Christian life is to be lived in a community of believers. The Bible describes the interactions within this community often by using the phrase “one another.” In John 13:34-35, Jesus says:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
He emphasizes the phrase “one another,” by repeating three times within these two verses. This aspect is obviously what puts this new commandment in perspective. Whatever Christians are called to do, they are to do it to one another.
The New Testament makes use of these two words often, in order to drive home the communal aspect of the Christian life. The writers of the epistles, in particular, give a comprehensive description of what this means in practice. Christians are to be devoted to one another (Rom 12:10), give preference to one another in honor (Rom 12:10), be of the same mind toward one another (Rom 12:16), accept one another (Rom 15:7), care for one another (1 Cor 12:25), bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2), forgive one another (Eph 4:32), be kind to one another (Eph 4:32), be subject to one another (Eph 5:21), encourage one another (1 Thes 5:11), build up one another (1 Thes 5:11), stimulate one another to love (Heb 5:16), confess your sins to one another (Jam 5:16), pray for one another (Jam 5:16), be hospitable to one another (1 Pet 4:9), serve one another (1 Pet 4:10), love one another (1 John 4:11), do not judge one another (Rom 14:13), do not deprive one another (1 Cor 7:5), do not bite and devour one another (Gal 5:15), do not consume one another (Gal 5:15), do not provoke one another (5:26), do not envy one another (Gal 5:26), do not lie to each other (Col 3:9), do not slander one another (Jam 4:11), and do not grumble against each other (Jam 5:9).
This is a long list describing the expectations God has from his children. How sad to see today a lack of involvement among believers. An increasing number of professing Christians do not see much value in belonging to a church family. Even when they want to identify with a church, they attend only occasionally and engage only on a superficial level. It is mainly a one-way approach, in which they show up from time to time, with a consumer mindset, to get something out of their experience. They are not willing to offer anything, however.
Others are committed members in a local church, often for a long time, but experience tensions and discord with their fellow members. In this type of setting, people want to have it their way. Only their way, to be more specific. Some are holding on to the traditional way they have always done church while others, usually the younger members, have the very opposite approach, namely they try to redefine every aspect of church life. This often results in a split. The reason is that both sides fail to consider one another.
I believe that the tension in such churches could be dissolved if the members took seriously what the Bible commands in terms of Christian fellowship. Likewise, anyone who confesses to be a Christian, but fails to adopt the community-oriented lifestyle described in the New Testament, should reevaluate whether they are or not in the faith.
In the verses mentioned above we see that in each example a verb precedes the words one another. There is a call to action in each of these examples. I wonder how many of these actions are we practicing? It is a vital question that demands an evaluation on our part.
These are the things that we must do. If we engage in this kind of interaction with other believers, those outside of the church will know that we are Christ’s disciples. They will know our faith is real. They will realize that this is not just another human effort to be good, but something that it is unlike any other philosophy or ethical code out there. God will shine through our beautifully intertwined lives.
I think such a testimony is highly desirable. It is also possible, but only when we break away from our prison of self-centeredness and we begin to consider one another. Do you feel convicted by all this? I certainly do. Will you pray with me that God will give us the burden to live a life characterized by the words highlighted described in the verses above? Let us turn away from the individualistic mindset that especially plagues this generation (sadly even the church), and consider the many ways in which we can love one another. Countless blessings will flow from this, and God will get the glory.
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