The Lord is so desirous for His children to walk in victory. It is something that He wants more than anything else (Psalm 35:27). That is the reason that He sent His “only begotten Son” (John 3:16), so that He could receive many more begotten sons (1 John 5:1) who would live in the same victory that Jesus lived in while He was on the earth (John 14:12).
However, many of those who call themselves “Christians are living way beneath what God has planned for them. They are living as the tail and not the head and beneath and not above (Deuteronomy 28:13). You may say, “It seems that if God really wanted me to live a victorious life that He would give it to me.” 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” Notice, He has already given to you everything you need for a victorious, God-like life. So what is the problem? Why are we not living in what He planned?
Well, beloved, it all comes down to using what He has given us to possess what He has given us! God has given us many things to cause us to partake of the victorious life that He has planned for us. Among those things that He has given to us are: His Holy Spirit and Anointing, His Covenant and Promises, His Gifts and His Fruit, among many others. However, today I want to talk to you about something that God has given to us, that is often overlooked, for success in this life: each other! Romans 12:5 says, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Just as our individual bodies are an intricate framework of muscles, tissues, ligaments, bones and organs fit together to fulfill its ultimate purpose. So is the body of Christ as everyone fills their roles to help the body of Christ fulfill its ultimate purpose. The body would not work effectively as 206 independent bones, over 600 independent skeletal muscles, an unlimited number of independent tissues, and several independent organs. The only way for the body to work effectively is to work as ONE cohesive system.
Beloved, it is the same thing with the body of Christ. It cannot work as several independent individuals, but it HAS to work as ONE cohesive system. Psalm 133:1 declares, “Behold, how good (the best thing) and how pleasant (delightful and sweet) it is for brethren (all brethren) to dwell together in unity (as one).” Understand it is the best thing you could ever choose to do in order to live the victorious Christian life. Understand, the reason most Christians are living defeated lives is because they are trying to do it all alone, instead of counting and relying on one another. They may say, “Well, when I go to church, people aren’t nice to me” or “they aren’t the kinds of Christians they should be.” Or they might say, “I don’t like going to church gatherings when I’m so tired, because I don’t get anything out of them.” Well, Ephesians 4:3 tells us to endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Beloved, it takes work and it may not come easy, but it is worth the work.
In Genesis 11 it tells us a story of a group of people who got into the same thought pattern and began to work together as one. They were not Godly people, they were heathen nations who were building a city and a tower that would reach unto the heavens. They were trying to make their own way to heaven. It sounds like a plan that would surely fail. However, that is not what God said. “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do* (vs. 6). He said that these people talk alike and they do everything with the same purpose, therefore, there is nothing that they can’t do. Beloved, this principle works no matter who you are. When the Church gets to the place that they are truly ONE, and are functioning as ONE, there is NOTHING that we can’t do. If it works for the heathen, how much more will it work for the Body of Christ. God spends much of the Word of God showing us that we are suppose to focus on others and have relationships with one another. Well, the question becomes how are we suppose to treat one another? What are we suppose to do? What kind of relationships are we suppose to have with one another in the body, so that we can be effective in our lives?
Here are six things that the Bible tells us that we are suppose to do to one another in order for us to work effectively as a Body of Believers!
1. Love One Another. Loving each other is a dominant subject in the Word of God. Galatians 5:6 tells us that faith works by love. To live in victory in our own lives, we need to be effectively loving others. John 13:34 says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Notice it said this is a command, not a suggestion. You may say, “Yes, Pastor Thad, I love everyone.” Well, in verse 34 it says that we are suppose to love each other as God loves us. That isn’t cheap “do good to me and I’ll do good to you” love. That is talking about unconditional, no limit love. It is the kind of love that says, “Even if you’ve failed me, I still love you.” It is a binding love, not a loose love. It is a giving love, not a taking love. In John 13:35 it goes on to say, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” It isn’t by your spiritual warfare, or your praise, or even your faith that people will know you are disciples…it is by your love. If you need any further proof that God wants us to love one another, look at this: John 15:12 – “love one another” John 15:17 – “love one another” Romans 13:8 – “owe no man anything, but to love one another”. 1 Thessalonians 4:9 – “love one another” 1 Peter 1:22 – “love one another” 1 John 3:11 – “love one another” 1 John 3:23 – you get saved, then you, “love one another”. John 4:11 – “love one another”. John 1:5 – “Jove one another”.
Beloved, loving each other isn’t a side issue with God. It is a major part of His whole being. If you need more victory in your life, then you need to give out more love. If you need your faith to work more, then you need to give out more love.
