Brethren

Good Morning,

Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Ephesians 2:19 “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”

Regarding their closeness, there is no doubt that a special bond exists among the people of God.  We may live in various nations, fit in different economic brackets, or socialize diversly, but there is something God lifts up, calling it "the household of faith" and "the household of God."

Soldiers have something of a "brotherhood" as do many groups of people in law enforcement or similar backgrounds, but all are a counterfeit of the spiritual brotherhood God births when a person gets saved. 

Ephesians 3:15 “Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named”

The saved are born of God and baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.

The New Testament refers to Christians as brethren 231 times, and it does so to make it clear that we are different, we belong to a different family, and we belong to a different Father.  We are not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, or to be in "accord" with the lost world around us.  We are literally to be separate from the world. Obviously, this does not refer to the trees, dirt, mountains or oceans, it refers to the PEOPLE we are to separate from.  

Jesus spoke the disciples as brethren (Hebrews 2:12).

We are not to speak evil of the brethren (James 4:11).

We are not to have a grudge against the brethren (James 5:9).

We are urged to love the brethren (1 John 3:14).

We are to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).  

None of these guidelines apply to our relationship to the lost.  

In our culture, there are some that use the word brother as we might use the word friend.  Make no mistake, God does not want us in any kind of "fellowship" with the lost around us.  

We march to a different beat, follow a different commander, and receive our marching orders from a different source.  We literally "belong to the King.” To have friendship with the godless society around us puts us at odds with God. ( James 4:4) 

When we receive Christ, we are spiritually placed into the most amazing spiritual family – a literal "body."  As Adam said of Eve, she was bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh, just as we are members of His body. (Romans 12:15)  

1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”

Ephesians 5:30 “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”

As spectacular and supernatural as it is to belong to the literal body of Christ, so is it tragic and godless for us to treat the non-Christian as if he was a brother; he has a different father.   

We ought to love people, witness to them, and be kind to them. Fellowship demands a unified basis, and they do not have our Book, our Father, our future, our Spiritual body, our Saviour, or our Blood atonement.  

As the old song says, "Blessed be the tie that binds."  


Pastor