Years ago I had a co-worker who was a joy to be around. We spent many years together joking, laughing, sharing our lives, and helping each other through difficult times. He was a blessing to me, especially because he was a believer. One of the reasons we would laugh so much is because we would do things to each other to drive one another crazy. Our years of working together were filled with practical jokes, silly emails, and seemingly bizarre interactions. Sometimes my coworker would be exasperated by my antics, and I would say to him, “You know that you and I are going to be together for all eternity?” It is then that he would usually run away from me, crying out, “Nooooooooo!” As much as we joked about being together in heaven, we both knew we were commenting on a profound theological truth. We were going to be before the throne of Christ together. We were going to share in the splendor of His majesty. We both were going to come to know the things that God has planned for His children, that our minds presently can’t understand.
My purpose in this blog though is not to focus so much on eternity, but on the special relationship believers have with one another. We have things in common that non-Christians will never understand, or appreciate, lest they be saved.
Things such as:
- A deep understanding of our sinful nature.
- That we were once objects of God’s wrath, but now we have been cleansed by the blood of Christ.
- That we are forgiven by God almighty of all our sins.
- That we enjoy the immeasurable mercy and grace of God.
- That we have the same Holy Spirit in us.
- That the Holy Spirit has given to each of us gifts “for the common good”.
- That we are strangers in this world, and that it is not our home, and that we must seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.
- That we are to be different, leading the way in forgiveness, a willingness to serve others, to sacrifice of ourselves, and to live for God.
- That we have God’s eternal, inerrant and unchangeable Word, and the Holy Spirit to help us live it out.
- That we have a special call in God’s Word, to love other believers in ways that bring great glory to Christ.
These are just a few of the amazing things that we have in common with other believers. These commonalities create a bond that far surpasses what is possible in a relationship between two non-believers, or for that matter, a believer and non-believer. So next time we are around a fellow Christian, we should remember that we have a special and unique relationship with them, and that God desires that we richly bless one another. One of the reasons I am writing this is because I have noted how we arrive in church week after week, see the same faces, and share in much of what is familiar. Sometimes, I think the familiar trumps what is special about us being together. It is good for us in such times to stop and think, “Wow, this person next to me is special. I am joined with them through Christ in a way the world can’t understand.”.
My hope for this blog is that you will meditate on what I have shared, and it will draw you closer to other believers. There are none like them on the face of the earth. There are none like you on the face of the earth. We are Christ’s and He is ours. Let us live in accordance with this truth and show our eternal family that they are truly special in our sight.
For Jesus,
Rob