BETHEL BAPTIST HOME PAGE-------CHRIST IS NOT VALUED AT ALL UNLESS HE IS VALUED ABOVE ALL

LIVING OUT THE GRACE GOD HAS GIVEN US

BY PASTOR JOE SANTOS

IN JAMES CHAPTER 1 VERSE 2 THE WORD TELLS US WE ARE HIS BRETHREN. DID YOU GET IT? HIS BRETHREN, CHRIST'S. THIS IS WHAT CONSISTS WITHIN CHRISTIANITY IT IS MADE UP OF MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE BOTH A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND ALSO WITH ONE ANOTHER. ALL OF US WHO ARE HIS CHILD ARE PART AND PARCEL OF THE BODY OF CHRIST JESUS. WE ARE BOND TO HIM WITH THE VERY BONDS OF GRACE. ALL OF US AND HE DOESN'T CARE IF WE ARE BAPTIST METHODIST CATHOLIC IF WE HAVE BEEN CLEANSED IN THE BLOOD OF JESUS WE ARE AND HAVE A FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL. WE ARE NOW AND FOREVER BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO EACH OTHER. WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED BY ONE BLOOD. CHRIST'S. WE ARE PARTAKERS OF THE SAME LIFE. HIS. HEIRS WE ARE OF THE SAME PROMISES. WE LOVE THE SAME FATHER OUR ABBA. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST WE ARE GOING TO DWELL IN SAME PLACE FOR ETERNITY THAT PLACE IS HEAVEN.  THIS IS UNITY AND BECAUSE OF IT YOU ARE TO HAVE A LOVE FOR YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST. WE ALL HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE GOD TO HAVE THIS UNITY OF LOVE. BUT WHAT WE SEE IN CHRISTIANITY WHICH IS A REPROACH TO OUR BLESSED LORD IS ATTACKS AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. HOW DARE WE. WELL YOU MAY SAY THAT OTHER BROTHER HAS VIOLATED OUR FRIENDSHIP. HE HAS SEPARATED HIMSELF OR US FROM MY FRIENDSHIP BY HIS ACTIONS. THIS CANNOT BE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SEPARATE ANY MEMBER FROM ONE ANOTHER WHO HAS BEEN BAPTIZED INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST IT CANNOT BE AND WHEN IT HAPPENS IT IS SIN ON OUR PART. A SIN GOD WILL CONVICT US OF AND WE WILL MAKE AMENDS. THE PROBLEM IN CHURCHES IS THAT WE TEND TO SEE A BROTHER WHO IS WEAK IN SOME PARTICULAR WAY WAYS WE ALL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH. WE MAY BE STRONG IN A CERTAIN WAY WHERE ONE OR MORE OR MORE OF OUR BRETHREN ARE NOT. AND THEY MAY BE STRONG IN AN AREA WE ARE NOT. WHAT HAPPENS MANY TIMES AND CHURCHES ARE SPLIT IS THAT WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS AND INSTEAD OF COMFORTING ONE ANOTHER INSTEAD OF BEARING AND SHARING THEIR BURDENS WE TEAR THEM DOWN. OH BELOVED IF YOU AND I ARE HAVING TRIALS THE ONLY JOY WE CAN RECEIVE IS WHEN THE LOVE GOD HAS POURED INTO OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MINISTERING TO US AND TO OTHERS WHO IN THEIR WEAKNESS ARE STRENGTHENED BY THAT LOVE. WHEN WILL THE APATHY THAT RULES OUR CHURCHES UNDERSTAND THIS WHEN WILL WE SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE LEVELS OR LACK OF LEVELS OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY IN OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. IT IS GRACE THAT WIPES AWAY THE TEARS FORM ONE WHO IS IN SORROW OR PAIN. IT WILL BE THIS GRACE THAT AS WE READ IN JAMES CHAPTER ONE AND VERSE TWO TELLS US WE CAN COUNT IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU FALL INTO DIVERS TEMPTATIONS. GRACE TURNS LOSSES INTO GAIN. GAIN TURNS TEARS INTO JOY AND IT IS WHAT WILL MOTIVATE EVERY BELIEVER TO PUT OUR BROTHER AND SISTERS INTEREST OVER OUR OWN. THIS IS WHAT GRACE DOES AS IT IS LIVED OUT.