His Example in Relationships
We are less susceptible to falling into the carnal religious cover-up problems mentioned in the previous article, when we simply keep our eyes focused on the greatest example, Yahshua (Jesus) the Messiah (Christ - the Anointed).
The most blessed gift other than our own salvation, is relationships. Elohim (God) made us to be social creatures. This too is in his image, as he desires fellowship. In truth, the whole purpose for redemption in Messiah is to bring us back into blessed fellowship with our Creator. We broke fellowship, and he by grace brought us back, if we will receive.
It is true that we cannot control our relationships, because we cannot control others fully, and even trying to is incorrect. A husband cannot control his wife, and to try is to turn himself into a dictator who in the end will create around him a household living in fear and misery. What man in his right mind wants a spouse or children who only mind outwardly based on fear and who are miserable? Love does not want others to be miserable, at the expense of our control.
We cannot control who likes us or who wants to be closer to us, and build a solid and loving relationship. A good relationship is a two way street, and both parties have to agree to take steps forward together. Because we cannot control what others think, feel, or do (beyond our God-given authority) should not stop us from doing our part to be at peace with all men, and to love everyone. Not if we are truly believers in and followers of Messiah.
We are deceiving ourselves if we think we can have a good relationship with Elohim in heaven, and yet not be doing our part to have loving relationships with others on earth. We cannot love Elohim while not loving others created to be in the image of Elohim. The Holy Spirit inspiring the Apostle John is in agreement with this.
1Jo 4:20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
1Jo 4:21 And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.
Do I disagree with others? Often. Do I dislike what others do? Daily. But, I have to guard my heart, lest I allow disagreements and disappointments to determine whether I love someone or not, rather than the standard of the Word of YHWH (commonly "Yahweh" or "Jehovah").
My first mistake is when I give myself the choice of either loving or not loving. The carnal mind exalts itself as its own god, and thus thinks it has the right to make its own decisions on this level. It will go through this life determining who it will love and who it will hate; who it will accept, and who it will reject. But this is not the love of Elohim displayed through Yahshua to us, which we are to be partakers in.
What is the basis of whether I accept someone? Well, I ask myself this question. Does Yahshua accept them? The scriptural answer is, yes! He clearly stated according to Scripture that he will in no way cast away (reject) anyone who comes to him. He accepts all, Jew and Gentile, as they are. When we see someone not in relationship with him, it is not he that is rejecting them, it is they who are rejecting him, usually because of fear, doubt, and unbelief harbored in the carnal mind of enmity (Romans 8:6-7).
Elohim has already declared his love for us through his Word. He isn't the one making it a choice of accepting or rejecting. He has already eternally made his choice. He's accepting us. However, we do have a choice. We can accept him back, or we can continue to reject him. We can also choose to accept others, or reject them.
If Yahshua accepted us in our sinful state, why do believers consistently reject the downcast, downtrodden, in bondage, sinners of the world? Or even other believers they disagree with?? The answer is simple. We are not walking in love like our example does.
I've been there and done some heavy duty rejecting. I once cut off most of my relatives and friends over religious beliefs, and called it holiness. But, look at Yahshua's example. Did he break away from people, or did they break away from him while he walked on earth? Wasn't it the Pharisees that made comments about him eating with "tax collectors and sinners," and "if he only knew who was touching him?"
If you want to see what ticked Yahshua off the most, just read the accounts. Nothing bothered him more than Pharisees going around playing "holier than thou" and rejecting the common Jews of that day. They used Torah wrongfully to declare themselves holy and clean by their observances, while declaring others as unholy and unclean. If you look in the accounts, Yahshua's only harsh rebukes went to them, not the common people, tax collectors, prostitutes, or even non-believers.
We need to do a lot more accepting and loving of others, and a lot less rejecting and critical judging of others. Yes, we could just go around like the Pharisees thinking our poop don't stink too, but that is delusional self-deception at its worst. That isn't what we should want for ourselves. I want to be more like Yahshua? How about you?
Then let us work on watching his great example, and following in like manner, in our relationships with others. We aren't better than others, we are redeemed by the same grace they are, or can be.
If you reject others, including relatives or old friends, they will not see Yahshua's love in it, and it will not "convict" them as so many Pharisees want to think it will. The common person can usually see through Pharisaic bologna and know a hypocrite when they see one. And it is certainly hypocritical to claim a Master who walked in loving compassion towards all sinners, while turning your nose up at them and trying to keep from getting your so-holy-self contaminated. This is one of the primary complaints I've heard from unbelievers - that believers they've seen in their lives do not act like or treat others anything like their "Lord" they claim to believe in and follow.
Ghandi even said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." Consider why. Would our Messiah treat the people of India like believing people were in Ghandi's life time? I should think not, and Ghandi no doubt knew, having read the Gospel accounts about "Christ" himself.
Consider who liked Messiah. The common people, who would be labeled "sinners." Consider who did not like him. The religiously self-righteous who thought of themselves as "holy" because of their religious observance. Consider who Messiah was regularly found among, loving, and proving his love to by healing and such. The common people who were humble enough to receive his deliverance. Consider who were usually not found with him regularly, but were busy trying to attach him and his ministry and prove him wrong, rejecting his love for them. The religiously "devout."
I grew up in "church" and have been through different groups gleaning and learning and I've noticed that there is an awful lot of "holy huddling" going on, and not a lot of just living life and loving others. If you are involved, quit playing religious games and trying to appear like you think you should and just be yourself as Elohim created you, receiving his love and showing it to others. Let us start being more mindful to build up loving relationships with others who are willing around us, and less holy huddling with a select few we can agree just enough with to consider as right as we think we are.
