Colossians 3:
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
This moral imperative flows directly from this indicative found a few verses above:
3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Here are the questions:
1. Why is it so easy to fight with one another than it is to be: loving, patient, compassionate, gentle and humble?
2. Why is that most of my Reformed brothers (I AM INCLUDED NOT THROWING STONES) would rather wrestle through eschatology, covenants, dispensations, egalitarianism vs complementariansim, Calvinism vs arminianism, cessionism vs continuism, _________ (fill in the blank) rather than do what is CLEARLY COMMANDED in scripture?
3. Why are we so quick to give a pass on these things verus other things? Do we believe God is more concerned with theology or practice? (how about He is equally concerened with both James 1:19-27)
4. Finally, why do we believe this only counts in our body when this command is to “the” body?
Amen and Amen man. I just found your blog somehow and find your heart very similar to mine. I have been reformed in my theology for only 2 years or less. And in those 2 years have found that so many Christians, even Reformed ones, totally miss the point: love and unity IN the Gospel. And I can relate to some of these guys. I used to be the world’s worst at saying, “Well truth trumps unity”. That was just my overreaction to the dangers of ecumenical movements of Catholics and Christians alike. So I overreacted in believing that unity is somehow less than truth, and pitted them against each other. But God sees unity as equally important as truth. They go hand in hand. Like in Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 he prays that we (Christians) may be one “so that” the world may know God and Jesus and come to know Him. Pretty important that unity is, uh huh. Also your #4 point I totally agree with. Our pastor, Rob Wilkerson (http://mymiscellanies.blogspot.com), strongly believes that an individualistic mindset to Christianity, particularly to personal bible study, is dangerous and can lead to strange teachings and beliefs that can eventually disrupt the unity of the body.
Anyway, I appreciate your thoughts on this one. God bless you brother,
In Christ,
Jonathan C.