-One last sure sign of the Spirit-filled life, another aspect of the command to be thus filled, this one also played out in relationships. God’s people when filled with His Spirit, His power, His love, when they are consumed with Him - they will be (must be) living in subjection to one another. The word means, to rank under. It is not absence of positions of authority, it is the absence of attitudes of superiority. Whether I am senior pastor or part-time custodian or newby lay volunteer, I am not ever better than any fellow Christ-follower, certainly not because of my position, but also not because of my age or looks or education or training or experience or economic status - or theirs. And in fact, my mindset is that I am lower, precisely that of Christ - He-Who-was-eternal-God lowered Himself and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2.5-7). I am lesser. You are lesser. He's a lesser, she's a lesser (Wouldn't you like to be a lesser too? Be a lesser. Drink Dr. Lesser). Yes, all God's people are lesser, subordinate. Or should be as we relate to one another. Others first, others better (Philippians 2.3-5) - we rank others as more important. Ours is the mindset of John the Baptizer: I must decrease (John 3.30), all must decrease - so that Christ may increase. It’s not that nothing ever gets decided or done because everybody is falling over themselves trying to please everyone else. No, it is a beautiful dance of humility and mutual respect and deference, it is affirming the Christ-in-you and the gifts and the member-role which we all bring to the Body, it is brothers and sisters living together as one family under their heavenly Father’s roof. But no sibling rivalry here - ours is born of the realization that we are all orphans, every last one of us spiritual beggars adopted into God’s great family thru the underserved gift of His favor kindness and love.
-What if every member of our local assembly lived into this, actually related to every other member as their servant, putting that other person’s needs and wants before their own, affirming the worth of another not because of how they look or sound or because of their title or how much they might tithe or serve, but because they are truly a beloved child of the King of heaven, the apple of His eye, a divine treasure? Who would not want to be a part of a community like that?
-Herein we find our stronger motivation - the fear of Christ. He is not only our Prime Example, He is our Supreme Master. We all belong to Him, and are each accountable to Him (Romans 14.8, 2Corinthians 5.10). He it is Who will judge the living and the dead, to whom every knee will bow and every tongue give praise (Romans 14.10-12). These others, these little ones all around us whom we ignore or blow off or brush by, who we criticize and complain about and flat out cannot tolerate (or so we let ourselves think) - they belong to Christ. They are His. He died for them. He loves them. He lowered Himself to serve them. And when we fail to love and serve and respect one of His, we are disrespecting Him (Matthew 25.45). We are failing Him. and we may need to ask whether the love of Christ is even in our hearts to begin with (1John 4.20). Brethren, we take such liberty (and license) in our relationships with one another. The body of Christ should not look this way - shame on us.
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