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The Love of the Brethren
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren – 1 John 3:14 NKJV The assurance of our salvation is a precious gift from the Lord, to know that we truly belong to Him. Evidence of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is one of these assurances. A sincere, spiritual love for one another affirms our profession...
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Why Should I Care About Christian Unity?
Christians should care deeply about unity because God does. He sent His Son to be crucified in order to reconcile sinners not only to Him but also with one another (Ephesians 2:11–21). Jesus issued a new commandment for believers to love one another as the visible validation to the world that they are indeed His disciples (John 13:34–35), and He cared about this new...
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Think Before You Speak
He who restrains his words has knowledge. – Proverbs 17:27 NASB – Today we can instantly inform the world about whatever we happen to be thinking. But the Puritan pastor Jeremiah Burroughs wisely offers three cautions why hastily sharing our opinions can cause unnecessary conflict and division between believers. Other people may misunderstand our thoughts and motives and therefore misjudge us and perhaps take inappropriate action to...
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Grown through Trials
Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. – James 1:2-4 NKJV – In his letter to a suffering saint, John Newton conveyed a precious truth of Scripture that few of us come to fully appreciate in this lifetime....