136. HOW TO OVERCOME THE POWER OF SIN IN MY CHURCH? – Interruption (c) – For a church to ‘grow strong in the Lord’, it needs to grow strong in Christlike love for God and each other.

In the current meditations we reflect on the question: is the full armour of God of which Paul talks in Ephesians 6:10-17 only meant for individual Christians or also for the local church as a whole? Does God’s armour only protect Christ’s life in us personally against Satan’s assaults? Does it equally protect Christ’s life within the local church which is the Body of Christ? So far we have seen that Jesus wants to manifest His life in our churches through our passionate love for God and for each other. We have realized that God’s Spirit is well able to produce this Christlike love in our hearts and in our congregations. However, the question remains: how do we protect Jesus’ life in our churches against Satan’s attacks? The apostle Paul encourages the church in Ephesus (Turkey) to “be (or: grow, become) strong in the Lord...” (Ephesians 6:10**). In the present meditations we ask ourselves: how does a church that wants to grow strong ‘in the Lord’ practically look like?

If our churches want to grow strong ‘in the Lord’ and want to learn how to imitate Christ, I think we need first to talk about how our churches grow strong in a corporate Christlike love for God and our fellowmen.

  

My Church and its Corporate Christlike Love for our Triune God

In the Meditations 63 to 100 we reflected in depth on the theme of my church and its corporate Christlike love for our Triune God. Therefore, there is no need to repeat this subject here again.

My Church and its Corporate Christlike Love for our Fellowmen

In this meditation we need to see what God’s Word says about my church and its corporate Christlike love for our fellowmen. How does my church model itself on Jesus Christ? Please consider the following points:   

(a) Love is the most characteristic trait of our Triune God: Father, Son and Spirit

If my church wants to learn how to imitate our Triune God, it needs first of all to know something about God’s main character trait, i.e. His love for us. Here are a few verses, chosen from the many biblical texts that speak of God’s love for us.

-- God’s love is an abounding love. God reveals Himself to Moses (ca. 13^th century BC)  saying: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7**)

-- God’s love is a saving love. In numerous texts in the Old Testament we read about God’s great love for His people Israel. Moses reminds them of God’s saving love, saying: “It was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your forefathers that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:8**). We find the most well-known text about God’s saving love in the Gospel of John: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16**)

-- God’s covenant with His people is a covenant of love. Moses told God’s people Israel: “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deuteronomy 7:9**)

-- God’s love is an everlasting love. The prophet Jeremiah (7^th century BC)  exclaims: “Long ago the LORD said to Israel: ‘I have loved you, My people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to Myself.’” (Jeremiah 31:3*)

-- God’s love is full of grace and mercy. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus (Turkey): “God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!).” (Ephesians 2:4-5*)

-- God’s love is a forgiving love. The apostle John writes in his first letter: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10**)

-- Jesus’ love is a love without limits. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: “I pray that from God’s glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19*)

-- Jesus’ love is a self-sacrificing love. The apostle John writes about the self-sacrificing love of God the Son: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” (1 John 3:16**)

-- The Spirit’s love. Paul mentions the love of God the Spirit when he asks the church in Rome to pray for him: “I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” (^NIB Romans 15:30)

(b) For imitating the love of our Triune God, we need the gift His Spirit

If God wants my church to imitate His love, we have a problem. By nature we all rebel against God’s laws and commands. We go our own way and do what we want. The prophet Isaiah and the apostle Paul have understood deeply how God in His holiness looks at us:

-- The prophet Isaiah (8^th century BC) confesses: “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him (Jesus) the guilt and sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6*)

-- Later on Isaiah cries out: “We are all infected and impure with sin (i.e. disobedience to God). When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)

-- The apostle Paul recites the Old Testament when he describes our naturally rebellious attitude to God: “As the Scriptures say, ‘No one is good-- not even one. No one has real understanding; no one is seeking God. All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong. No one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12*)

So the question is: how would we ever be able to imitate our Triune God when we have by nature such rebellious and selfish hearts? Two things are necessary to solve that problem which we cannot solve by ourselves:

1. We need reconciliation with God. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Rome: “For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved (from God’s eternal judgment) through His life!” (Romans 5:10**)

