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Bible Study Knowing God

God’s Love: You Were Created in His Image

God created you in His image

Genesis 1:26–31

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

     What does being created in God’s image mean?  Well to be honest, the Bible doesn’t give much detail about it.  But I will try to explain what being created in God’s image means, from my studies.

     Since we are created in God’s image, we can reason and speak, and we have a will to choose, like God.  We also have the power to act out our reasoning, our speech, and our choices, like God does.  (Granted we are limited in these things compared to God.) Our ability to do these things is clearly seen in Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God for the first time.

  Do we have the same form that God has? His Word Jesus took on the appearance of man, in Philippians 2:8a, He was, “found in appearance as a man…”  So, do we look like God? I don’t know. However, Jesus did take the form of man. So we created in the very form that Jesus, chose for Himself. That’s pretty amazing to me! How about to you?  However there is a huge difference, Jesus has God’s essence and nature because He is God, we don’t!  Jesus says in John 14:7, 

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

     God has two types of attributes, they are incommunicable and communicable.  The communicable attributes of God are the ones that we have such as a personality marked with emotions, moral character, the desire for relationship, the want to be loved and to love, the capacity to have understanding and wisdom, as well as the desire for mercy, justice, truth and faithfulness. We also have an eternal existence that began when God created us. The incommunicable attributes of God are the ones only God can have because God is God.  These include being self-existent, self-sufficient, sovereign, all-powerful, all-knowing and always present.

Think about why God would make us in His image. I love my dog, but I can’t have a truly intimate relationship with her because she isn’t in my image.  We can relate to each other because we are in each other’s image, but even more importantly we can relate to God because He created us in His image.  Since God created us in His image we are linked to heaven and to God Himself unlike any other creature God made. He made us in His image to be able to have a truly intimate eternal relationship with us. All of His workings throughout eternity prove it.     

  1. Human history is being played out, in order that God can have a people who are His and who want to be His.  Read Exodus 19:2-6, 1 Peter 2:4-10, and Jeremiah 31:3, 31-34. (The word “covenant” simply put means an agreement with a person or group of people to whom you are deeply committed.) How does the fact that God wants you to be His, show you He loves you?
  2. Think about this:  What if God didn’t create us in His image, and we were all on the same level as animals? What would that tell us about God and His desire for a relationship with us? What value would humans have to Him then? (Those of you who are animal lovers, just to encourage you, God cares for animals too; but not in the same way He cares for us.  (Matthew 10:29-31))
  3. Prayerfully answer the question since God created you in His image:  What value does He give to you?  Did you know, you are so valuable to God that He died for you when you were His enemy?  We can all struggle at times with thinking we don’t have high value in anyone’s eyes, especially God’s, but we do!
  4. I am sure some of you are thinking, God did create us in His image, but didn’t sin do something to His image in us? It did!  We still possess God’s image within us, but it has been corrupted by sin and needs renewing.  Read Genesis 9:6 and James 3:9.  The only way to truly have God’s image again, is through Jesus Christ and by allowing the Holy Spirit to progressively renew His image within us.  Read Ephesians 4:20-24 and Colossians 3:9-11.
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Bible Study Knowing God

God’s Love: Creation

Love has become a word that gets thrown around these days without much thought. I love cake, I love that dress, or I love this phone. However, love is an action and often times we fail to put that “love” into action.  God’s love, in contrast, is filled with action.  In numerous scriptures we are told that the foundation of God’s love is shown through the action of sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for us.

1 John 4:9-10 New International Version (NIV)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

His love for us is also seen through His creation. His creation is His work of love for us (Psalm 119:64).

64 The earth is filled with your love, Lord;
    teach me your decrees.

In all actuality, God created you to love you! Just a little reminder from scripture, it is very clear humans are the focal point and masterpiece of God’s creation.

