20140119
To the world, the sign of love among Christians is a unique characteristic that symbolises Christianity. 1 John 4:16 says: “God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him”. There must be some display of this aspect of love from the early Colossian Christians that the Apostle Paul heard of that prompted him to declare: “because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints” (Col. 1:4).
How is this applicable to Christian in Singapore today? The faith in Jesus resulting in this love for all fellow Christians is more than just a nice, emotional feeling. It is an “Agape” love that binds all Christians together in the family of God. Yet this seems to be lacking among Christians in Churches today. Notwithstanding, the presence of false teachers and their erroneous teachings remains a threat to the unity of Christians; a more subtle form of danger lies within the hearts of many Christians.
Jesus said in John 13:34, 35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” But why is this Christian love so lacking today? We need not look far to see where the problem lies – it is within ourselves. In this modern age of competitive living, our human pride is very domineering. It becomes a stumbling block to the needed humility in our lives resulting in many unnecessary disagreements with others, the difficulty in forgiving people and thus the inability to love one another.
What can Christians do to arrest this potentially divisive nature? First, we need to focus on one another’s strengths and emphasise on areas of agreement especially among fellow Christians. We should promote careful study of the Bible to decide on the essential teachings of the Christian faith. We should encourage careful thought and healthy discussion concerning issues which may cause division. It is important that Christians remember and recognise who we are – people called by God to be united in Jesus’ love for the purpose of spreading the gospel of salvation to the whole world. Lastly, we should encourage prayer and communion with Jesus the Lord. This will enable Christians to stand out like beams of light in a dark world – with the love of Jesus for one another.
