I command to you
Phoebe our sister,
who is a servant of
the Church in Cenchrea,
that you may receive
her in the Lord
in a manner worthy of
the saints,
and assist her in
what ever business
she has need of you;
for indeed
she has been a helper
of many
and of myself also.
Romans 16: 1 -- 2
Paul seems
to have ended for the most part his writings to the Romans and begins now in
Chapter 16 commending certain people and then asking for greetings to those he
mentions, as they were fellow workers in Jesus Christ. We are reminded by this letter to the Romans
that we are all so to receive those within our congregations who are where the
such recommendations and greetings because they are so involved in the helping
in the church. Paul then mentions: "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow
workers in Christ Jesus, who raised their own necks for my life, through whom
not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles" (Romans
16: 3 -- 4). The question that we
need to ask ourselves is "am I a fellow worker of the brothers and sisters
in Jesus Christ?" Further Paul
then says in his admonition: "Likewise
greet the church that is in their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ.
Greet marry, who labored much for us. Greet
Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen in my fellow prisoners, who are of note
among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ,
and Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelles,
approved in Christ. Greet those who are
of the household of Aristobulus. Greet
Herodion, my countrymen. Greet those
who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his
mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus,
Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet one another with the holy kiss. The churches of Christ Greet you"
(Romans 16 5 -- 16). Here then is
the list of those that Paul asked for greetings to be given to and tells us
that these were workers for the believers in Jesus Christ and were to be
commended. Can this be said of us? What people come in this and recommend this
and approve of how we are acting towards our brothers and sisters in Jesus
Christ? Are we carrying for the
building in the land, the properties, that we either own or are renting so that
they are also a great witness for our Lord Jesus Christ? Or are we just coming to church saying hi to
those with whom we have some affinity for, as though in some slightly may be
click, or are we taking time to greet newcomers, to those who seem to not be
able to readily speak an associate? Can
we be as what the apostle John spoke of what he wrote in his books: "Beloved, let us love one another, for
love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for
God is love. In this the love of God
was manifested towards us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through Him.
And this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent
his That Sun to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another" (1 John 4: 7 -- 11).
As Christians we have a responsibility to love one another as God has
loved us and we show our love to our brothers and sisters and to the world at
large if: "Whoever believes that
Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also
loves him who is begotten of Him. By
this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his
commandments. For this is the love of
God, that we keep His commandments. And
His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5: 1 -- 3). There it is in a nutshell, the love we show
to others is a demonstration of the love of God. This love is not just brotherly love, or love for our sibling, or
that love we have for our husband or wife, no it is God love and the Greek word
that is used there tells us exactly what type of love this is: "άγαπη" Is one in which we have an attitude of God
towards His that Son. It
is a love that we give to believers who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ in
particular. This love is not a love
that we give due to some fact that it was drawn out by some Excellency we may
find in our brothers and sisters. This
is an exercise of the divine will in a deliberate choice, that is made without
any assignment due to some causes except that which lies in the nature of God
Himself. It is a love that works no ill
will towards our brothers and sisters and does not seek a self-seeking
opportunity rather it is a love that seeks an opportunity to do good, to
"all men" and especially towards those that are of the household of
faith. The reason then that we have this love is due to the indwelling of the
holy spirit with Dennis who is leading us to love as our God and Savior has
given us although we may not see the good in either us or others. God sees us as one of his children and wants
us through his son the Lord Jesus Christ unconditionally. The question them that seemed to be begging
is: "Are we willing to love others as God has loved us?" An important question for each of us for we
are a child of God and are his witness to the world and may this be so that the
world sees not just our love but sees God.
As we prepare now for the Sabbath, that is Sunday when we go to church
to corporately worship with our brothers and sisters may we be driven by God's
love shall love him all becoming contact with especially on that day.
Grace, mercy, and
peace
will be with you
from God the Father
and
from the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of the
Father, in truth
and love.
2 John 3
Go and love as does
God
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