God created you very good

     God created everything in 6 days.  After each day of creation God saw that what He had made was good.  Yet, after God had created everything – especially man and woman, He saw that all He had created was very good.  God creating humans made His creation very good.  You are very good in God’s eyes!  Genesis 1:31 says,

And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. ®

In Genesis 1 and 2 it is obvious that His creation is His work of love for us! If you doubt this, as you read Genesis 1 and 2, make the creation story personal to yourself. You can do this by asking yourself, “Why did He create that for me?”  Example: God created the sun so I can delight in its warmth and light on chilly days.)

At one time in my life I thought I was worthless. I later realized from Genesis that I was very good in God’s sight.  The word “very” means exceedingly.  The word “good” is defined by many positive words. Some of the positive words are: beautiful, delightful, pleasant, glad, precious, correct, excellent, lovely, convenient, joyful, fruitful, secure, kind, and righteous. What if someone who loved you wrote you a letter using these words to express what they thought about you?  How would you feel?  Remember, these words are what God thinks about you!  Take a few minutes and think of that fact. 

Answer the question, “What do you really think of yourself?”  Take some time with this question. Use your journal if you want. Ask the Spirit to search your heart and mind, so you can answer truthfully. Be specific.

Take some of the positive words from above that define the word “good”.  Describe how that word applies to your life with God.  (Examples: I am beautiful to God because He called me very good in Genesis 1.  I am convenient to God, not an inconvenience as my childhood family led me to believe.)

You are very good in God’s eyes and that is the truth!  Since you are very good in God’s eyes, how should you think of yourself? Use God’s Word to answer this question if you can.

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Bible Study Knowing God

1 Timothy: Hold on to the Gospel

I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to live in a different time in history. A think maybe a time when the world wasn’t so cynical, when tolerance wasn’t a religion, when success meant more than money and power, and when more people genuinely looked out for each other. But different times only would have come with a different set of challenges for Christians in the world.

Paul and Timothy had their own set of challenges for sure.

But instead of focusing on another time in history or some kind of easy way out, Paul focused on their assignment in the present.

They were men on a mission, and it was time to get serious.

1 Timothy 6:19-21 New International Version (NIV)

19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

Grace be with you all.

Guard what has been entrusted to your care

When I read “ guard what has been entrusted to your care ,” I see a soldier or police officer who has just been given the order to guard a building or a person and is guarding it with his life as he walks with purpose watching and listening for any movement. Hopefully he is alone, but he is ever aware that there is someone who want to stop him from guarding this precious thing. Someone will get in his path, others will try to knock him down, and others will may try to sneak past. Each one wants to stop him from doing his job, guarding. That’s a picture of what our spiritual lives can feel like some days. But despite who or what comes against us, we hold on to our faith, we keep our eyes fixed on heaven, and we remember how precious the gospel is that we guard.

While studying 1 Timothy 6 this morning, I put the verses in bible gateway. I have been working on writing our vacation Bible school, and the version was set to International Children’s Bible. I LOVE the directness of Paul’s words to Timothy throughout this chapter in this translation:

1 Timothy 6:19-21 International Children’s Bible (ICB)

19 By doing that, they will be saving a treasure for themselves in heaven. That treasure will be a strong foundation. Their future life can be built on that treasure. Then they will be able to have the life that is true life.

20 Timothy, God has trusted you with many things. Keep those things safe. Stay away from people who say foolish things that are not from God. Stay away from those who argue against the truth. They use something they call “knowledge,” but it is really not knowledge. 21 They say that they have that “knowledge,” but they have left the true faith.

God’s grace be with you.

And so I have to ask.

Are you actively taking hold – seriously guarding with everything you’ve got – the life that is true life?

Or are you living on the defense, surrounded on all sides, believing the lies, and feeling like you might as well give up as the weight of the world closes in on you?

Get back in the game by drinking deeply of the gospel.

The gospel is where hope resides. It’s where our minds are guarded against the battles that rage all around us. The gospel lifts us out of the muck, sets us on course, and plants us firmly on solid ground. It gives us strength to get back up with more determination than ever because we are convinced that nothing can get in the way of sure victory.

If you guard the gospel, the world can’t take your joy.

If you guard the gospel, the world can’t sway your mind.

If you guard the gospel, the world can’t steal your focus.

If you guard the gospel, you can’t help but give it away…

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Bible Study faith

1 Timothy: Fight the Good Fight

Have you ever found yourself trying to be diligent, focused, and resolved in your spiritual walk, but somewhere along the way discipline starts to wane, life (and the world) gets crazy, and you find yourself either giving in to things you didn’t use to or getting drawn in to petty, insignificant matters?

Or maybe you’ve observed people you respect and admire who appear to engage in things, conversations, entertainment, positions, or relationships that make you question your own stance on what’s right versus wrong, leaving you feeling confused and weary of trying to keep up with it all.

Paul spends some of his final words in 1 Timothy 6 giving instructions to Timothy. It feels like he must have known Timothy might start to feel overwhelmed at all he needed to be vigilant about, especially when he observed people getting caught up in the trivial, distorting the truth, or engaging in pointless arguments that distracted them from what really mattered.

1 Timothy 6:12 New International Version (NIV)

12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

So Paul made it plain and simple for all of us:

Flee from evil.

Pursue righteousness.

Fight the good fight of faith.

Take hold of what’s eternal.

It’s a direct charge to be on full alert; to be intentional and mindful in the way we live. It’s just not worth it to get caught up in the things the world thinks is all-important if those things draw us away from living a life worthy of God’s call.

There’s a better way to live.

It’s found in learning to run away from and not take any part in what doesn’t edify, build up, and strengthen our faith, and instead pursue what’s truly good: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.

We are called to be genuine, steadfast children of God who are set apart and called to a higher standard and a more excellent way. As we apply the truth of the Word of God in every area of life, we’ll find ourselves fueled by the Spirit of God with renewed and resolved determination to do everything He has called us to do.

I love how 2 Corinthians 10 reminds us that although we live in this world, we don’t have to sink down to the same standards the world engages in, and what’s more, we have the Word of God that gives us everything we need to fight this fight of faith and live a life of obedience and maturity.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 New International Version (NIV)

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

The fight of faith is a good fight, but it is still a fight.

It will take tenacity, guts, resolve, and determination. It’s a fight to not let the enemy take ground in our lives or in our families. It’s a fight to do what’s right in God’s eyes even when others say it’s old fashioned. It’s fight to hold fast to the truth of the Word of God in love and kindness, without watering it down or creating our own interpretation as a means to excuse sin.

But friend, we are in good company. We are not alone in this fight of faith. Not only are there many believers cheering us on here and now, but as Hebrews 12:1-3 says, we are also surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who are cheering us on to run our race with perseverance and courage.

As we live our lives with our sights set on Jesus, we can be confident we’re on the right track. Philippians 4:12-14 says:

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

We don’t have to make it complicated. We just need to keep the main thing the main thing and hold tight to what really matters – the eternal things, not the temporary things. But we have to be vigilant about it. Hebrews 2:1, AMP, says, “… we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past and slip away.”

We need to be sure we are anchoring our hearts and our hope in Jesus Christ and His Word with everything we’ve got. If we don’t, we won’t even realize when we have drifted from His ways.

Stay steadfast and keep a firm grip on righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Let’s not get sidetracked, slip into bad habits, or emulate the world’s habits or trends so much that we drift away the way God has called us to live.

Flee from evil. Pursue righteousness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of what’s eternal.

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Bible Study faith

1 Timothy: Respect

A few years ago, I sat in a Sunday School classroom, with my husband and our pastor and prayed for God to help me to respond kindly. The pastor was a Christian man, and I had known him a long time. Over the course of several weeks, he had questioned my capabilities, misrepresented my motives, and asked me to stop or change the ministry that I loved.

I’d taken over VBS 5 years before and was led to write our own curriculum, instead of using the box sets. It was how I felt God wanted me to do it. It was my passion, my ministry.

