THE FAMILY OF GOD
Read:
Mark 3:31-33
Development:
In these verses the Apostle Mark explains to us how, unlike common people, for Jesus intimacy is not only with his carnal family.
Rather, he sought the intimacy that is found primarily in the union that God wants with us.
Apparently according to what the scripture shows, not even his own carnal family came to understand him, despite this they persisted in learning how to become a loving disciple of Jesus, he is ready to count you as one of his family, When doing the will of God, the questions are you ready?
I reflect and respond:
1. Why did Jesus have to choose between his physical and spiritual family?
2. Who are the people closest to you? What are the selections you have to make? Are God's people really your family?
Read:
1 Peter 1:22
Development:
In this verse Peter explains several things to us.
First of all:You have purified your souls, this means that personal corruption is our main obstacle, not only to be able to serve God, but also to be able to serve society. That is why the first and most important thing that we must do is become pure ourselves, this process can only be achieved by the influence of The Truth, sanctifying in the truth, the word of God is like the sun in our lives.
In second place:through the spirit this is nothing more than learning to listen to the spirit of God, in order to fulfill what the Lord our God commands us to do.
In third place:For unfeigned brotherly love, this refers to the love that we must feel for our neighbor, it must be a sincere love, a love that leads us to an appropriate relationship with our peers. Eliminating from us all spirit of selfishness.
That fraternal love of obedience and truth that includes all the duties of a full Christian life which will allow us to reach holiness.
This seeks to exhort us in general and specifically at the same time, to seek this mutual grace of brotherly love, this Christian love as the great evidence of our sincerity of our love for God.
Since men are subject to many hypocrisies, this is how we deceive ourselves, you can go to a Church, you can pray, you can serve the work of God, you can meet in family homes, but despite all that You cannot find the forgive old wounds that are in your heart.
Love must be pure with a pure heart, that can be called a good communion, the opposite of an impious communion of which the only thing that can be expected is to sin together with others, to be tormented, together and not only that, but also add to each other's torment.
The mutual love of Christians must be pure, springing from pure and spiritual causes of the sense of the mandate of our savior and lord, learning from his example John 13:34.
Reflection and Answer:
1. What is "sincere love"? How can you love deeply, from the heart?
2. Who have you loved this way in your life before? How does your love for the disciples need to grow?
Read:
2 Corinthians 5:16-17
Development:
In these verses the Apostle Paul is telling us that the renewed man acts based on new principles and rules. Pursuing new objectives, the believer is created anew, therefore the hearts are pure and without evil.
The man who before did not see the beauty in salvation, now loves it above all things.
The heart of the unconverted (Convinced and worldly alike) is full of enmity, and falsehood towards God and for this reason this represents an affront to God. Despite this, God, offended, gave us the opportunity to reconcile with him through Christ.
In addition, God inspired, gave us through great men his word, what we know today as the bible. Showing us that peace has been restored through that sacrifice that took place 2023 years ago.
Through these things God tells us, which I mean asks us to abandon our old sinful lives and accept the salvation that he offers us.
Christ knew no sin, but to save us, he had to become a sinner. They will say that I am saying this, but look, Christ, in order to save us from sins, was made sin, but here is the difference, he was made sin, not a sinner, but he was made sin of expiation, sacrificed for sin, only with the objective of his justice being manifested in us, so that Jesus is reflected in our lives, thus making us the light of the world.
I reflect and respond:
1. What are some of the mundane ways you have looked at people before?
2. How do you need to change the way you see people? (Be specific.)
Read:
1 Timothy 5:1-12
Development:
Here we can appreciate how the Apostle Paul does not narrate about spiritual kinship, he tells us that the spirit
From God, it must be manifested in dealing with others according to their different ages, within the church family, especially with the elderly, with whom our treatment must be affectionate and respectful.
He urges us to treat older people with the respect they deserve, men as if they were our father, and women as if they were our mother.
The duty of the young is to show the respect due them by age, and to lend an ear to them for advice and wisdom, for the lack of experience of youth requires the practical wisdom of age to strengthen and direct them.
However, it also tells us that it is our duty to care for widows who are in need and have no one to care for them. (If the widow has relatives, sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, etc. The latter must take care of her, because it is an obligation to learn to fulfill the duties of religion in their homes.
Now, if the widow is really alone, and if she has pinned all her hopes on God, and dedicates herself day and night to intercession and prayer, we must help her.
If the widow lives her life in a libertine way, although she appears to be alive in reality this death in life, she should not be helped.
In short, the Apostle Paul does not invite us to copy the attitude of the Jews, as long as care for the family is respected.
It also gives us indications of who to consider as widows, and this is due to the life they have led, there are certain guidelines, for example, that no woman under 60 be considered a widow, if the woman has been the wife of only one husband, between things,
The Apostle Paul establishes that the woman who wishes to serve in the church must be discreet, particularly in speech,
May every widow be humble, quiet, benign, sincere, free from anger, not talkative, not loud, not quick-talking, not given to gossip, not suspicious, not double-tongued.
In short, if these women see or hear something, they should pretend they didn't hear anything, and they should forget about it.
It also indicates other aspects, such as: resist targeting very young women who are easy to fall into crimes of the flesh, since for this they have broken their first faith (this is in reference to young widows under 60). and at the same time they learn to be idle and are hasty to run from house to house.
And here is a very important thing that Paul states, according to his opinion, he says that widowed women should marry again, and the same thing happens with men, if the man is widowed and is still young, marry again.
What the Apostle Paul teaches us are the deficiencies in the lives of people who claim to be Christians and clearly we are talking about the convinced and not the converted to Christianity. We are talking about those people who convince themselves that they are Christians, who say they follow Christ everywhere, but when they leave the church they return to their filthy mundane lives. I call such people believers.
I reflect and respond:
Who are some people in your ministry who can become your
spiritual "fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters" in your life?
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