Love each other

Greatness in the Kingdom: Doing versus Breaking the Law

Ian Johnson May 7, 2025 0 Comments

If I am truly living in the Kingdom of the Heavens, living under the direction and power of the Holy Spirit, God will be fulfilling the purpose of the Law through me, the same way Jesus did during his earthly ministry. But If I use my freedom as an opportunity for my flesh, to mistreat or exploit my fellow believers, I am breaking the Law. If I bite and devour another believer, I have broken the whole Law–and I should fear being bitten and devoured myself. If I teach others that there are exceptions to the Law of Love, I am teaching others to “break” God’s commandments and am the least in the Kingdom. Whenever I let the Holy Spirit do his walking through my feet, his work through my hands and his speaking through my mouth, I am free from the Law, free to do whatever the Spirit directs. I won’t be doing what the flesh tells me to do, biting and devouring my fellows. The Spirit then fulfills the Law in me, and I am free.

God's purpose for us, Love each other, Must Trust God to Enter, Restoration of our Relationships, The Kingdom is all around us, The Kingdom of the Heavens, To live in unity

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Not Abolishing the Law But Fulfilling It

Ian Johnson May 1, 2025 0 Comments

Not the smallest piece of the Law has ever been abolished. But its summary, and its fulfillment, is its command to love my neighbor as myself. If I love myself as I should, and love others in the same way, I will fulfill the Law. But I must come to Jesus to be taught the way of love and to be given the power to love as he does. Then he will fulfill the whole Law through me, in the love he shows others through my life.

God is Love, God's Existence and Nature, Love each other, Must Trust God to Enter, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, The Kingdom of the Heavens, To be in his image, To live in unity

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Why Reconcile Quickly–The Danger of Animosity, Bitterness, Murderous Contempt and Divine Judgment

Ian Johnson April 29, 2025 0 Comments

Jesus explains his command to go and be reconciled in the preceding two verses:, I dehumanize the objects of my anger in three steps : 1) holding onto ordinary anger long enough that, instead of me controlling it, it controls me; 2) telling myself or other people that the object of my bitterness is worthless to me, less human than I am, because of what they did; then 3) showing contempt that tears down another person’s humanity directly, by speech and action pointedly directed at them. Then, I am only a step away from murder.

choosing not to forgive, Forgive as we forgive, Love each other, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Sin, What is sin?

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I Can’t Control the Orbit of Saturn

Ian Johnson April 27, 2025 1 Comment

This is the report of a prayer time earlier this week in which the Holy Spirit interrogated me about how a passage in Colossians 1 that I was praying through applied to my life, as enlarged by some later meditation. God is able to take care of even of the people I worry about and other believers I’ve hurt, Reconciliation comes only from Him. Enough people have watched me tear myself apart this year with worry and self-condemnation that I knew I should make it public to reassure them that I’m still listening to God. It may also be helpful to other chronic codependent worriers who hear it.

Changed treatment of each other, choosing not to forgive, Forgive as we forgive, forgiveness and mercy, God is Love, God was never our enemy, God's Existence and Nature, God's purpose for us, God's sovereignty, Love each other, patience, Reconciliation, Repentance, Repentance in community, Restoration of our Relationships, To live in unity, Victory, What is sin?

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Failure to reconcile an offense “quickly” — debtor’s prison awaits!

Ian Johnson April 24, 2025 0 Comments

When I have offended another believer, I must seek reconciliation quickly, before they have had time to form a final judgment against me and form a grudge. I must not procrastinate. Once a grudge forms, I will be imprisoned outside of their lives, unable to give or receive the things God wants to give us through each other, unless and until God intervenes to change their heart toward me.

choosing not to forgive, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Love each other, Restoration of our Relationships, What is sin?

