When We Rightly Regard One Another

This week we are attending the annual Florida College Lectures. And while we are profiting from the lessons, we are enjoying the fellowship and renewing our friendship with so many from bygone years.

In fact the Wednesday morning lectures, actually addressed the importance of our relationships with one another. As Bible Chair Jason Longstreth enunciated in the book the Wednesday lectures will be focused on “our fellowship in the gospel.” The theme, “A Life Worthy of the Gospel, will be “explored through the lens of humility, unity, relationships and correction.”

While we weren’t able to attend every presentation, here are some highlights from the lecture book.

Humility

Jonathan Brown offered a detailed analysis and exegesis of Philippians 2:1-11 as he discussed, “Consider Others as More Important: Humility that is Worthy of the Gospel.”

Jonathan said “the reason Paul wrote about Christ Jesus coming down to this earth and humbling Himself to the point of crucifixion is not because he wanted to be poetic, but because he wanted to be practical. If effect, he was saying, “Listen here, church, you serve a God who became ‘lesser than’ for you. That means you need to be willing to become ‘lesser than’ for each other.” Clearly, this is what Paul was speaking of when he said, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (v. 5).

Jonathan then offered and expounded on these practical applications regarding the importance and essence of humility

• Humility is essential for unity.
• Christ-like humility refrains from “empty conceit.”
• Humility renders service to others
• Humility issues itself in obedience and dedication to duty
• Humility is expressed in contentment
• Finally, Christ-like humility will result in our ultimate exaltation

Unity

Philip Martin’s lecture, “Standing Firm in One Spirit with One Mind: Unity that is Worthy of the Gospel” explained how “God unites us in Christ.”

“A unity worthy of the gospel stands on two pillars,” Philip wrote. “First, we must complete our growth to maturity by submitting to the authority of Jesus Christ. We need to squash every tug on our hearts that calls for us to adopt the language of self from the corners of our hearts.”

“Secondly,” he observed that “we must adopt the attitudes that are commended by King Jesus in our hearts, directed towards our fellow citizens. These changes will require a kind of effort that needs {constant} tending.”

Philip detailed how the unity that calls us into God’s fellowship will provide stability, security, mutual encouragement, sacrificial service, and reconciliation.

Love

No series on living a life worthy of the gospel would be complete without the Biblical teaching on what it means to “love one another.” This was Adam Shanks assignment. “Taught by God to Love Another: Relationships That are Worthy of the Gospel.”

“Love is an ill-defined concept, often made confusing by a culture that grossly misunderstands and misappropriates the word,” Adam observed.

Adam’s lecture demonstrated that love is not theoretical, but practical and is reflected in both our physical families and our church family. Love cannot be truly and deeply felt apart from forming and forging deep relationships. Divine love is unconditional. Self-sacrificing. Serving. And develops an emotional attachment.

“This work of love is never complete,” Adam wrote. “There is always more to do when it comes to love.”

Correction

The final lecture of the morning was presented by Joe Works. While he admitted he had 10 pages of notes, he chose to bear his soul, open his heart and just talk to us about a important topic that is too often overlooked, misunderstood, or misapplied. “Admonish Him as a Brother: Correction that is Worthy of the Gospel.

If you buy the lecture look, you will find such gems as these:

“If we fail to see ourselves correctly in God’s family, we will certainly not treat our spiritual siblings who are struggling in sin as we should.”

This failure to properly see a fellow child of God as our sibling can find us failing in at least two differing ways. We may not have enough love for the erring one’s soul to correct them at all, or we may correct them with a harshness often not seen even in the world. We might say or think, “I love that person too much to jeopardize my relationship with him.

On the other extreme, some brethren appear to relish an opportunity to put another Christian in his place. What causes someone to enjoy kicking a sinning Christian to the curb? Pride, low self-esteem, jealousy, and other self-centered attitudes can cause us to approach the situation in an opposite spirit to the one that God would have us uphold. “God, I thank You that I am not like other men …” (Luke 18.11) is not only a condemnable prayer, but also a self-exalting attitude that will prevent us from truly seeking to save the sinning brother.

If you listen to the recording you will hear a heart-felt plea that calls for us care enough to correct and restore an erring brother.

For those unable to attend this series, I recommend purchasing the book, or the recordings, or both. You will be blessed by these challenging lessons.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman