Dear T,
It has been several weeks since you have been by, so it is time for another letter to you. It will be mostly Scripture with how you have applied the Scriptures in your life.
In Greek, there are three words for love:
Agape – sacrificial love for the good of others
Phileo – friendship love
Eros – sexual love
When we are saved, we are given the fruit of the Spirit, which is agape (see Gal. 5:22 and 1 Cor. 13:4-7).
Love is patient – Are you patient?
Love is kind – Are you kind?
Love does not envy or boast – Are you envious?
Love is not proud – Are you proud?
Love is not rude – Are you rude?
Love does not insist on its own way – Do you?
Love is not irritated – Do you get irritated?
Love is not resentful – Do you get resentful?
Whom are we to love?
Our neighbor (Matt. 22:39).
Other Christians (John 13:34-35).
Our enemies (Luke 6:27-36).
We are to love these people with this kind of love.
“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible” (Eph. 5:8-13).
We are not allowed to expose sin by speaking of the sin. It is exposed by the light of our character.
“Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).
Do you compare yourself with others?
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:3-11).
Have the same mind in humility as Jesus.
You have accused many other people of many things. When you do that, you are speaking for the devil, not for Jesus. Of course, you think that what you say is true. It probably isn’t true, but even if it were, you may not say it.
You know that taking offense is sin. You do not seem to know that giving offense is the greater sin.
In my short acquaintance with you, it seems that what you think, you also say – and you think that what you are saying is right. The content of what you say is normally not biblical. Even it were, the manner in which you say it is not loving or kind.
You may think you cannot change because you were born this way, but that is not true because you were born again and received a new nature. “Old things have passed away, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
If you are born again and do not change, it is because you will not, not because you cannot. If you will not, it is because you are deliberately disobeying and sinning. If you really cannot change, you have not been born again. Jesus does a better job of saving than what you evidence in your life. I do not know which it is, but I am ready to help you in a positive way.
You say that you love people and are not angry. If that were true, the people would recognize that they are loved.
With love and respect,
Jim Wilson
It has been several weeks since you have been by, so it is time for another letter to you. It will be mostly Scripture with how you have applied the Scriptures in your life.
In Greek, there are three words for love:
Agape – sacrificial love for the good of others
Phileo – friendship love
Eros – sexual love
When we are saved, we are given the fruit of the Spirit, which is agape (see Gal. 5:22 and 1 Cor. 13:4-7).
Love is patient – Are you patient?
Love is kind – Are you kind?
Love does not envy or boast – Are you envious?
Love is not proud – Are you proud?
Love is not rude – Are you rude?
Love does not insist on its own way – Do you?
Love is not irritated – Do you get irritated?
Love is not resentful – Do you get resentful?
Whom are we to love?
Our neighbor (Matt. 22:39).
Other Christians (John 13:34-35).
Our enemies (Luke 6:27-36).
We are to love these people with this kind of love.
“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible” (Eph. 5:8-13).
We are not allowed to expose sin by speaking of the sin. It is exposed by the light of our character.
“Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).
Do you compare yourself with others?
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:3-11).
Have the same mind in humility as Jesus.
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. (Matt. 7:1)The devil accuses, and the Holy Spirit convicts. If you are accusing anyone of any sin (whether the accusation is true or false), you are speaking for the devil.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” (Rev. 12:10)
And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer. (John 16:8-10)
You have accused many other people of many things. When you do that, you are speaking for the devil, not for Jesus. Of course, you think that what you say is true. It probably isn’t true, but even if it were, you may not say it.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph. 4:31-32)You must put these away.
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col. 3:8)
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. (Col. 3:8)
You know that taking offense is sin. You do not seem to know that giving offense is the greater sin.
Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Cor. 10:32-11:1)Our conscience is not absolute on right and wrong.
And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. (1 Cor. 8:11-12)
If my conscience is clean that does not make me innocent. (1 Cor. 4:4)
In my short acquaintance with you, it seems that what you think, you also say – and you think that what you are saying is right. The content of what you say is normally not biblical. Even it were, the manner in which you say it is not loving or kind.
You may think you cannot change because you were born this way, but that is not true because you were born again and received a new nature. “Old things have passed away, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
If you are born again and do not change, it is because you will not, not because you cannot. If you will not, it is because you are deliberately disobeying and sinning. If you really cannot change, you have not been born again. Jesus does a better job of saving than what you evidence in your life. I do not know which it is, but I am ready to help you in a positive way.
You say that you love people and are not angry. If that were true, the people would recognize that they are loved.
With love and respect,
Jim Wilson
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