"One Another" One Another

Oct 7, 2004

Dear Friend of Mary Craig Ministries,

Times with God are times of wonder, times of transformation, times of profound awe. God lives in relationship, in community, in oneness. He enfolds the lonely, putting them into families. He serves. He equips. He searches out the lost and then they are found. He raises one from the depths of depravity and redeems another from the pit. He shows us His plan and purpose right from the beginning.

In Genesis 1 we see it. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." God said "let" this and "call" this and out of nothing He created and saw that it was good. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion …" (Genesis 1.26) "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them." (Genesis 1.27)

The LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deut. 6.4) and yet in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity. I know the teaching of what we call the trinity or triune God is complex, but we are talking about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. When God created everything, the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters and Jesus Christ was the agent of creation (John 1.1-3). God exists in common unity, in a communal image. Does this shatter any ideas you may have of being independent?

I think it does. We are not to be co-dependent, independent, or even totally dependent on other people, but rather live in interdependence. We need others and others need us. We weren’t made to live solitary lives, to be isolated (a prison punishment), to be quarantined (a medical separation), or to be lonely and alone. We were made to find community, and more importantly, oneness in God and oneness in the Body of Christ.

As human beings, we are relational in nature because God is relational. It’s part of being made in His image. We see it in Jesus. Jesus lived in relationship. He said, "I and the Father are one." He lived in God’s presence in oneness and He lived and ministered in relationship with the few and with the multitudes. He also spent time alone from other people but with His Father in prayer. In fact it seems like Jesus spent many hours in prayer with His Father with decisions and miracles and great moments following as a result. Hours with the Father preceded minutes with the multitude with staggering results. (Is this a clue for prayer?)

In John 17, truly "the Lord’s prayer," we see Jesus and His heart’s desire for oneness. Jesus’ hour had come. He prayed, "Holy Father, keep through Your own name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are." (John 17.11) He prayed that believers be preserved, kept, and sanctified. Hear this:

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one: and that the world may know that you have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me." (John 17.20-23)

There is such a oneness among the Godhead, a oneness of love that is so glorious, that Jesus wants every believer to know that oneness and that the Father loves every believer with the same quality and quantity of love as the Father loves Jesus.

Once you get this revelation of relationship and oneness and love, then you will be a witness to the world that the Father sent Jesus because the Father so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3.16)

And just how are we to demonstrate this revelation of relational oneness and love? By "one anothering" one another.

It’s not everyone giving and no one receiving. It’s not everyone receiving and no one giving. It’s everyone giving and everyone receiving. It’s treating others the way you would like to be treated. It’s love others the way you would like to be loved. It’s be a friend to others the way you would like someone to be a friend to you.

People who get angry a lot speak about their "rights." They talk about entitlements and how they are not getting their fair share. Some do this out of greed. And some are crying out because others are exploiting and using and walking all over them. God has a solution to equalize things. It is summed up in love one another. If we love one another, outsiders will know we are Jesus’ disciples. Why? Because the Godhead exists in community and oneness and within that common unity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love one another.

In this way we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. In this way we love as God has loved us, we forgive as God has forgiven us, and we demonstrate the grace of God as God has demonstrated grace to us.

Do you have problems in relationships? Every believer can find guidance in improving relationships by practicing the "one another" passages in scripture and making them a priority in his/her life.

These passages are:

The "One Another" Scriptures

"Be at peace with each other." Mark 9.50

"Love one another." John 13.34

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." Romans 12.10, 11

"Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits." Romans 12.16

"Stop passing judgment on one another." Romans 14.13

"Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God." Romans 15.7

"And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Romans 15.14

"Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you." Romans 16.16

"That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." 1 Corinthians 12.25

"For brethren, you have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another." Galatians 5.13-15

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6.2

"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love." Ephesians 4.2

"And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you." Ephesians 4.32

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the

Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5.19, 20

"Submit to one another in the fear of God." Ephesians 5.21

"Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Philippians 2.3, 4

"Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds." Colossians 3.9

"Let the word of Christ dwell in your 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." Colossians 3.16

"And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to the end that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." 1 Thessalonians 3.12, 13

"But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you: for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another." 1 Thessalonians 4.9

"Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4.18

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also you do." 1 Thessalonians 5.11

"See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." 1 Thessalonians 3.15

"But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3.13

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching." Hebrews 10.24, 25

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge." James 4.11

"Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door." James 5.9

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5.16

"See you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently." 1 Peter 1.22

"Finally, be all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing: knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3.8, 9

"And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love covers a multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." 1 Peter 4.8-10

"Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5.5

"Greet one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen." 1 Peter 5.14

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1.7

"For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." 1 John 3.11

"And this is the commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment." 1 John 3.23

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God and knows God. " 1 John 4.7

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." 1 John 4.11

"And now I beseech you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another." 2 John 5

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We are helping the Mayan Mexican and Guatemalan migrant workers in Palm Beach County, Florida, as part of our Barnabas Project. They were devastated by the recent hurricanes. We will be taking a mission team to their community in a few weeks. Will you help with your gifts? They need clothing, canned goods, school supplies, non-perishable items. Remember, you can give in the form of gift cards from Target or Wal-Mart or Office Depot as well as money donations and "goods." There is a huge need here and we want to demonstrate the love of Christ and the power of the gospel to them.

For His glory,

Mary Craig

P.S. In the area? Worship with us at Craighouse®, located in the Pompano Plaza at 114 E. McNab Road, Pompano Beach, FL 33060. People bring people to help and hope in Jesus, and they are saved, healed, and delivered by the grace of God at Craighouse®. See the Craighouse Events Calendar for details!

Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
And He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people,
And God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21.3)