Let us love Elohim and those created to be in his image. For this is the summation of the Law.
Your friend in Messiah,
David
The most blessed gift other than our own salvation, is relationships. Elohim (God) made us to be social creatures. This too is in his image, as he desires fellowship. In truth, the whole purpose for redemption in Messiah is to bring us back into blessed fellowship with our Creator. We broke fellowship, and he by grace brought us back, if we will receive.
It is true that we cannot control our relationships, because we cannot control others fully, and even trying to is incorrect. A husband cannot control his wife, and to try is to turn himself into a dictator who in the end will create around him a household living in fear and misery. What man in his right mind wants a spouse or children who only mind outwardly based on fear and who are miserable? Love does not want others to be miserable, at the expense of our control.
We cannot control who likes us or who wants to be closer to us, and build a solid and loving relationship. A good relationship is a two way street, and both parties have to agree to take steps forward together. Because we cannot control what others think, feel, or do (beyond our God-given authority) should not stop us from doing our part to be at peace with all men, and to love everyone. Not if we are truly believers in and followers of Messiah.
We are deceiving ourselves if we think we can have a good relationship with Elohim in heaven, and yet not be doing our part to have loving relationships with others on earth. We cannot love Elohim while not loving others created to be in the image of Elohim. The Holy Spirit inspiring the Apostle John is in agreement with this.
1Jo 4:20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if he does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
1Jo 4:21 And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.
Do I disagree with others? Often. Do I dislike what others do? Daily. But, I have to guard my heart, lest I allow disagreements and disappointments to determine whether I love someone or not, rather than the standard of the Word of YHWH (commonly "Yahweh" or "Jehovah").
My first mistake is when I give myself the choice of either loving or not loving. The carnal mind exalts itself as its own god, and thus thinks it has the right to make its own decisions on this level. It will go through this life determining who it will love and who it will hate; who it will accept, and who it will reject. But this is not the love of Elohim displayed through Yahshua to us, which we are to be partakers in.
What is the basis of whether I accept someone? Well, I ask myself this question. Does Yahshua accept them? The scriptural answer is, yes! He clearly stated according to Scripture that he will in no way cast away (reject) anyone who comes to him. He accepts all, Jew and Gentile, as they are. When we see someone not in relationship with him, it is not he that is rejecting them, it is they who are rejecting him, usually because of fear, doubt, and unbelief harbored in the carnal mind of enmity (Romans 8:6-7).
Elohim has already declared his love for us through his Word. He isn't the one making it a choice of accepting or rejecting. He has already eternally made his choice. He's accepting us. However, we do have a choice. We can accept him back, or we can continue to reject him. We can also choose to accept others, or reject them.
If Yahshua accepted us in our sinful state, why do believers consistently reject the downcast, downtrodden, in bondage, sinners of the world? Or even other believers they disagree with?? The answer is simple. We are not walking in love like our example does.
I've been there and done some heavy duty rejecting. I once cut off most of my relatives and friends over religious beliefs, and called it holiness. But, look at Yahshua's example. Did he break away from people, or did they break away from him while he walked on earth? Wasn't it the Pharisees that made comments about him eating with "tax collectors and sinners," and "if he only knew who was touching him?"
If you want to see what ticked Yahshua off the most, just read the accounts. Nothing bothered him more than Pharisees going around playing "holier than thou" and rejecting the common Jews of that day. They used Torah wrongfully to declare themselves holy and clean by their observances, while declaring others as unholy and unclean. If you look in the accounts, Yahshua's only harsh rebukes went to them, not the common people, tax collectors, prostitutes, or even non-believers.
We need to do a lot more accepting and loving of others, and a lot less rejecting and critical judging of others. Yes, we could just go around like the Pharisees thinking our poop don't stink too, but that is delusional self-deception at its worst. That isn't what we should want for ourselves. I want to be more like Yahshua? How about you?
Then let us work on watching his great example, and following in like manner, in our relationships with others. We aren't better than others, we are redeemed by the same grace they are, or can be.
If you reject others, including relatives or old friends, they will not see Yahshua's love in it, and it will not "convict" them as so many Pharisees want to think it will. The common person can usually see through Pharisaic bologna and know a hypocrite when they see one. And it is certainly hypocritical to claim a Master who walked in loving compassion towards all sinners, while turning your nose up at them and trying to keep from getting your so-holy-self contaminated. This is one of the primary complaints I've heard from unbelievers - that believers they've seen in their lives do not act like or treat others anything like their "Lord" they claim to believe in and follow.
Ghandi even said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." Consider why. Would our Messiah treat the people of India like believing people were in Ghandi's life time? I should think not, and Ghandi no doubt knew, having read the Gospel accounts about "Christ" himself.
Consider who liked Messiah. The common people, who would be labeled "sinners." Consider who did not like him. The religiously self-righteous who thought of themselves as "holy" because of their religious observance. Consider who Messiah was regularly found among, loving, and proving his love to by healing and such. The common people who were humble enough to receive his deliverance. Consider who were usually not found with him regularly, but were busy trying to attach him and his ministry and prove him wrong, rejecting his love for them. The religiously "devout."
I grew up in "church" and have been through different groups gleaning and learning and I've noticed that there is an awful lot of "holy huddling" going on, and not a lot of just living life and loving others. If you are involved, quit playing religious games and trying to appear like you think you should and just be yourself as Elohim created you, receiving his love and showing it to others. Let us start being more mindful to build up loving relationships with others who are willing around us, and less holy huddling with a select few we can agree just enough with to consider as right as we think we are.
Let us love Elohim and those created to be in his image. For this is the summation of the Law.
Your friend in Messiah,
David