..Today's quotations are all from the version God's Word. GOD'S WORD ® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations...
John 17:1,20-23
1 Jesus looked up to heaven and said
. . .
20 ... I'm also praying for those who will believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that all of these people continue to have unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me. I did this so that they are united in the same way we are. 23 I am in them, and you are in me. So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me and that you have loved them in the same way you have loved me.
To call ourselves Christian, we must reconcile with the fact that others who call themselves Christians don't always have the same Creed, but we must be unified in Christ. St. John's audience was the world, and much more of of his message dealt with unity, and how to reconcile who is to be considered unified in Christ.
This is how we are to test ourselves:
1 John 2:3-6
3 We are sure that we know Christ if we obey his commandments. 4 The person who says, "I know him," but doesn't obey his commandments is a liar. The truth isn't in that person. 5 But whoever obeys what Christ says is the kind of person in whom God's love is perfected. That's how we know we are in Christ. 6 Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived.
1 John 2:9-11
9 Those who say that they are in the light but hate other believers are still in the dark. 10 Those who love other believers live in the light. Nothing will destroy the faith of those who live in the light. 11 Those who hate other believers are in the dark and live in the dark. They don't know where they're going, because they can't see in the dark.
The scriptures I read tell me I'm not supposed to judge others, but to love them, and especially other Christians. I can suggest certain actions are correct or not, and even suggest people should test themselves, but I'm nobody's judge, because I'm nowhere near perfect.
I try to ask how I'm wrong as often as I can. If you see me stepping out of line, I'd really like to know it. If you want to know how off I am, just ask. Life for me is a long string of learning from my mistakes.
