The B.A.R.N.A.B.A.S. Pledge

The B.A.R.N.A.B.A.S. Pledge
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Monday, November 21, 2011

What is the "Job Description" for being a Christian?

Our Labor for the Church

-- Colossians 1:24-1:29 – Amplified --
What does it mean to be a "Christian"? Do we have a job description to refer to for the Christian life as in career life? In an article by Shashank Nigam on March 16th, 2008 titled “Happy Crew = Happy Passengers = Great Brand” at  http://simpliflying.com, he reveals the secret to success for the suffering airline industry. He states, “…it is an established fact that if the working conditions are good, the crew is happy, and that rubs off onto the passengers so that they too are happy. The fact of life is if you treat a human with dignity and respect, most people will go an extra mile for you. JetBlue in the US, Virgin Atlantic in Europe and AirAsia are prime examples of airlines that are known to take good care of their staff, who in turn go the extra mile in keeping the brand Xperience top-notch.”
What is odd is that it has taken nearly 2000 years for us to rediscover the same fact that God gave to us in the Bible. If the crew is well taken care of and are happy, the passengers are as well. Only when the needs of the crew are met by the commanders in charge, and the crew itself works together as a team, looking out for and helping each other, are they in the position to meet the needs of the passengers in their care. We as Christians are charged with the same responsibility. We are not just to look out for ourselves, but our fellow Christians as well. Only then are we able to serve the unbelieving masses on earth that are heading for certain doom on this sinking ship called Earth.
God, through the apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians posted the job description and responsibilities for being a Christian just as we post them for other careers today. The supremacy of Christ, coupled with our love for our fellow man should keep us motivated to fulfill each one of these requirements for being one member, one cell, in the church, the body of Christ, a unified collection of Christians (cells), each with their own individual function, yet all working together for the same common goal and for the welfare of all other members (cells) making up that body.
The Christian’s job description is as follows:

1)       You must help to remove other’s burdens by taking them on yourself.

Col 1:24 [Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking {and} remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ's afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.

a.       When one part of our body is injured or is suffering, all other parts of the body suffer too, and do whatever is necessary to promote healing of the injured part. The same principle should mark the character of each and every Christian.
b.       Just as Jesus suffered because of who and what He is, the Christ, the Savior, we also will suffer because of who and what we are, Christians, followers of Jesus Christ. To be considered worthy of the same kind of suffering that the God of all creation suffered is a great cause for rejoicing. If we were not part of His family we would not be suffering for the same reasons He did.
c.        Jesus, innocent of any sin or fault, suffered in our place so that we may be blessed as a result. It is just as proper now for us to suffer innocently for another in order that they might be blessed by seeing Christ through us and reach out to Him for guidance or salvation.
d.       The suffering that would have come to Christ had He not died now comes to us for the very same reason: the devil hates Christ and all He stands for, therefore he hates us too. The suffering for Christ’s sake will not stop till the devil and his demons, and all who follow him are forever punished.
e.        Therefore for us to ease another’s burdens by taking them on ourselves, or doing whatever it takes to help them heal or find comfort is one of the highest examples of Christ-likeness we can display.
f.        We are to go the extra mile for others, even when we are not shown dignity and respect we are still to show it to others, as long as doing so does not violate God’s principles for living and worshiping Him.

2)       You must be a servant to God by being a servant to others.

Col 1:25 In it I became a minister in accordance with the divine stewardship which was entrusted to me for you [as its object and for your benefit], to make the Word of God fully known [among you]--

a.       To be “in accordance with” means to be in harmony with, just as two similar musical notes played together make a beautiful sound, or two kinds of food when put together complement each other.
b.       Our ministry in the body of Christ is our service to God and to others (both believers and unbelievers), just as Christ’s ministry was service to God through serving others (us).
c.        This duty was entrusted directly to Paul by God Himself, and as Christians we also share the same entrusted duty, the purpose of which is to benefit others.
d.       There is no better way to benefit others than to make the Word of God fully known to them. The old saying goes “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”. Helping others with individual needs has short term benefits which are also necessary, but teaching them how to help themselves has lifetime results.

3)       You must continually grow toward superior moral and spiritual excellence.

