EXHORTATIONS (PART 3)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Be devoted to one another in love.”

“Live in harmony with one another.”

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Romans 12:10a, 16a, 18

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If there has been one issue that’s plagued mankind for as long as it has tried to exist together culturally, it’s divisiveness.

Disagree with that statement?

Okay, tell me one time when the people of God (and when I say that I mean all the people that God created) have all lived in one accord about anything. 

Go ahead, I’ll wait.

The sad truth is that for the ages, people have found reason to separate from one another. The focus has always been on what makes them different than on what makes them the same.

Why has this happened?

Because people have not allowed God to drive the way they think, speak, and act. Instead, they have relied on their own desires, their own understanding, their own beliefs and opinions.

It has never worked out well and on more than one occasion, disaster resulted from divisiveness.

Sometimes, I feel like we are teetering on the brink of another disaster in this present time. I can’t remember another time when we have been more divided politically, racially, even religiously. The further and further we drift away from our Lord, and there has been a steady drifting for decades now, the more we descend into the depths of disunity and the conflict that comes with it, conflict that breeds hatred and discord.

Speaking into this troubling state of affairs are the three components of today’s spotlight exhortation message draw from the parts of two verses and one full verse of Romans, chapter 12. Let’s look at them one at a time and see how they can help us move away from division and strive toward a greater sense of togetherness and fellowship.

1. “Be devoted to one another in love.” v. 10a

If you were going to start initiating change and do so with the best maximum effect, love is where you would begin.

How powerful is love?

The word of God found in verse 8 of 1 Corinthians tells us this:

“Love never fails.”

And never means never. You can’t go wrong when you love.

Love is something every single person longs for. I haven’t meant a single person in my life who didn’t want to be loved. Choosing to love someone over opposing them gives them something they innately crave. Love is more central to the human design than contention. God made us that way for a reason and with complete intent.

So the next time you want to go at someone over something, stop and choose love again. God commands us to be devoted to one another and when you’re devoted, you’re committed not divorced.

2. “Live in harmony with one another.” v. 16a

People that are devoted to one another in love can’t possibly be divided. Rather, they live in harmony together, bound by fondness and dedication. Love becomes the tie that binds and with God initiating and sustaining love, nothing can break the loving bond that keeps people living in harmony with one another.

This leads to the final part of this exhortation trio:

3. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” v. 18

A people devoted to love and living in harmony will be a people living at peace with one another.

It’s really as simple as that.

When we look at our world state and see the large cracks and even chasms in our unity, we’re left wondering if we will ever find our way again to calm and serenity, to a place where we can once again be a people joined together in love and harmony and peace. It’s overwhelming and seemingly impossible from our limited view.

But we need to hold onto hope. Satan, our enemy, wants us to be ion despair. He wants us to see this matter of divisiveness and the new world order, an order grounded in chaos. But we serve a Lord who is the kryptonite to our enemy. Satan’s ways always fail when they come up against God. They always have and they always will. God will always have the victory and He can help us win the battle against division.

How will He do this?

It starts with each of us, each of God’s people doing their part.

We have to be devoted to one another in love.

We have to commit ourselves to live in harmony with one another.

And we have to allow both of these actions to lead us to a place of peace, a place free from disagreement and conflict, a place where we live united with the Prince of peace who will in turn show us how to live in tranquility and serenity together.

Friends, today is the day to start, the day to turn the tide away from the place where our enemy is trying to take us and move it towards the Lord, the day to be united in Him so that we might say farewell to divisiveness.

Will you join me in doing your part towards this cause?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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