Peace in the church is largely based on everyone showing a degree of forbearance for everyone else. We must tolerate some differences and weaknesses within the church. Nobody here is perfect, and so we have to bear with one another in Christian love. Read More ...
When members of the church experience particular temptations and struggle with the flesh, the entire church body must respond by supporting or helping the struggling member. We help the fallen member and then hold him up when he’s back on his feet. Read More ...
We can keep on serving others even when they fail us or disappoint us. Serving others is difficult and often disappointing. Others will fail us, but we continue to serve others because, ultimately, we are serving God by serving others. Read More ...
We are to teach, instruct, advise, counsel, warn, and rebuke one another because we care for one another. If we didn’t care, we would not interfere; we would not get involved. Read More ...
Our acceptance of one another is based on Christ’s acceptance of repentant sinners. Salvation is the common ground that unifies believers and brings them into fellowship with one another. If someone is genuinely saved, he should enjoy at least a basic level of acceptance with other believers. Read More ...
The Bible urges Christians to be likeminded and to agree with one another. People working on a project must be likeminded in order to get anything done. Church members in particular ought to be of like faith and practice; we ought to be likeminded. Read More ...
All the parts of the body are different, but all are necessary, and all should be functioning in love, unity, humility, appreciation, and commitment as we serve God by serving one another. Read More ...
The Bible uses the phrase “as a father” three times, and in each case, the authors tell us what fathers do or are supposed to do for their children. So I’d like to look at each of these three verses and see what they have to tell us about the biblical responsibilities of fathers. Read More ...
One of the marks of a healthy church is that it is able to continue steadfastly in fellowship. That is, the members of the church are able to work through their differences, deal appropriately with frictions and offenses, and maintain their partnership in spite of these problems. They intentionally pursue fellowship and refuse to let minor annoyances diminish fellowship. Read More ...
Christianity presents a certain lifestyle, a set of behavioral expectations that all Christians are supposed to uphold. If professing believers do not fulfill these expectations, then something is wrong—something out of order. We call that “sin.” And that’s what Paul is addressing in this last chapter—disorderly behavior among the members of the church. Read More ...