2. We need God’s love poured out in our hearts. Paul reminds the church in Rome of that revolutionary event which they all experienced when they were reconciled with God. He says: “We know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.” (Romans 5:5*). Paul writes to the church in Corinth about this exciting occurrence, saying: “God has identified us as His own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything He will give us.” (2 Corinthians 1:22*)

(c) The transforming power of God’s Spirit will produce Christlike love in my church

First of all we must not forget that the love of our Triune God has been completely manifested in Jesus Christ! We wrote about that in Meditation 135. It means that our church will grow more and more stronger in Christlike love if it grows stronger in imitating Jesus Christ. Now we understand that this process only can be generated by God’s Spirit who also has the character of Jesus! The apostle Paul teaches the church in Galatia, saying: “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love...” (Galatians 5:22*)

(d) What does Christlike love, produced by God’s Spirit, practically look like in my church?

It is a true miracle of God when His Spirit transforms our churches into communities of Christlike love. Paul shows the most characteristic qualities of divine love in his first letter to the church in Corinth. Actually, they are a description of Jesus’ character as we meet it on every page of the four Gospels!

-- “Love is patient...” (1 Corinthians 13:4*). The New King James Version renders: “Love suffers long.” Such a loving church is forbearing in stressful situations. It continuously expresses Christlike love by bearing patiently all the shortcomings in their midst and all the unrighteousness from the outside world.

-- “Love is kind...” (1 Corinthians 13:4*). If a Christian community is characterized by kind and gentle behaviour to its members and to outsiders, a sweet-tempered atmosphere rules the community. Such a community graciously embraces those who suffer and tenderly upholds the weak.

-- “Love is not jealous...” (1 Corinthians 13:4*). In Christian community that knows no jealousy, people rejoice in each other’s gifts and successes. They enthusiastically encourage each other to develop existing talents instead of being resentful and sceptical. They don’t covet each other’s health, happiness, possessions, intelligence, reputation, functions in church, etc. True Christlike love makes such a church a divine beacon light of salvation for many a man.

-- “Love is not boastful...” (1 Corinthians 13:4*). In a church in which Christlike love reigns, true humility, respect for each other and Christ-centered praise outshines everything. Such a church does not brag about its ‘spiritual successes’ and does not regard other churches with contempt.    

-- “Love is not proud...” (1 Corinthians 13:4*). The pastor(s), elders and ministry leaders in such a church serve others in Christlike humility. They don’t act out of selfish ambition and are not known as ostentatious people who want to dominate others. They are examples of Christlike service to everyone in their community and beyond. If such a church is specially blessed in a particular way, it wants to serve other churches respectfully in Christlike humility.

-- “Love is not rude...” (1 Corinthians 13:5*). In a Christian community in which divine love reigns, there is no place for disrespectful and indecent language and behaviour towards others, whatever their high or low position in church might be. The apostle Paul writes about that to the church in Colosse (Turkey): “Let your conversation be gracious...” (Colossians 4:6*). To the church in Ephesus (Turkey) he says: “Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (Ephesians 4:29*)

-- “Love does not demand its own way...” (1 Corinthians 13:5*) or as the New International Version translates: “Love is not self-seeking”. In true Christlike love there is no place for selfishness. Such love moves the hearts of church members to care for each other, to be committed to the welfare of each other and of the whole church. It seeks to strengthen and enhance the Christlike maturity of the church and its members. What a challenge to any church in our individualistic Western society!   

-- “Love is not irritable...” (1 Corinthians 13:5*). In a church in which Christlike love reigns, there is no place for petty irritations. Its members are not easily upset because of the displeasing behaviour of others or because of the things in church they disagree with. They will patiently consider what is the right way to respond. Where divine love reigns, church members also hold their temper in check when they are treated unjustly. God’s Spirit gives them the strength to imitate Christ’s way in every situation.  

-- “Love keeps no record of when it has been wronged...” (1 Corinthians 13:5*). If Christlike love permeates a congregation, its members learn to trust and forgive without dwelling on past hurts, uncaring attitudes and disrespectful words done to each other.   

