Everything is characterized by something. A lion is characterized by its roar which can send a wilderness scattering. A virus or sickness can be characterized by the symptoms a person may have. Likewise, Christians are characterized by one major thing: Christ.
This may seem rather obvious or redundant, but there are many people within the world, within our country (even possibly within our neighborhoods) who are ambivalent toward or even against the Church because of the lack of love displayed in our lives. The professing Christian who gossips is not proving an effective witness for the Gospel. The couple that used to go to church all the time but now are fighting with each other and seeking a divorce are not showing the love between Christ and the Church through their actions. If our lives are not characterized by the love and peace of Christ, then why would anyone else want to partake in the faith that we profess?
Christ gave us many commands to follow as the children of God, but they can all be summed up in the two Greatest Commandments: Love the Lord your God, and Love your neighbor as yourself. This is the most basic litmus test for each of our lives. The Apostle Peter also expounds on this in I Peter 3:
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. (v.8-9)
The first verse of this passage seems to be dealing more with relations within the Body of Christ, verse 9 would more characterize our relationships with unbelievers (although it could refer to arguments within the church as well). Verse 8 is formatted in a chiastic structure, where the middle phrase is most important and the outer phrases expand on the main point while reflecting each other. The first and fifth phrases (unity of mind and a humble mind) focus on our thoughts toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, in the local church and beyond. The second and fourth phrases (sympathy and a tender heart) are indicators of our compassion for the fellow members of the Body. Both of these couplets emphasize love for our neighbors specifically in seeking their good above our own -- humbling ourselves and caring for those around us before seeking our own needs and wants. All of this is summed up in the middle phrase, that which ought to characterize each of us: brotherly love. This displays our love for God through the way that we love and care for His people.
This sort of brotherly love cannot translate entirely over to our love and care for those outside of the Church, because they are not our brothers and sisters. This does not mean, however, that we can just shove them off; how then could we ever have a faithful witness to them of the love of Christ? In verse 9, Peter reiterates the command of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount:
This sort of brotherly love cannot translate entirely over to our love and care for those outside of the Church, because they are not our brothers and sisters. This does not mean, however, that we can just shove them off; how then could we ever have a faithful witness to them of the love of Christ? In verse 9, Peter reiterates the command of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount:
You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (Matthew 5:43-47)
Without love for our enemies, we look exactly like the rest of the world. God has called us to live in such a way that is in stark contrast with the culture. Only when we truly live this out can we have an effective witness to those outside of the Church. As we look toward our heavenly inheritance, let us continue to store up treasure in heaven as we live out the love that is the primary characteristic of our lives, the part of our "spiritual DNA" that defines who we are.
(Shout-out to Pastor David Hegg for faithfully preaching through this text this morning at Grace Baptist Church in Valencia CA, which was the inspiration for this post.)
(Shout-out to Pastor David Hegg for faithfully preaching through this text this morning at Grace Baptist Church in Valencia CA, which was the inspiration for this post.)