AAEVS - Putting Together a Christ-centered Community (Part 3)

Unrestrained Love/Respect

This is not hippy, wishy-washy love that is nice and rosy but the love that, as John Piper put it, “joyfully meets the needs of others.” By “Unrestrained” I don’t mean affection that goes outside of moral or etiquette boundaries, but brotherly love that is not kept back by a form of stoicism; The kind of stoicism that says, “I must not express love to anyone in word or action because that would be awkward or shameful.”

However, love will physically look different person to person, one may expect words and another may expect gifts. Gary Chapman in his book series, “The Five Love Languages” categorizes five different expressions (or “languages” as he called them) of love in this order: 

Words of Affirmation: Words of praise and encouragement to another person 

Quality Time: Time spent investing in another person 

Acts of Service: Doing tedious chores for another person 

Gifts: Giving meaningful objects to another person 

Physical Touch: Giving brotherly pats and hugs to another person 

An application would be that in isolated settings we should ask each other (of the same gender, of course) how they want to be treated lovingly and likewise we should humbly let each other how we want to be treated in love. 

Another way that brotherly love is displayed is respect. John Gill on his commentary on Romans 12:10b stated, “saints should think honourably of one another, and entertain an honourable esteem of each other; yea, should esteem each other better thou themselves; and not indulge evil surmises, and groundless jealousies of one another, which is contrary to that love that thinks no evil. They should speak honourably of each other in Christian company, and discourage that evil practice of whisperings, backbitings, and innuendos; they should treat each other with honour and respect in their common conversation, and especially when met together as a church of Christ. They should go before each other in giving honour, and showing respect, as the word proegoumenos, signifies: they should set each other an example; and which also may be taken into the sense of the word, should prevent (go before) one another, not waiting until respect is shown on one side to return it again. Nor does this rule at all break in upon that order that should subsist, and be maintained in bodies civil and ecclesiastical, which requires superior honour to be given to persons according to their character, office, and station in which they are.”

With Gill's commentary, I don't think I need to make applications.

Stronger Faith in the Promises of God

With resolute confidence we believe that God the Son - the Creator of the vast universe - has taken on human flesh, born of a virgin, performed miracles in the public sphere, died for our offences, been raised for our justification, ascended to receive a Kingdom that will never end, been seated at right hand of God the Father waiting for His enemies to be made His footstool, and has sent God the Holy Spirit to His followers to lead them in the faith. However, that is not where our faith stops. Our faith needs to mature as we learn how to trust God to do what He promises in His word.

One of the best examples in Scripture about faith is the Apostles, especially Peter. During Jesus’ ministry, they were rebuked constantly for their lack of faith. At Pentecost, they were bold witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection even afterwards submitting to Martyrdom. What changed at His resurrection? In the resurrection account of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus, walking with two of the disciples to Emmaus, expounded unto them the Scriptures concerning Himself. "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" said His disciples. The exposition of the Scriptures strengthened their faith and it was displayed at Pentecost and elsewhere in history. 

Thus if we want God to increase our faith, we must let His Spirit lead us through public worship, through private devotions, and through Christian conversation.

Questions:

1. How does one converse with each other on the subject of love in a socially acceptable manner without implying that he/she have been failing in that area?

2. Jesus said that by you loving one another the world will know that you all are His disciples. What does that look like in the 21st Century? 

3. How do we respect each other and display it in the 21st Century?

4. What other areas in Scripture does faith need to grow in?

5. Are there other ways that faith grows?

6. What are the promises of God? How do we have conversations on them?