-- “Love is never glad about injustice...” (1 Corinthians 13:6*). It is clear that there is no place for malicious pleasure at the misfortune of others in a church in which Christlike love reigns. The apostle Paul urges the church in Rome: “When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow.” (Romans 12:15*). When Christlike love holds sway in a church, its members will oppose any kind of injustice.

-- “Love rejoices whenever the truth wins out...” (1 Corinthians 13:6*). A Christian community that is committed to knowing and obeying God’s Word (i.e. the Truth) rejoices when divine truth starts to transform their church and its members under the guidance of God’s Spirit. The apostle John writes to Gaius, for us an unknown follower of Christ: “It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:3-4**)

-- “Love bears all things...” (1 Corinthians 13:7***). Actually, the original Greek verb stegô strictly means ‘to put a roof on’. Therefore, we could translate this verse also as: “Love covers all things”. It indicates that true Christlike love draws a veil over all kinds of disapproved behaviour. The apostle Peter persuades the churches: “Above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’” (1 Peter 4:8***). Peter wants to show that if divine love envelops the church, people’s imperfections and misbehaviour are not constantly blazoned out. How often are churches not suffering because of malicious gossip among its members?

Another possible rendering of the Greek text could be: “Love endures all things” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English). When Christlike love bears or endures all things, it means that it has the strength to suffer in silence and to refrain from revenge. The apostle Peter points us to Jesus’ attitude under pressure: “Christ, who suffered for you, is your example. Follow in His steps. ..... He did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.” (1 Peter 2:21-23*)

-- “Love never loses faith...” (1 Corinthians 13:7*). The New International Version renders: “Love always trusts.” Paul probably wants to say that a church in which Christians lovingly trust each other, there is no place for baseless distrust.

-- “Love is always hopeful...” (1 Corinthians 13:7*). Christlike love never loses faith in God because it knows that He is well able to save the greatest sinner and to turn around the most hopeless situation. The apostle writes to the church in Rome: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him...” (Romans 8:28**). What a positive attitude this brings to any Christian community where Christlike love reigns!

-- “Love endures through every circumstance...” (1 Corinthians 13:7*). In a community of Christlike love, members are patient – even willing to suffer – under the pain and distress caused by others from inside or outside their church, because they know that God is testing their love and will justify them in the end. The apostle James writes: “God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12*). The author of the Book of Hebrews says: “Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.” (Hebrews 6:11*)

This description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 is a beautiful picture of the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is also clear that we never could reach such a standard of love by our own efforts because of our rebellious heart and our sinful life. It is only God’s Spirit who is able to pour such Christlike love in our hearts and in our churches. I think of the words of the apostle Paul to the Christian communities of Rome and Galatia: “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” (Romans 5:5**) and “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23*)

   

(e) “Love each other just as Jesus Christ loved you”

On the evening before Christ’s death, He said to His friends (and to us!): “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34*)

And again: “If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:10**)

And again: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12**)

Christ’s love for His heavenly Father and for us was a public manifestation of God’s Old Testament commands which Jesus summarized by saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40**)

My church’s Christlike love for God and fellowmen, produced by His Spirit, should likewise be a public manifestation of God’s commands. The apostle Paul writes to the church in Ephesus: “Live (plural!) a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2**)

The question that remains is whether true Christlike love could ever permeate a church completely as every church on earth consists of ‘saved sinners’? Is this not an highly unrealistic church concept that is impossible to achieve? Let’s talk about that in our next meditation.  

Translations: * New Living Translation; ** New International Version; *** New King James Version

About “Jesus’ love for His heavenly Father”, see Meditation 15.

About “What is sin and how to overcome it?”, see Meditation 19-21 and 101-108.

About “Salvation and rebirth”, see Meditations 22-27, 44.

About “Who is the Holy Spirit and what is His ministry?”, see Meditations 27-34.

About “The Church as a new (messianic) community, consisting of all the followers of Jesus”, see Meditation 29.

About "God's major project: Transforming me and my church into the likeness of Christ", see Meditations 44-48, 56.

About “Corporate, Christlike love for God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ”, see Meditations 63-99.

About “The Church as a ‘Corporate Personality’”, see Meditation 63-65.

About “The two Tracks of Maturing in Christlikeness”, see Meditation 100.

About “How to overcome the power of sin in my church?”, see Meditations 131-135.