On this important topic I'm borrowing from chapters XII and XIII of our ongoing Christian Stepfordville story: 

Growing up as a unit and as a whole by Grace through faith in Jesus

www.ambassadorsforJesus5.com

     "...now back to my story.  Eventually some residents began seeing the problems there, along with the sting of the personal damage it caused, they then crossed the street into the other neighborhood and settled in there. It's been like a bad episode of "Family Feud" ever since…but we’ve also had our breakthroughs. The process has been slow but I'm very optimistic about the future…after all, we have our Jesus.”

     Sarah nodded then became sad again, “I’ve had my share of sorrows with the tensions and divisions in the body of Christ too…" then she offered sheepishly, “and my share of mistakes there too. Why is it that the body of Christ is so divided?”

     “Our heads are too big.” he made a big circle with his hands for emphasis and gave her a toothy smile. “That’s the short version, but I have a longer one on the menu if you’d like.”

     She giggled and said, “Yes, I’d like to hear it.” sitting straight up in her seat now she was all ears.

     That’s all Alex needed to hear. This was a topic close to his heart and if someone gave him an open invitation he was more than willing to walk through that door. “The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul said that knowledge puffs up, the big head syndrome, but love builds up. Jesus said that we search the scriptures in search of life but it all points to Him. In Him we have the Holy Spirit who is our breath of Life. He's a living organism within our hearts, his Spirit abiding in ours.  It lives and breaths. You don't get that from knowledge alone.  Knowledge often leads to bad breath, we have to have more.”

     She laughed, “You have a way with words, go on.”

From Chapter XIII:

     "Only Jesus opens the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf…and not speaking just of physical healing or even seeing into the spiritual realm for true seeing and hearing comes from a heart connected to Father God's found in Christ; a heart awakened to Him and his love.  Understand?”

     “Yes, I believe I do.” Sarah replied.

     "Are you familiar with football?" he asked.

     "I know the basics," she answered with curiosity.

     “That should do.  We are all progressively growing up into the full stature of Christ. We won't get there on our own…we are parts to his body and need each other, teammates. Yet we can be like the blind man in the bible that needed two touches from Jesus because with the first touch he was seeing men as trees. So God first begins to open our eyes, we score a touchdown, then we can opt for another neighborhood that may look different on the outside and the cause may seem more noble but if we are not coming from abiding in Jesus by trusting in Him it is more of the same thing with a different disguise.”

     “I can see that Alex.”

     “Sarah, I'm not saying that we shouldn't leave, the Lord can show each of us where He wants us during different phases in the process. Remember, after the man received his sight Jesus sent him another way. Sometimes we do have to leave for a time and even sit the bench with Jesus before He calls us back on field, whether there or elsewhere.  We just need to realize it is the same playing field and if we aren't remaining in Christ and his heart of love we won't rise above it all and we'll continue with the wrong plays.  I personally think it may even be worse if from there we start looking down at our neighbors and commit a major foul by throwing stones at them. The mote and beam Sarah. We try and remove motes out of their eyes when we are blindsided by the beams in our own. A beam is so much bigger than a mote and it may just speak of the condition of our hearts. We think we've scored the grand touchdown that won the game but we actually fumble the ball when we don't keep trusting Jesus to do the work in and through us.  Then we go and foul others.”

     “Romans 11.” Sarah offered excitedly as the pieces began falling into place.

     “That's right, Romans 11. I like to think of the football as the grace and faith that comes from God by which he works in our personal lives and in the corporate body of Christ for his greater purposes. There is personal growth and corporate growth.  In our personal lives we have personal enrichment where we become pro players in the NFL.  Then there is growing up corporately into the full stature of Christ for his greater purposes, the superbowl.  For our personal lives we are told that grace is given to the humble, no humility no grace to see us through. Yet there's also grace for the corporate body and what God is doing to bring about his larger purpose. For instance, in Romans 11 Paul speaks of the remnant of Israel chosen and kept by God's grace. Corporately, all his chosen are still being kept by his grace and faithfulness for even if we are unfaithful He remains faithful to us and his goal which takes us to Romans 8.  There we are told that God is bringing his children into his glory, we are being conformed into the image of Jesus and other scriptures tell us why. It isn't just for our benefit…God loves everyone dearly and He wants to display his glory through his chosen vessels so that all would see it and come to Him. That's the goal.  Are you following me so far or shall I call a time out?"

     "No, no, I'm fine.  I can see it," she was beaming.  "Go on and make the pass to the receiver Alex because I'm receiving it." 

     He laughed at her reply and enthusiam realizing she really was receiving it.  "Very well...Romans 11 gives the game plan by which he achieves the goal.  Jesus is our root, the vine that upholds the branches. As we continue to trust in Jesus to do the work in and through us his sap, the Holy Spirit, brings forth his fruits of the spirit: joy, love, peace, longsuffering…John 15 and Galatians 5. So God is both kind and severe in his love. Kind if we keep trusting in Jesus but He will use severe means if we fumble the ball. It's all filtered through his great love for us for God is love.  The book of Hebrews tells us He is a consuming fire.  He burns all the wood and hay we have come to trust in over Him.  He's jealous God ablaze with love and intent on having a bride refined in his fiery love where her love for Him will come out purified and whole-hearted.  We need not fear the fire or waters for He has said He will walk with us and we will not be consumed. Just like Jesus saved us from an awful collision. Just like Jesus carried you threw that angry crowd. Just like Jesus was with Reuben as Reuben was partaking of his sufferings. 

     In short Sarah, it may take on different appearances but it's all the same if we haven't gone higher into the heart of God, by grace through faith in Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. It is truly a humble position to know that we cannot do it without Jesus. That's humility and from that place we are given his grace to see us through. Our neighbor to neighbor relationships are suppose to help us relate to each other and as such we can be the royal priesthood that we have been called to be, bringing ourselves and each other before the throne of God.  Unfortunately, rather than playing on Jesus' team we can end up blindsided and playing on the enemy's opposing team.  He's always trying to intercept the ball and go on the offensive but we need not worry about him.  If we will just continue to listen to our Head Coach Jesus and keep our eyes on him we will remain playing offensively instead of trying to gain ground from the defensive end.  And the game is not just about us.  Hebrews 11 and 12 tells us there is a great cloud of witnesses in the audience that have gone before us.  They are awaiting the end of the game for only with us will they also attain the grand prize, perfection and co-heirs with Jesus Christ so we really need to rid ourselves of anything that hinders and entangles us.  It's going to be a great wedding feast Sarah."

Further Reading:  Lessons from Corporate America, The heart of the Matter, The Eye of the Beholder, Hate the Christian Art...Love the Artist