Col 1:26 The mystery of which was hidden for ages and generations [from angels and men], but is now revealed to His holy people (the saints),

a.       The key to understanding this verse lies in the Biblical definition of the Greek word “musterion” translated here as “mystery”. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) at http://www.bible-history.com/isbe defines “mystery” in this way:
                                                               i.      The usual modern meaning of “mystery” is, “something in itself obscure or incomprehensible, difficult or impossible to understand”. This does not accurately define the exact sense of the Greek word musterion,
                                                              ii.      The Greek definition is, “a secret imparted only to the initiated (people who have been introduced to the mysteries of some field or activity), what is unknown until it is revealed, whether it be easy or hard to understand”.
                                                            iii.      The most common meaning in the New Testament is that of Paul’s, namely,
“a Divine truth once hidden, but now revealed in the gospels”.
                                                            iv.      "Mystery" and "revelation" are in fact related and almost the same terms. The mysteries of Christianity are its revealed doctrines, the result of Divine revelation and are spiritually discerned.
                                                             v.      From this it follows that Christianity has no secret doctrines, for what was once hidden has now been revealed.
                                                            vi.      But here arises a seeming contradiction.
1.       On the one hand, there are passages which seem to imply a doctrine of reserve. The mystery revealed to some would seem to be still concealed from others.
a.       The doctrines of Christ and of His Kingdom are hidden from the worldly wise and the prudent (Mt 11:25; 1 Cor 2:6 ff),
b.       and from all who are outside the kingdom (Mt 13:11 ff and parallel),
c.        and there are truths withheld even from Christians while in an elementary stage of development (1 Cor 3:1 ff; Heb 5:11-14).
2.       On the other hand, there are many passages in which the truths of revelation are said to be freely and unreservedly communicated to all (e.g. Mt 10:27; 28:19; Acts 20:20,27; 2 Cor 3:12 f; Eph 3:9, "all men"; 6:19 f; Col 1:28; 1 Tim 2:4).
3.       The explanation is that the communication is limited, not by any secrecy in the gospel message itself or any reserve on the part of the speaker, but by the willingness of the hearer to receive it:
a.       In the case of the carnally-minded, moral ignorance or worldliness makes them blind to the light which shines on them (2 Cor 4:2-4).
b.       In the case of the "babe in Christ," the apparent reserve is due merely to the educational principle of adapting the teaching to the progressive willingness of the disciple to receive it (Jn 16:12 f).
b.       In other words, God puts the truths He wants us to know in a form that our current stage of spiritual growth can readily understand.
                                                               i.      When we grow more He will reveal a deeper, more complex level of those truths. It is much like graduating from elementary school to high school, then to college.
                                                              ii.      There are no obscure doctrines or intentional holding back of truths in the New Testament, just varying levels of understandability due to the spiritual growth and willingness of the learner to receive the truths as they are revealed.
c.        Christ’s birth, His ministry on Earth, His death, and His resurrection was not understood by angels or by men until it actually happened. Not because the truth was kept from them, but because they either didn’t have the level of spiritual growth to fully understand it, or the willingness to accept it. In fact, even today, the Jewish people still refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their promised Messiah, as do many other religions.
d.       God holds no knowledge back from us; He has revealed all of His truths to, “His holy people (the saints)”. But just who are these “saints”? The ISBE defines them for us this way:
                                                               i.      Both the Old Testament Hebrew and the New Testament Greek define a saint as “one whom God has set apart for His own”, in other words, “God’s people”, Christians.
                                                              ii.      Being a saint is not a result of personal character, or approval by God of superior moral achievements already made. Our level of spiritual growth has nothing to do with it, nor can any man vote in or vote out people as being saints as the Catholics do. God alone reserves that right.
                                                            iii.      All born again believers are saints in God's eyes. Those voted in are not necessarily.
1.       (Rom. 1:7) To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be SAINTS: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2.       (1 Cor. 6:2) Do ye not know that the SAINTS shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by YOU, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3.       (Rev. 14:12) Here is the patience of the SAINTS: here are THEY(Meaning EVERYONE) that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus
                                                            iv.      We have it backward when we think that we must attain some level of superior moral and spiritual excellence before God will accept us as, or call us a saint. Rather, the ISBE says that being a saint is from the beginning an absolute duty. God sets us apart as His own, classifies us as saints, and as a result, through our willing diligence, we begin to grow toward superior moral and spiritual excellence.

