (Luke 8:52-56), Jesus ate with sinful people (Luke 5:29-32). Jesus did not care about what He would look like to others, He showed great love, compassion and mercy to all who ever called upon Him by faith. We must show this love to the world, we must be the Body of Christ to a world who will certainly perish without Him and apart from Him.
I challenge you this day to go forward, and pray to the Lord asking Him to give you courage and strength for His purpose in your life to be accomplished. Go out and show His great love for someone. We all know someone; a family member perhaps who is not saved that needs to hear that they are loved by Jesus Christ.
Pray for this daily, walk as He walked, love as He loved and loves you. Be the Body of Christ; show one another the depths of His love, grace and mercy. Don’t let another day go by you without sharing that love that has saved you from your sin to one another.
Kevan Fortier
Waldoboro, Maine
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