Except now, this new pastor was a tearing me apart. For some crazy reason, he just didn’t like anything we where doing, and I might lose my ministry because of it. It was my ministry, but it was also my heart, my calling. I’d spent all year long working, writing and creating what God led me to do and loved every moment.

I didn’t know what to do, so I went home and prayed. I placed my open Bible in front of me and asked God to help me. I needed His direction. I didn’t know where to turn, so I turned to my Master first.

It was the 22nd day of the month, so I read through Proverbs 22 and prayed over each verse. When I got to verse 11, I heard the clear voice of the Holy Spirit give me my marching orders:

Proverbs 22:11 New International Version (NIV)

11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
    will have the king for a friend.

Really, Lord? I understood exactly what God was asking me to do, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be gracious and loving to a man who had just told me I was not qualified to write VBS. I spent a few minutes crying out for God’s strength, praying for God’s blessing over him, and asking God to help me to serve with joy in the midst of a very uncomfortable situation.

1 Timothy 6:1-2 New International Version (NIV)

6 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves. These are the things you are to teach and insist on.

In I Timothy 6, Paul is encouraging Timothy to counsel the church body to choose wisely. We can never control the response of those whose authority we are placed under, but we can choose to respectfully honor them in the name of Christ by showing up to serve faithfully. 

Rather than shrink back and grow disillusioned, we are called to step forward and get diligent. We win the war by washing the feet of the very one who is opposing us. 

Whenever I am tempted to start complaining about how someone is treating me, I remember that Jesus picked up a towel and basin and kneeled before Judas to serve. He set the example for all of us to follow. We are called to represent Christ by redoubling our efforts to serve even when we aren’t rewarded.

I don’t know where you are standing today, friend. Perhaps you have a difficult boss or a negative neighbor. Maybe you are accused of something you did not do, or you are giving your all in a place where no one recognizes your hard work. I want you to know that God sees you striving to obey His voice, and He is pleased by your sacrifice.

And by the way, I kept that ministry, and God quickly opened doors to do more. Eventually, the pastor told me recognized my faithful efforts, and I found favor in his eyes.

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Attitude Bible Study Living in the Spirit

1 Timothy: Love Your Church Leaders

Have you ever been in a church where the leadership is untrustworthy? Where the teaching has been unbiblical or very shallow? We went to a church once where the main text of the sermon was a a quote of a professional athlete! The Bible was just an add on. Needless to say we never went back.

Paul was not only concerned about fixing some of issues that the Ephesian church had, but he was also exhorting Timothy to work hard as a pastor. He was committed to helping and guiding young Timothy in his responsibility in shepherding the people in this Ephesian church, both in easy and in difficult circumstances.

In 1 Timothy Paul showers Timothy with a number of pieces of advice, but implied in this passage is what we should be doing as people of faith in the local church.

  1. Pastors are to preach.

God gave us teachers and preachers whom we are to honor and respect (vs. 17).

1 Timothy 5:17 New International Version (NIV)

17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

We are to trust them and learn from them as they lead and teach in the church. This means a couple of things for us.

First, we need to make sure we are a part of a church where the pastors truly love the Lord, hold the Bible in high esteem, and therefore preach the Word at all times. We have a found one. Have you?

Secondly, it means we need to be teachable. We must be learners who are willing to hear the Word explained and applied to our lives. Instead of becoming defensive, we need to humbly accept the truth preached from God’s Word even when the truth is hard.

  1. Pastors are to rebuke.

God gave pastors the job of rebuking us when we continue in sin without repentance (vs.20).

1 Timothy 5:20 New International Version (NIV)

20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.

It is one of the ways in which they care for our souls. What this means is NOT that we must be sinless, but that we must practice repentance because we acknowledge that we are sinners. In 1 John, we are told that whoever says they are without sin is a liar (1Jn.1:8).

I love what Charles Spurgeon wrote about repentance. He says, “Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.”