2. Exhort or Lift One Another Up! This point and the next four points all hinge on the area of love. If you don’t have love flowing, you won’t be able to take care of these next five areas. Hebrews 3:13 tells us. “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Don’t wait until tomorrow to encourage others in the body. Encourage them and lift them up while it is still called today! This verse tells us that if we are not busy encouraging and exhorting others everyday that we will be hardened and our fleshly desires will grow. Beloved, lifting each other up isn’t just for the other person to feel better, it is about you walking in victory. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” Too often we link “comfort” with wallowing in the mud with someone and feeling sorry for them, however, “comfort” is about lifting each other up. Get them out of the mud. Feeling sorry for someone ‘YE won’t help them, encouraging them will help them and it will help you too.
3.) Teach One Another. This point is closely related to #2, yet it is different. The whole point of teaching is to lift someone up, but this is dealing with straight teaching. Please note, teaching is suppose to lift other’s up, not condemn them and make them feel like a worm. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Galatians 3:16). “Admonishing” means to put in mind and correct. We are suppose to desire to be full of the Word of God, so that we can give it out to others. You may say, “Well Pastor Thad, I don’t have that calling in my life to teach.” You may not be called to be a teacher, but you are called to teach. Romans 15:14 says, “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Beloved, if you are full of goodness and full of knowledge then you need to be teaching others. Notice, you have to be full of goodness (God’s goodness) and knowledge (Truth of God’s Word to teach anyone. You need to remember that your teaching someone else the Word, when done in love and to lift them up, will help you to live the victorious life that God has for you.
4.) Serve One Another. To serve means to choose to be of assistance or promote the interests of someone else. Galatians 5:13 declares, ” …by love serve one another.” In other words, “by love [choose to be of assistance or promote the interests of one another. Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” To serve someone means that you put the interests of the other person ahead of your own. If we are suppose to be like Jesus, and we are, then we need to remind ourselves that He served, too. John 13:14 tells us that He washed His disciples feet. When did He wash their feet? During the hardest time of His life. He was facing a terrible and excruciating crucifixion and what was He thinking? To serve others. Beloved, serving others isn’t just about helping them out, it is about setting yourself up for promotion. Remember Elisha? What was his relationship to Eliiah? He was his servant. Was he Eliiah’s fellow minister? Yes! However, he identified himself as a servant. Was he helping Elijah? Yes! Was he JUST helping Elijah? No, he was setting himself up for promotion…and he not only got the promotion, he got the double of what Elijah enjoyed! Zig Ziglar said, “You can have anything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Serving others is just another way for you to step into the victory that God has for you.
5.) Be Kind to One Another! Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” To be kind means to be easy and gracious. Simply put, just be nice to each other. Too many Christians have tendency to be rude and just plain mean to others, but God calls us to be nice and gentle (Galatians 5:22,23). Notice that one part of being kind to each other is to forgive. Don’t hold things against other believers. “But Pastor Thad, they messed up.” So what! That isn’t your job to pay them back! Your job is to forgive and be kind. Their harvest will pay them back, unless they dig up the bad seed that they sowed! In Mark 11, where Jesus is talking about how to get mountains to move in your life, He says, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (vs. 25). Beloved, if you are not forgiving others for what they’ve done wrong, then you can’t even expect God to forgive you for what you’ve done wrong. How do you expect to live victorious like that?
6.) Be Accountable to One Another. Hebrews 10:25 says that we are to not forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Why does God want us to be together? Well, beyond the area of love He wants us to be accountable to one another. Ephesians 5:21 – “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God” 1 Peter 5:5 – “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth I grace to the humble.” This is one of the greatest areas of need in the body of Christ. Many people think that it I brings about bondage, but in actuality it brings about freedom. One Christian music artists who has had his ministry for decades has always traveled with another person in order to protect him from gossip and slander. This accountability doesn’t hinder his life, it protects him from lies of the enemy. Beloved, there is safety in being able to say, “I have surrounded myself with a group of trusted and loving people who will surely confront me if I fall into error, lift me up when I’m down, and make my life more effective for the Kingdom of God.”
It is interesting how many people like to “go to church” over the “television”. They live in Kentucky and their “pastor” lives in San Antonio. It is interesting how many of those people can fall into error and their “pastor” will NEVER call them. I don’t think any of “those pastors” have ever asked to see where you were Sunday morning. There is no accountability. We are suppose to submit ourselves one to another for the “grace” (ability of God) to be effective in our lives. We Need Each Other It is easy to get self-centered and concerned with our own lives, but God wants us to understand that that kind of mind-set is hazardous to your victorious Christian life. If my ministry is going to succeed the way that God wants it to succeed, then I need you. If your life and ministry will succeed the way that God wants it to, then you need me. As we all focus on our jobs one to another we will all step into greater areas in our life then we ever thought we could.