4)       You must diligently and consistently seek the magnificent treasures of wisdom contained in God’s Word — the Bible.

Col 1:27 To whom God was pleased to make known how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ within {and} among you, the Hope of [realizing the] glory.

a.       In the Bible, there are two types of people: God’s people, the chosen ones, all of Israel, and Gentiles, all other people on earth who are not of Israel. We still have these two types but because of Christ the terms have changed to saved and unsaved, or believers and unbelievers, Christians and non-Christians.
b.       All believers in Jesus Christ are considered by God to be His chosen people, His “Israel” or “Abraham’s seed”.
                                                               i.      The name Israel, according to Hitchcock’s Bible Names Dictionary means one “who prevails with God (who wins by means of God). And through Christ’s work on the cross and our acceptance of Him and what He did for us, all Christians are winners by means of what God has done for us.
                                                              ii.      As proof of this look at (Gal. 3:26-29, Amplified) “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ. There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.”
c.        Who are “Abraham’s seed”, and what is the promise? This is revealed in Rom. 9:6-8 (Amplified).
                                                               i.      Abraham’s descendents – (Rom 9:6-8) “However, it is not as though God's Word had failed [coming to nothing]. For it is not everybody who is a descendant of Jacob (Israel) who belongs to [the true] Israel. And they are not all the children of Abraham because they are by blood his descendants. No, [the promise was] Your descendants will be called {and} counted through the line of Isaac [though Abraham had an older son]. That is to say, it is not the children of the body [of Abraham] who are made God's children, but it is the offspring to whom the promise applies that shall be counted [as Abraham's true] descendants.
                                                              ii.      The promise – The original conditional covenant stated that if Abram would obey God, then God would provide 7 physical blessings, with the last one also being a major spiritual one that refers to Jesus Christ. Eventually all people and all of the spirit creation will be blessed because of Christ's acceptable sacrifice.
1.       The promise is found in Gen. 12:1-3, and it says: “NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous {and} distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others]. And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and curse him who curses {or} uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families {and} kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].”
2.       The promise applies to all who leave from where they are and follow God, “Repent” carries the same meaning: it is a verb, an action word meaning “to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life”
3.       God’s promise breaks down into 7 parts, all of which also apply to Christians:
a.       I will bless all families of the Earth through you – (Matthew 28:18-20) the great commission.
b.       You shall be a blessing – (Lk. 6:38) God’s command for us to give, or bless, others. (Rom. 12:14) His command for us to bless those who persecute us.
c.        I will bless you – (Lk. 6:38) How God promises to bless us if we do. And again in (Jn. 14:13) He will give us whatever we ask in His Name.
d.       I will bless them that bless you – (Lk. 6:38) God blesses those who bless others.
e.        I will curse them that curse you – (Rom. 1:18) God’s wrath on those who oppose and hinder God’s truth from being operative through us to them.
f.        I will make of you a great nation – (Gal. 3:26-28) we are all now one people.
g.        I will make your name great – (Rev. 3:12) God will give us a new name
                                                            iii.      All believers are therefore adopted sons of God, regardless of their genetic background.
d.       It delights God to reveal to unbelievers through us, His saints (all Christians), the riches of the glory of His revealed truth, this truth being that Christ lives within and among us (within believers and therefore among unbelievers)
                                                               i.      The “riches of the glory of His revealed truth” can be better understood by simplifying and restating it as the “treasures of the magnificent wonder of the Biblical truths He has freely given to us”
                                                              ii.      Christ IS the hope (our certain expectation) of understanding and appreciating the magnificent wonder of the treasures His revealed truth (the Bible) contains. The better we know him, the better we understand His truth, because He IS the truth (Jn. 14:6).

5)       You must grow to spiritual maturity, and you must pass on your training to others that they too may become spiritually mature.