We all struggle with sin; there is no way around it. But we can help each other not only see our sins, but also fight them.

3. Pastors are to encourage.

Just as pastors are to lovingly call people to repentance, so they are also called to acknowledge and encourage their congregation in godliness and good works. We all feel good when we are encouraged. Encouragement makes us want to continue on, even when life is draining or the battle seems too hard.

But this means that we need to live lives of conspicuous godliness (vs. 25), not in order to receive the honor of men or superficial flattery, but in order to honor God and to be an encouragement to each other and to those around us.

1 Timothy 5:25 New International Version (NIV)

25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

The job of a pastor is not an easy one. Instead of honor, they often receive criticism. Many nitpick at sermons instead of sitting with the posture of a learner. Many get offended when sin is called sin, especially when it hits too close to home.

This is why it is so very important to find a church home where the leaders are godly, where Christ is preached weekly, and where life is lived authentically so that we can all help each other overcome sin and grow in holiness.

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Bible Study Living in the Spirit

1 Timothy: Who Do We Love?

Preparing dinner at our house is always tricky. My husband is easy to please, but Jackson, our son, is a picky eater. When I do get it right and Jackson will eat what I have prepared, I make a mental note so I can see him smile and eat what I have cooked. Even though some things I do not care for myself. Why do we do this? Jump through hurdles and put what we want aside. Because we love them.

Who do you love?

It seems like a ridiculously simple gesture and a way too emotional response, but I can remember a day when my love was more limited and my unnecessary “no’s” were much more frequent in my home. More often than I’d like to admit. Too many times I have given my best away to those outside of my home, offering my family only my impatience and leftovers like they were an obstacle or an afterthought.

Oh God, forgive me.

In 1 Timothy 5, Paul admonishes Timothy with instructions for how to show honor and respect to specific individuals within the church, but interestingly, it’s not long before the family is brought into the equation:

“But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.” – 1 Timothy 5:4

Paul’s words should cause us to not only reflect how we show love, honor, and respect to those in the church, but also how we show godliness to the ones who know us in the most intimate spaces – those in our own families. These are the hard questions.

Do I regularly look for opportunities to encourage, honor, and provide tangible help for those in my church and family as I’m able, or am I frustrated by the needs of others as I look to serve my own interests?

Do I seek to show value, grace, and love to all people, or am I investing only in those who are like me or those who can advance my status or personal agenda?

Am I reflecting my love for God in the way I treat those in my family and church, or am I consistently detached and unavailable?

Am I providing a godly model for the next generation in how I love and care for others?

Oh Father, transform the way we love others so that we look more like You.

For our families.

For Your Church.

For the light of the gospel and the glory of Christ…

“In their case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4-6

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Uncategorized

New Website

Sorry I have not been posting much lately. We have been switching over to a new website (missyarmstrong.com) With the switchover, the holidays and a fight with sinus infections and other set backs, I have been unable to post as much as I would like. Now that the website is almost done and the holidays almost over I will be back to posting Bible Studies two to three times a week. Thank you for your understanding.

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Bible Study Knowing God Living in the Spirit

Christian = Christ Like

God sent his Son, Jesus, who was the best example God was able to provide. The Lord Jesus Christ should be our model, we should model our lives in line with His wonderful example.

Jesus took upon himself to be the most humble, lowliest man. He performed the lowliest of jobs, benefiting us.

This is what we are told in Philippians 2 :5(NKJV).

It has been said- outlook determines outcome. Many people today think that they can’t manage their moods or attitudes. Christians are not slaves to their attitudes. We must have a particular attitude as did Jesus.

Without the Spirit of Christ, we are unable to Christ like.

Philippians 2: 1-11

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 11:28-29

Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle ando lwly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls.

      Included with the meaning of being Christ Like is direction, emotions and character. Christ was exceedingly humble. As Christ was, we should be lowly-minded. As Christ was humble, we should be humble. We should be like-minded, as Christ did. Christ who humbled himself to sufferings and death for all mankind, his spirit and steps are the same that we must walk in. Jesus lived and died for us, not just to please God’s authority . Our finest example is Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus left Heaven, came to this earth, suffered and died for us.

