Comfort One Another

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:11-14 ESV).

Paul addressed these words to the church, the body of Christ in the city of Corinth, so they were addressed to both male and female. I believe the restoration he was speaking of may have been three-fold. For one, he spent most of 2 Corinthians defending his ministry against the lies of false apostles who had come in among them and who were trying to discredit him and Timothy. So part of this was a restoration back to a right relationship with Paul and with Timothy in a trusting relationship.

Some of the people may have been still living in sin, and some of them were listening to these false apostles who were teaching another Jesus and a different gospel and a different faith than Paul had taught them, and so some of this restoration needed to be back to a right relationship with the Lord Jesus, which was primary. And some of them may have been quarreling among themselves, and so there may have been a need for restoration with one another. And this may be the case with many people today.

Now this is a time of year here in America when people’s emotions may be raw to a certain degree. For this is that time of year when it seems the majority of Americans celebrate the holiday of Christmas. I choose not to celebrate the holiday because I believe it is a combined celebration of false gods and the one true God, which God commands we do not do. I celebrate the life of Jesus every day, seven days a week, all my waking hours. So I don’t need a special day to celebrate Jesus, and he does not require it.

But my point is that it is a very emotional time of year for many people, and we need to be sensitive to people’s emotions, not to the point of ever compromising truth and righteousness but realizing that many people are grieving over the loss of loved ones, especially this time of year, and so they may need extra encouragement and comfort, but honest comfort. For it is not comforting to tell people lies just to make them feel good. And this word comfort also means exhortation and holy urging. So just be loving.

Now, on the subject of agreeing with one another, if this has anything to do with the teachings of Scriptures or moral purity or honesty, etc., we never are to agree with what is against God or what is immoral and dishonest, etc. So first we must be in agreement with God and then we can agree with one another in matters of biblical importance. But we can also agree in areas which are non-essential. We can make compromises in those areas.

And with regard to loving one another, this is agape love which centers in moral preference and which prefers what God prefers, which is what is morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to God. For the believer in Christ it is preferring to live through Christ, choosing his choices, and obeying them in his power. So when we love with this love, we are going to do good to one another, not evil, and we will speak the truth in love to one another, and not lies, and we will not deliberately sin against one another.

And with regard to showing one another physical affection, we must be very guarded in this. For we live in a day and age when sexual immorality in the gatherings of the church is running rampant, and where so many wolves in sheep’s clothing are giving professers of faith in Christ permission to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin, and where the opportunities for romantic and/or sexual extramarital affairs is wide open in the workplace and on the internet. So show love and affection, but in a way that is proper and safe.

And regarding the grace of God, it is not just forgiveness of sins, and it is not permission to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin. The grace of God which is bringing us salvation instructs us to renounce (say “NO!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14). God’s grace is freedom from slavery to sin and empowerment to live godly and holy lives to the praise and honor and glory of God, in his power and strength.

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is a relationship built on love and trust and truth and righteousness. We cannot be in fellowship with Christ while we still walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin (1 John 1:5-10). We are in fellowship with Christ, and with others who are also in fellowship with Christ, when we walk (in conduct, in practice) in holiness and righteousness, in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands (New Covenant), and when we live morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient lives to God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Comfort One Another

Video Talk

December 1, 2023

https://youtu.be/IinzWaw3uis

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The Prayer

Written by David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, 

Alberto Testa and Tony Renis

I pray you'll be our eyes

And watch us where we go

And help us to be wise

In times when we don't know

I pray we'll find your light

And hold it in our hearts

When the stars go out each night

Remind us where you are.

Let this be our prayer

When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your grace

To a place where we'll be safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqFCbtRz1Z0

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