Col 1:28 Him we preach {and} proclaim, warning {and} admonishing everyone and instructing everyone in all wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), that we may present every person mature (full-grown, fully initiated, complete, and perfect) in Christ (the Anointed One).

a.       To be “in Christ” simply stated means to be a dedicated disciple of Christ (Jn. 15:5).
b.       As Christians we have several duties when it comes to training new believers to be disciples of Christ:
                                                               i.      We are to preach Christ – accurately teach the truths about Christ from the Bible to others
                                                              ii.      We are to proclaim Christ – publically state who He is, what He did, and why.
                                                            iii.      We are to warn everyone of the ways and purposes of God – reveal what the consequences are for those who reject God’s ways and purposes.
                                                            iv.      We are to admonish everyone of the ways and purposes of God – attempt to correct those we teach whenever we see error in their accepted beliefs.
                                                             v.      We are to instruct everyone in the ways and purposes of God – teach the ways and purposes of God to all who desire to know them.
c.        Our duties as Christians (Col. 1:28) match up perfectly with (1 Tim. 3:16-17) where the purposes of God’s Word are revealed:
Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof {and} conviction of sin, for correction of error {and} discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action),
So that the man of God may be complete {and} proficient, well fitted {and} thoroughly equipped for every good work.
                                                               i.      To  instruct us = instructing everyone in the ways and proposes of God
                                                              ii.      To reprove and convict us of sin = warn everyone of the ways and purposes of God
                                                            iii.      To correct errors in our beliefs and discipline us in obedience = admonish everyone in the ways and purposes of God
                                                            iv.      To train us in the ways of righteousness = Proclaim Christ
                                                             v.      To thoroughly equip us for every good work = Preach Christ
d.       To whom would it matter that we should present spiritually mature disciples but to God alone? The implication here is that God will recognize us and hold us accountable for the training we have given to those we have trained. Not specifically for how much they have learned or even how much they have grown; that is each student’s own responsibility. What we will be held accountable for is our willingness and diligence in training them and the accuracy of the truths we have taught.
e.        How will we know if those we teach have reached spiritual maturity? Paul give us the answer to that as well:
                                                               i.      They will be fully-grown – Just as physical maturity is obvious to others, so is spiritual maturity. Disciples who are no longer spiritual children will:
1.       Know and teach the ways and purposes of God. (instruction).
2.       Avoid and warn others of the results of sinning (reproof).
3.       Correct false beliefs in themselves and others (correction).
4.       Have certain knowledge that they are saved and pass that knowledge on to others (training in righteousness).
5.       Be thoroughly equipped to do good works due to patterning their life after Jesus’ example, and  helping others to do the same (equipping)
                                                              ii.      They will be fully initiated – It will be obvious even to casual observers that they have received a tremendous amount of revealed knowledge from God’s Word.
                                                            iii.      They will be complete – They will have all five of the above indications of spiritual maturity present in their lives. Not one will be missing.
                                                            iv.      They will be perfect – They will always do the right thing at the right time. This is not to say that it is possible to reach sinless perfection in our everyday lives. Even the most mature Christian is guilty of sin and error from time to time. Not even the Apostle Paul who wrote 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament was immune to it (Rom. 7:15-8:1). Even when having done what is wrong they will correct it through confession and repentance and get back on track. (1 Jn. 1:9)

6)       You must rely God’s strength, not your own, in order to accomplish these responsibilities of Christianity.

Col 1:29 For this I labor [unto weariness], striving with all the superhuman energy which He so mightily enkindles {and} works within me.

