08 Sep Loving My Brothers and Sisters
Last Sunday, Pastor Jason Finley preached from 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 and encouraged us with the truth that disciples are loved and transformed by God.
Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
This Sunday, Ryan Heard will show us that disciples love one another by declaring and displaying the gospel. As you prepare for our Sunday gathering, be encouraged by this devotional from Milton Vincent.
Reflect: “Loving My Brothers and Sisters”
The more I experience the gospel, the more there develops within me a yearning affection for my fellow-Christians who are also participating in the glories of the gospel. This affection for them comes loaded with confidence in their continued spiritual growth and ultimate glorification, and it becomes my pleasure to express to them this loving confidence regarding the ongoing work of God in their lives (Philippians 1:3-7).
Additionally, with the gospel proving itself to be such a boon in my own life, I realize that the greatest gift I can give to my fellow-Christians is the gospel itself. Indeed, I love my fellow-Christians not simply because of the gospel, but I love them best when I am loving them with the gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:8)! And I do this not merely by speaking gospel words to them, but also by living before them and generously relating to them in a gospel manner. Imparting my life to them in this way, I thereby contribute to their experience of the power, the Spirit, and the full assurance of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:5).
By preaching the gospel to myself each day, I nurture the bond that unites me with my brothers and sisters for whom Christ died, and I also keep myself well-versed in the raw materials with which I may actively love them in Christ.
“Loving My Brothers and Sisters,” in A Gospel Primer for Christians, by Milton Vincent
Sing: Song List for Sunday
1. “Oh, How Good It Is,” by Keith & Kristyn Getty
2. “How Rich a Treasure We Possess,” by Matt Boswell
3. “Forgiven,” by Sovereign Grace Music
4. “Be Thou My Vision,” Arr. Crosspoint Music
5. “All I Have Is Christ,” by Sovereign Grace Music