Remind each other of the Gospel

Remind each other of the Gospel

As Christians, we have many responsibilities, one of which is to care for our brothers and sisters. Of course, this is possible in several ways, such as physical, spiritual or financial help. This time, I would like to highlight spiritual help, which is the most important of the three by the way.

The number one spiritual help in all cases is to have a good relationship with God for all believers. After all, this is our greatest value, which we must take care of in every way.

Unfortunately, the relationship between believers is usually superficial, so a believer may not know how hard things the other believer is going through. This is the biggest obstacle for brothers and sisters to help each other. Those who did not repent freshly all went through the fact that they were disappointed in believers. And this loss of trust draws a general wall between brother and sister that does not allow for a closer relationship. And it follows that believers are mostly unaware of the difficulties the other believer is just going through. It is therefore necessary for more personal relationships to develop within the church so that members know more about each other. The most important purpose of spiritual help is for the believer to remain on the path of following God. The believer must know that he/she is not alone on the path to God.

Romans 1:8-12
„First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you-- that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.”

How can we be encouraged by each other's faith? Jesus promised that if two or three people gather in His name somewhere, He will be present among them (Matt. 18:20). And where Jesus is, life is present. There are times when we know the Word of God well, we know what the promises of God are, but sometimes we need someone to remind us of these.

If a believer is stronger in faith, the believer who is in need of reinforcement should help. This is the duty of every believer.

Romans 15:1
„We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

Many people think that the Christian life is easy. They believe that Jesus did everything for us, that we no longer have to do anything. Yet the Christian life is full of challenges. We must deny the evil desires of the flesh, we must separate ourselves from worldly values, we must sacrifice our own will so that we can live according to the will of God. But if it seems so difficult, why did Jesus say the following?

Matthew 11:28-30
„Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."”

The yoke has a function. The yoke is known to allow animals to work. Without a yoke, it would be difficult or impossible for animals to work. So the yoke is a tool that makes the otherwise difficult task easy. It’s similar to when we want to hit a nail into the wall by hand. However, if we have a hammer, we can easily hit a nail into the wall.

God’s word is a guide for us on how to defend ourselves against sin, how to live a life that is dear to God. Jesus said that His burden is light:

„For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

It is easy for adults to lift their child, but the other way around is not easy. It is easy for someone who has 10 fingers to play the piano than someone who does not have a hand. This sentence of Jesus is also closely related to the yoke. It is impossible for one who does not take up the yoke of Jesus to bear the burden of Jesus. However, whoever picks it up will find it easy to carry the burden. But let's be clear: what is the yoke of Jesus?

Jesus came as a servant:

Luke 22:27
„For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.”

Jesus showed what kind of yoke He had in His neck. His life shows what yoke He carried to accomplish the task the Father had asked Him to do. It would be long to describe all that Jesus did and at the same time characterize his yoke, but in summary it is: to keep the word of God.

Jesus also said:

„learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

A gentle and lowly heart is not like a yoke that we must take upon ourselves. As Jesus said, this must be learned from Him. It is a process that we can work out that we can practice every day through everyday worries.

If we have the yoke of Jesus on us and do our work, if we have learned from Him that He is gentle and lowly in heart, we will be fit for any task, including such an important thing as to help the brethren.

Finally:

Hebrews 10:24
„And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,”

Antal Farkas
(June 25, 2022)






Tagged: gospel, christian life, yoke





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