a.       If it were possible for us to do all of this out of our own strength we would have cause to boast before God and man about our abilities, and power, and accomplishments. The Bible makes it very clear that our own efforts have nothing to do with our spiritual accomplishments (Eph. 2:8-9)
b.       Instead, God “enkindles and works” superhuman energy within us to accomplish all that He has planned for us.
                                                               i.      “enkindles” has three shades of meaning, all of which reveal something about what the power of God in us does:
1.       It means to set on fire, to light – as a person would light firewood with a match. The firewood cannot take any credit for the resulting fire; it is the work of the match that does it. Likewise, we cannot take credit for the power we receive to do God’s will, He ignites that fire of dedication in us.
2.       It means to excite to activity or eagerness – We can work up enough interest in most anything we want to do, but sooner or later we get bored with it and move on to the next pursuit. When God’s power is at work in us we have an eagerness that is unending. Yes we stray from time to time, and try other things, but eventually we will come back and discover so much untapped power that we cannot understand why we ever strayed in the first place.
3.       It means to make luminous and glowing – as in turning on a lamp. You can turn on a lamp all day long, but if it is not plugged into a source of power it will never fulfill the purpose it was designed for, to give light to all around it. We as Christians are no different (Matt. 5:15; Lk. 11:36). Our “light” is God’s truth; He puts it into us as a power source, not to be hidden, but to shine and bring that light, that truth, to all around you. And in the Bible we have a never-ending source of this light.
c.        The only part we play is to make use of it to the point of exhaustion, as Paul says in Col. 1:29.
                                                               i.      God’s power coming to us is of course inexhaustible, it is our own flesh that has limits.
1.       Jesus knew that our flesh had limits (Matt. 26:41).
2.       Jesus Himself, because He took on the form of a man, needed time to rest and sleep (Matt. 8:24).
3.       We too need rest; time to recharge and restore our passion for doing God’s will.
                                                              ii.      An unswerving passion to do God’s will should be the norm, not the rare exception among all of who call ourselves “Christian”.


1)       You must also have a strong desire to serve all believers, whether you know them or not.

Col 2:1 FOR I want you to know how great is my solicitude for you [how severe an inward struggle I am engaged in for you] and for those [believers] at Laodicea, and for all who [like yourselves] have never seen my face {and} known me personally.

a.       Paul’s tremendous love and desire to care for the believers in Colossae is what drove him to weariness in serving them.
b.       An inward struggle is ever present between the unfathomable wisdom and endless power that God blesses us with, and the weak flesh we are born with.
c.        It is up to each believer to decide which will rule his life, the Spirit or the flesh; always keeping in mind our limitations, and getting rest when needed to recharge and resume our ministry.
d.       Paul drove himself, not just for those he knew, but for all believers, even those he had never met. This includes everyone who has ever read his letters; this includes you and me.
e.        This single-minded desire to serve believers in the Church, whether we know them or not, should mark the character of every single believer in Jesus Christ.

2)       You must be a close-knit brother or sister to all others in the Church, ever growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Col 2:2 [For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love, that they may come to have all the abounding wealth {and} blessings of assured conviction of understanding, and that they may become progressively more intimately acquainted with {and} may know more definitely {and} accurately {and} thoroughly that mystic secret of God, [which is] Christ (the Anointed One).

a.       Paul’s main concern was that all believers’ hearts, or mental attitudes, would be one of encouragement while they are being “knit together in love” as one Body of Christ (the Church).
                                                               i.      The Greek word for “knit together” (symbibazō) means “to unite or knit together in affection, or friendliness”. We get our English word “symbiosis” (an interdependent, or mutually beneficial relationship between two persons, or groups) from this Greek word.
                                                             ii.      A better translation for the Greek “in love” (en agapē) would be “by brotherly love”, as in sibling relationships.
                                                            iii.      Therefore, Paul wanted all believers to have a positive mental attitude of encouragement while they are being united into one Body of Christ by means of brotherly love. (“brotherly” applying to both men and women)
b.       The reason Paul wanted all believers to treat each other as brothers and sisters was because he knew that: it would result in:
                                                               i.      First, “abounding wealth {and} blessings of assured conviction of understanding,”
1.       The Greek word for “abounding wealth” (ploutos) means an abundance of external possessions.
2.       The Greek word for “assured conviction” (plērophoria) means full assurance, a most certain confidence.
3.       Therefore, an abundance of external possessions resulting from a most certain confidence of understanding the truths from God, His Word.
4.       This is not to imply that great fame and fortune will automatically follow he who follows God. Being a Christian a get rich quick scheme. Rather, God has promised to give us all that we ask of according to His will and purpose (Heb. 4:16; 1 Jn. 5:14; Jas. 4:2; Jn. 14:13)
5.       Whether it is our time, truth, talent, or things, God has promised to give us an abundance of whatever we need to bless others we encounter in our daily lives. This is also why we are not to selfishly hoard our blessings, not passing them along to those in need (Lk. 12:13-21). God is a rewarder, not a hoarder, we are to be also.
6.       Joseph in the Old Testament is a better example of how we are to store abundant blessings with the intent of helping those in need (Gen. 41:49-57).
                                                              ii.      Second, a progressively more intimate acquaintance with Christ that is based on a full understanding of who and what He is (the Anointed One). This sets up a cycle of blessing that is never ending and unlimited. Better knowledge of God’s truth brings blessings and a closer relationship with Christ, which in turn brings better understanding of God’s truth (because Jesus Christ is the Word – Jn. 1:1) and more blessings, etc..

