Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Love Is a Community Thing

Store window, Savannah, Georgia

The sign of our heart-transformation into greater maturity is a growing capacity to live and love and be with one another. As spiritual depth increases, community life in Christ increases.

If we are serious about following Christ, we will take to heart is statement that "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).


The following "one another" verses show what God expects from us in this regard. Read them carefully, and consider how to apply them in your life:
Leviticus 19:11 Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.


John 13:14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.
John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.


John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.


Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.


Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.


Romans 15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.


1 Corinthians 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.


Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.


Ephesians 5:19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.


Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.


1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.


Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


James 4:11 Do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
1 Peter 3:8 Live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
     
1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.


1 Peter 5:5 Be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.


1 John 3:11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.


1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.


1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.


James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:9 Don't grumble against each other, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!


Hebrews 13:1 Keep on loving each other.
2 Thessalonians 1:3 We ought always to thank God for you, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.


1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.


1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.


1 Thessalonians 4:9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.


Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices


Philippians 4:2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.


Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Galatians 6:2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.


1 Corinthians 12:25 There should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
Galatians 5:15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.


1 Corinthians 11:33 When you come together to eat, wait for each other.
Romans 1:12 That is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.


Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

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My recent book is Praying: Reflections on 40 Years of Solitary Conversations with God.


I'm currently writing Leading the Presence-Driven Church.