Fellowship Memphis

Before I became a Christian, I was a true people hater - I mean, I hated people and I’m sure they hated me because of it. It was a big hate party! But the beautiful grace of Almighty God transformed me from the inside out. Along with that transformation came an undying love for people- yes, the very people I once hated!

It was then that our LORD showed me the depth of His love and how sacrificial it really is: “for while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly…God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” These scriptures of Romans 5 are a blaring testimony to the Christian that we were indeed dead in our sin. They also boldly testify that while we were enemies of GOD, we were reconciled to GOD through the death of His son Jesus Christ!

Living dead is much easier said than done! The beautiful thing is that not only were we reconciled to GOD through Christ’s death, but by His life we are saved - with this great salvation comes new life (2 Cor 5:17). A life that embodies and is a consistent picture of Christ - a “living dying” kind of life, as Romans 12:1 would put it.

I must say however, loving people is no easy task! It’s a day in day out willingness to forgive, and sometimes I don’t want to forgive. That’s when I run into scriptures like Matthew 6:15, “but if you do not forgive others their sins, your heavenly father will not forgive your sins.” Need I say ouch? To truly love others, it takes a sincere commitment to obey GOD, for it is He who says, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another,” (John 15:17).

It’s a good thing that we have a living example in Christ. He teaches us of losing our life to save it and in so doing saving the lives of countless others. Let us therefore be encouraged to suffer hardship, bear with one another, carry one another’s burdens, love each other deeply and so fulfill the law of Christ. Let us find joy in laying down our lives for the brethren, let us outdo one another in showing honor, and let us be like Christ in this world, victoriously living dead!

As it is written: “Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us.

Romans 8:36-37