3)       You must consider Christ alone as the source of all true wealth.

Col 2:3 In Him all the treasures of [divine] wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) and [all the riches of spiritual] knowledge {and} enlightenment are stored up {and} lie hidden.

a.       All the treasures of truth – knowledge and wisdom (comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God) – are in Christ. These two things (knowledge and wisdom) are true wealth. Everything else we call wealth (our time, talent, and things) are just the tools we use in applying knowledge and wisdom.
b.       'Knowledge' is information of which someone is aware. Knowledge is also used to mean the confident understanding of God’s Word, potentially with the ability to use it for a specific purpose. Knowledge is learned and changes over time.
c.        'Wisdom' it is the timeless ability to make correct judgments and decisions based on knowledge learned. It is an intangible quality gained through experience.

4)       You must therefore avoid the pitfalls of deception that accompany a lack of knowledge and wisdom.

Col 2:4 I say this in order that no one may mislead {and} delude you by plausible {and} persuasive {and} attractive arguments {and} beguiling speech.

a.       Satan, through his lies and demonic influences are constantly trying to lead us away from God and the ways of all truth. If he can’t mislead us directly he will mislead others so that they can mislead us.
b.       Satan uses plausible arguments to deceive us. These are mental temptations; reasonable and believable things that make sense and seem possible until examined more closely to reveal the twisted truths involved.
c.        Satan uses persuasive arguments to deceive us. These are soul temptations; influential or convincing lies that we accept because it comes from a respected authority, or from some source of motivation, as in a pep talk or type of encouragement that is based on false truths.
d.       Satan uses attractive arguments to deceive us. These are physical temptations; eye-catching lies that we sometimes see as wrong from the beginning but we accept because they appeal to our fleshly appetites for pleasure, power, prosperity, or popularity.
e.        Satan uses beguiling speech to deceive us. These are emotional temptations; aimed at provoking or appeasing certain feelings we have or desire to have. Flattery misused is one form of this. Fear and worry are two others.

5)       You are to delight in the ever growing spiritual maturity of all members of the Body of Christ, both individually and collectively.

Col 2:5 For though I am away from you in body, yet I am with you in spirit, delighted at the sight of your [standing shoulder to shoulder in such] orderly array and the firmness {and} the solid front {and} steadfastness of your faith in Christ [that leaning of the entire human personality on Him in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

a.       Letting all other brothers and sisters in Christ that you come into contact with know that you love them, support them, and appreciate them and their continued spiritual growth is a great source of mutual encouragement.
b.       The Body of Christ, united, each member performing their own particular purpose for their life in an interactive effort to do God’s will on Earth is an unstoppable force for good.
Conclusion and Summary: Our Labor for the Church
Easing the burdens of others is the first and foremost duty of every Christian. We do this by being God’s servant, and being God’s servant means being the servant of all around you (Matt. 23:11). To do this we must continually grow toward moral and spiritual excellence (spiritual maturity). Diligently and consistently seeking the magnificent treasures of wisdom contained in God’s Word — the Bible. And on our way to spiritual maturity we are to pass along what we learn and help others to grow to spiritual maturity as well. God’s limitless strength and power will be within us always to help us accomplish all of these things; all that is required on our part is the willingness to do so.
 
We must have a continual strong desire to serve fellow believers, whether we know them or not. We must unite together as one body (the Church) with the common goal of serving God in our own individual way, yet interactively with all believers, regardless of certain theological disagreements and differences. Great wealth of knowledge and wisdom are promised to us by God, along with whatever else we need to apply His wisdom to our needs and the needs of others. While doing this we must always be on our guard to avoid the deceptive temptations of the devil which are targeted at our mind, soul, body, and emotions. Success in all of this unifies all believers into one unstoppable force for God, and for good, in the world today.






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