LOVE IN THE CHURCH IS NEEDED - Eva Haglund
In the world today we find egoism and lack of love. Also among Christians we can find lack of love. The church has sometimes become more of a club than a family as it was meant to b. Some think the church is a usual building and that we go to church - not that we are the church. As a temple can be built God also wants this temple of living stones to come together, with Jesus as the cornerstone.
In 1 Corinthians 12 it is written that as in a usual body the members need each other. We need each other with Jesus as the head. We need contact with Christians, not just in a church building. There needs to be more fellowship and real friendship. Jesus talks about love among Christians in John 15: 12-13 when He says, "This is My commandment that you love one another as I have loved you." He wants it to be deep friendship among Christians. Jesus also says in John 15: 13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends." He talks here about real friendship among Christians.
Jesus showed his disciples, His friends, to wash each other's feet. I think it can be a picture of showing care and love to each other, humility as a servant. Jesus gave all for us like a servant in love. He showed the greatest love at Calvary, suffering so much by free will for us. We need friendship with Jesus first. We can understand about having first love for Him in a relationship in the Song of Solomon about His Bride - the church.
To show love among Christians is like a sermon we can give to the world - that God is love. The world is full of people who need love. Sometimes people who are ill and poor are looked down at even among some Christians. God wants love to flow and that all people are treated with respect and love and seen with the same value.
In John 17:21 Jesus prayed that love will be a testimony to the world. I think it also means in attitudes and about fellowship, friendship and care. If also Christians stand together as one in an area it is a testimony to the world. Christian cafes can be good when Christians from different Christian backgrounds get together. Fellowship, care and love also open up for sharing the gospel and caring about people. Talking to people can give opportunities to share the faith.
In John 21 we see that Jesus was eating breakfast with the disciples and had fellowship. In Acts 2:46 the disciples ate in the houses and had fellowship. I think God wants to restore more of this among us. Abraham had a heart of love and care as we see when the angels came in Gen 18. The Bible also talks about hospitality. When Jesus was teaching in a home where Mary was listening at His feet I also think there was fellowship.
We can read in Rom 9:1-3, "I tell you the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh." We find here a heart full of love. Sometimes Christians live far from each other but in Acts I do not think people who lived in one area lived so far away from each other. You can have good friends in other parts of the world. I also think it is good to have close friends where we live . In Ps 133:1-3 we also read about living close to each other.
It is written, "Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious oil upon the head running down the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life forevermore."
Even when we go through times of loneliness, as for instance David, God can give back in this area, too. In times of loneliness we can learn to know Jesus better as our first Friend as David and Joseph did. We need Jesus first but we also need fellowship and love among Christians. I think we are in a new time when God wants to restore more of the love in the church, the spiritual temple, as it was meant to be in preparation of Yeshua/Jesus coming back. We need each other and the world also needs love from Christians.
