VIII. THE REPRESENTATIVE TRAITS OF CHRISTIAN LIVING 3:8-12
"...having
compassion one of another”
Again,
the appeal for sympathy among God's people is consistent throughout the New
Testament. Paul instructed the believers in Rome to "Rejoice with them that
do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.' (Romans 12:15).
He
taught the Corinthian saints, showing them that "whether one member
suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the
members rejoice with it." (I Corinthians 12:26).
This
Christian trait is the very opposite of selfishness. The old sin nature asks
"What's in it for me?" As long as my wants and desires are granted,
things are all right. The new nature, controlled by the Holy Spirit, thinks of
the needs of others. The person who has compassion is as concerned about the
pain, the problems and the feelings of others as he is his own.
C.
Love as Brethren (3:8c)
"...
love as brethren"
Most
people can quote John 3:16, but how many people are aware of I John 3:16, and
the verses that precede it? These state truth in uncomfortably straightforward
words:
"We
know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He
who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this
we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren."
Who
among us today would have the courage to stand in the pulpit and preach what
John did in I John 4:20: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his
brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen,
cannot love God whom he hath not seen." William Barclay wrote;
"The simplest test of the reality of the Christianity of a man or a Church
is whether or not it makes them love their fellow-men.
D.
Pity (3:8d)
"...
be pitiful" (KJV); "tenderhearted" (NKJV);
"kindhearted" (NASB); "self-effacing (NJB)
We
are so bombarded with news reports of war, violence and crime that it is easy to
lose our sense of pity. As long as the bombs are not falling on our soil, of the
criminal at work in our community, we are apathetic.
Barclay
gets to the very heart of the matter when he writes: "Pity is of the very
essence of God and compassion of the very being of Jesus Christ; a pity so great
that God sent his only Son to die for men, a compassion so intense that it took
Christ to the Cross."
E.
Courtesy (3:8e)
"...
be courteous"
The
word actually means "humble-minded." The New American Standard
translates it "humble" and the New Revised Standard Version,
"humble minded." This attitude of humility comes from the realization
that we are totally dependent upon God for everything. Our physical life and our
spiritual needs are possible only because of the bountiful goodness of God. He
is the standard of righteousness by which we compare our lives, and this
certainly produces humility.
F.
Return good for evil (3:9-12)
"Do
not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a
blessing. It is for this that you were called--that you might inherit a
blessing. For Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep
their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away
from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the
Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face
of the Lord is against those who do evil."
These
words are clear and self-explanatory. May the Holy Spirit enable us to grow in
these graces daily.
To Be Continued