Friend or Foe?
What is the direction of your will? What consumes your time and energy? Is it love for the world and the things of the world? Or is it love for the people and the things of God?
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. … By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:14-18)
It does not say, “We know that we have passed from death to life because we asked Jesus into our heart.” How would you know whether He accepted the invitation? The validity of our belief is tested by what we do — by the direction of our will, not by what we think or feel. It is according to whether we do the principal thing that the Master said would distinguish us as His disciples:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)
How can you love your brothers just as Yahshua loved His disciples, laying down your life for them, if you only see them once or twice a week? Living your independent life insulates you from actually seeing your brother in need (materially or otherwise) so that you can comfortably withhold your life and livelihood from him and spend it on yourself. But the true gospel produces a life of true community in which it is possible to obey the commandments, the foremost of which is to love one another — to lay down your life for your brothers each and every day. It takes a community.
Apart from the common life of true believers dwelling together in unity, demonstrating that the love of the Father is in them, all that remains is the love of the world, and the things of the world — the life of those who are…
…separated from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12)
So have you arrived at a conclusion? Are you a friend or an enemy of God? Are you with Him or against Him, gathering or scattering? What is the direction of your will?
We would like you to gather with us in one of the places where He has caused His name to dwell, where brothers are living together in unity. Perhaps you didn’t even know there was such a place. All our communities worldwide are listed here. You are always welcome!
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