What does God say about relationships?

Copyright article: CBN

Foundations of the Faith: Day 33
OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OTHERS

Those Around Us
One day a friend said to me, "If unbelievers treat me badly I can still love them. But, I will not tolerate bad treatment from another Christian. They know better!"

What would have happened to Peter and the other apostles if Jesus had felt that way? They knew better and yet they all failed Him when He was arrested and taken to His trial. Even so, when He arose, He appeared to them and assured them of His love.

We have failed the Lord many times and yet He continues to love us. The Lord asks us to love other Christians as He loves us. "As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (John 13:34).

Our friends and neighbors should be treated as we would like to be treated. Luke 6:31 says, "Do for others just what you want them to do for you." "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" is found in Romans 13:9.

Our relationship to the unsaved is also one of love. We should show them by the way we act that Christ lives in us.

Richard Wurmbrant, a Christian pastor who was jailed for his faith, tells the story of a fellow prisoner who was also a pastor. He was known for his outstanding Christ-like character.

Later, a young communist was jailed and put in the same cells as these pastors. The pastors witnessed to him, told him to accept Jesus as his Savior. But the young man refused.

One day the young man was arguing. "How can I accept someone as my Savior," he said, "if I've never met Him and don't know what He's like?"

"I'll tell you who Jesus is like," replied the pastor, "He's like me!"

Without hesitation, the man answered, "If He's like you, I'll accept Him as my Savior right now!"

What a marvelous testimony that pastor had. I'm afraid there are very few believers who would dare to say, "Jesus is like me!" But, this is what the Lord wants--that we be so much like Him, that people can see Him in us! Matthew 5:16 says, "Your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven."

Let's tell the Lord every day that we want to be more like Him! Then, it's time to put action to our words and begin to be like Him.

Memory Verses
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.
- Mark 12:30-31

Register here for more articles from CBN:

http://www.cbn.com/communitypublic/postoffice/foundations_of_the_faith.aspx?mobile=false