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Commentaries Discussing the Command to Go and Be Reconciled

Ian Johnson March 3, 2025 2 Comments

In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus gives what appears to be a simple command, though one that is almost never obeyed: before I may offer worship to God before other people, I must see that any offenses which I am aware that others hold against me are being reconciled and have been reconciled at least to some degree. This post quotes and discusses commentaries on this passage and its subject.

Changed treatment of each other, choosing not to forgive, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Love each other, Repentance, Restoration of our Relationships, What is sin?

Albert Barnes, Charles Spurgeon, commentary, enmity, forgiveness, Giving, Grant Osborn, hate, importance of reconciliation, John Wesley, Love, Matthew 5:23-24, Matthew Henry, offended, offender, offense, priority, urgency of reconciliation, Worship

I Receive Back More of What I Give — But Grace is Needed, it’s a Learning Process

Ian Johnson February 18, 2025 1 Comment

My human nature, people around me and even the world’s “experts” tell me that I should insist on my “rights,” hold grudges forever, cut people off, deny all mercy and all forgiveness, particularly when I have been hurt badly. But God’s wisdom tells me to show his grace, mercy and forgiveness, and to set people free. Jesus promised—and warned—that I will receive back even more of what I give, good or bad. But becoming like Jesus is a learning process I am still far from completing.

choosing not to forgive, Discipline or Correction, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, God's purpose for us, Love each other, Repentance, Repentance in community, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Salvation, To live in unity, What is sin?

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The Golden Rule: I love my enemies because I want them to do the same to me

Ian Johnson January 25, 2025 1 Comment

I will now begin to apply an extended passage from Jesus’ “Sermon on the Plain,” recorded in Luke 6:27-40. Jesus’ message in this passage can be summarized as: The passage starts: Luke 6:27-30 (WEB) Here we are given a list of commands about how to treat those who hate, oppose or use us. But, by Jesus own words. these commands…
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A God who Speaks, Forgive as we forgive, God Speaks to Us, God was never our enemy, God's purpose for us, Love each other, Reconciliation, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Show us the Way of Truth

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Paul also approved of mediation of disputes between Christians by other believers

Ian Johnson January 18, 2025 1 Comment

The theme verse of this installment is Philippians 4:2-3, in which Paul first exhorts Euodia and Syntyche to put their differences aside and agree with each other, then encourages one of the other leaders in Philippi, who he calls his “true partner” to help the two women come into agreement: Philippians 4:2-3 (WEB). This appears to be a request by…
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A God who Speaks, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, God Speaks to Us, Injustice and Lawsuits, Love each other, Quarrels, Reconciliation, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, Salvation, Through the church

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The Apostle Paul approved of arbitration of disputes between Christians by other believers

Ian Johnson January 15, 2025 0 Comments

The theme of this installment is a question Paul asked the church in Corinth: 1 Corinthians 6:5 (WEB) While the process Jesus described in Matthew 18:15-20 (see previous series of installments) is the ideal procedure, the one most likely to produce reconciliation–which is the goal of all such procedures–the New Testament is not rigidly inflexible in demanding that only this…
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choosing not to forgive, Divisions in the Church, Forgive as we forgive, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, God was never our enemy, Love each other, Must Trust God to Enter, Quarrels, Reconciliation, Refusing to hear, Restoration of God's Image, Restoration of our Relationships, The Kingdom of the Heavens, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

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Greatness in the Kingdom: Doing versus Breaking the Law

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Not Abolishing the Law But Fulfilling It

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Why Reconcile Quickly–The Danger of Animosity, Bitterness, Murderous Contempt and Divine Judgment

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I Can’t Control the Orbit of Saturn

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Failure to reconcile an offense “quickly” — debtor’s prison awaits!

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Commentaries Discussing the Command to Go and Be Reconciled

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I Receive Back More of What I Give — But Grace is Needed, it’s a Learning Process

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The Golden Rule: I love my enemies because I want them to do the same to me

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Paul also approved of mediation of disputes between Christians by other believers

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The Apostle Paul approved of arbitration of disputes between Christians by other believers

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Love each other

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