The compelling call to the believer is the self-sacrifice of Jesus. Once we embrace His attitude, our relationship with others will be effectived.

Once we imitate his attitude, true Christians will model their personal relationships on Jesus. Our unity should be a unity growing out of love, out of a Christlike attitude. We must train ourselves to think like Christ, if we are to be like Christ.

Jesus Christ came to this earth and left Heaven and all its glory. On earth, Jesus made Himself nothing. While He was on earth, He was a Servant. Here on earth, He humbled himself to the degree that He without reserve died a criminal’s death. And He did all this for us. If we, as Christians have this attitude regarding one another there `will be unity. We will have the unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17.

And we will truly be one, in spirit and purpose. We, like Jesus, will live to serve. This, of course, was part of Paul’s vision. Because Jesus humbled Himself, God the Father exalted Him to the highest place. For us as well as for Jesus, the way up is down.

God blesses us when we humble ourselves in the service of others. Christ was humble, in order to obey God and serve people, He was willing to give up His rights.

Since we are to have the mind of Christ, we should have a servant’s attitude. Serving out of love for God and for others is our charge. Remember, you can choose your attitude. You can approach life expecting to be served, or you can look for opportunities to serve others. When we see the need to serve others, we will look into the concerns of others, there needs to be a servant’s heart.

Everyone at one time or another has wanted something kept secret. When we visit the sick, as we show a tender kindness for them, we shouldn’t be too precise in being inquisitive into their medical disorders or their emotions. Circumstances may be such they prefer not to speak about.

We should allow them to tell their own stories. It is also true that the rule before us positively requires us to show an interest in the concerns of others; and it may be regarded as implying the following things:

(1.) We are to feel that the spiritual interests of everyone in the church are our own interest. The church is one. It is combined together for a common object. Each one is entrusted with a portion of the esteem of the whole, and the conduct of one member affects the character of all. We are to promote, in every way possible, the welfare of every other member of the church. If they go astray, we are to admonish and entreat them; if they are in error, we are to instruct them; if they are in trouble, we are to aid them. Every member of the church has a claim on the sympathy of his brethren, and should be certain of always finding it when his circumstances demand it.

(2.) There are situations where it is suitable to look with special interest on the mundane concerns of others. The poor, the fatherless, and the injured and the impaired must be sought out in order to be assisted and relieved. They are to modest to press their situation on the attention of others, and they need others to manifest a generous care in their welfare in order to relieve them. This is not an interference into their concerns, and it should not be so regarded as such.    

(3.) We should pursue the welfare of all others in a spiritual sense. We should seek to alert the sinner, being perceptive to his needs, and lead him to the Savior. Those in darkness will not come themselves; they are unconcerned, and will not seek salvation; they are filled with the love of this world, and will not seek a better; devoted life.

It is no more an intrusion in their concerns to inform them of their condition, and to attempt to lead them to the Savior, than it is to warn a man in a dark night, who walks on the verge of a cliff, of his jeopardy that is in store; or to arouse one from sleep whose house is in flames. It is not meddling with the concerns of another to tell him that there is a glorious heaven which may be his, than it would be to inform a man that there is a mine of golden ore on his farm. It is for the man’s own interest, and our job a a friend to remind him of these things. He does a man a favor who tells him that he has a redeemer, and that there is a heaven to which he may rise; he does his neighbor the greatest possible kindness who informs him that there is a world of infinite woe, and tells him of an easy way by which he may escape it.

The world around is dependent on the church to be informed of these truths. The unworldly will not warn the unworldly of their danger; the crowd that presses to the theater or the ball-room will not convey to those who are there that they are on the broad way to hell; and everyone who loves his neighbor should feel sufficient interest in him to tell him that he may be forever happy in heaven.