Honour Marriage

 Honour Marriage

Let brotherly love continue … Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Hebrews 13:4

There is no question or shadow of doubt that God has a very high view of marriage. And so God is telling us this morning that marriage is more precious than gold and rubies; it is more valuable than silver and pearls. Marriage is a favour from the Lord and so in Proverbs 18:22, we are instructed;

                    He who finds a wife finds a good thing

and obtains favor from the LORD.

The Lord very special favour to those in marriage, and thus it is necessary that we hold marriage with the honour that it deserves.

Therefore, here is a call to honour and respect it, for since it is so highly esteemed by God, shall we all not highly prize it as well? This verse spells out the sanctity and sacredness of marriage among all. 

We are at a time when families are disintegrating because of the rampart wickedness in the world, but it is my sincere prayer that this sermon will help one or more families to stay together.  Let us consider each of the words and phrases in verse 4 in three messages as follows:

1. Let Marriage be Held in Honour Among All
2. Let Marriage Bed be Undefiled
3. God will Judge the Sexually Immoral and the Adulterous

The first point is this;

1.    Let Marriage be held in honour among all

What is marriage? 

In the beginning God created man male and female in his own image. He then blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth . . . " Then we get the blueprint of marriage in this verse, "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24). This is the beauty and glory of the precious and honourable reality called marriage. 

Marriage is between one man and one woman, it is by definition heterosexual. This man and this woman leave their fathers and their mothers and hold fast or cleave to each other in a covenant commitment. And then God declares them ‘one-flesh’ in sexual union and covenant bond that last them their lifetime, that is, until death separates them.

How is marriage to be held in honour? 

Marriage is honoured when gender roles are taken seriously. Let married men prove themselves husbands and married women to demonstrate themselves as wives, before their own spouses and before everyone else. In Colossians 3:18–19, we read of the responsibilities of the wives and the husbands, which is well captured in Ephesians 5:22-33 and in 1 Peter 3:1-7. But let us consider the summary in Colossians.

            Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be                 harsh with them. 

Firstly, it is by the man, who is now called husband being the head of his family in love. It brings glory to God when the husband lovingly, leads his wife and leads in a godly manner (1 Corinthians 11:3). You don’t glorify God, nor fulfil your wife when you fail in leading her as her head. How do you live with your wife? Do you live with her with understanding, showing her honour as the weaker vessel (1Peter3:7)?  Do you love her realistically, exclusively, sacrificially and purposefully? Do you lead her lovingly spiritually, economically, and in all things? How do you demonstrate your love for her to your children? Children do you think daddy loves mommy?

Secondly, God is glorified when wives submit to their husbands in everything as to the Lord (Ephesians 5:22-24. Peter exhorts wives to be subject to their own husbands and hopefully some of them may be saved without a word (1Peter 3:1). If you would not be subject, respect, and listen to your own husband whom you see, how will you submit to Christ? How do you live with your husband? There is nothing as tragic as a wife who will not follow the lead of her husband. 

Obviously, there is a problem between the two of them, but if your husband is going to follow you to a church of your choice, you show that you have not trusted the spiritual decisions that he has made and you are effectively leading. And this, my dear sister will come to haunt you in the future. Because there is nothing as awful as wife-led families… it shall not be long before you shall resent the scenario where you lead instead of submitting. Let me address one more problem amongst wives. There are sins that are especially peculiar to women like gossip. Wives watch out what you tell other people about your husband, because if you undermine his leadership, then it will soon come to bite you, and realize that in so doing you are not honouring marriage, or upholding its preciousness. As you evaluate your own marriage, do you think your own children can attest that you are submissive wife to their daddy?

Thirdly, marriage is not held in honour where gay, and lesbians are celebrated. Marriage is essentially heterosexual and monogamous. The western world has disdained marriage in the constant rant about gay rights. Homosexual relations are an upfront to the institution of marriage and it should be condemned with the strongest terms possible. This weapon of the devil continues to be used by various gov’ts and so thankful for President Uhuru Kenyatta who rejected the overtures of the former president of America, Barack Obama to entertain them. We need to teach and train our children to have high regard for marriage.

The Bible says, “Let marriage be held in honour among all…” that is whether married or not, whether men or women, whether young or old – let marriage be held in honour among all. All people should highly esteem marriage. Why? You are to hold marriage in honour, not because it does not have problems but because marriage is a God-ordained, God-blessed, God-propagated, and Gospel-pointing. Some of you may have been brought up in dysfunctional families or may have been abused in marriage by your husbands or by your wives, but still learn to hold marriage in honour, because this is what God calls you to do. Even those who are divorced are being called upon to hold marriage in honour because marriage is of God. It is God who said that it is not good that Adam should be alone. It is God who created Eve and brought her to Adam. It is God who blessed their marriage. 

Marriage should be held in honour among all because it is through marriage that true friendship and companionship can be cultivated and propagated. Marriage is divine antidote to loneliness. Biblical marriage is designed by God to bring fulfilment and joy and happiness. And it does bring much delight and satisfaction to those who faithfully use the Bible as their guide, trusting in Christ and depending on the Holy Spirit for help.

Marriage was ordained by God for continuity, and multiplication of human race. It is within bonds of marriage that children are given by God (Psalm 127:3), and hopefully it is in marriage where children are trained and disciplined to live and be useful in the society since family is the basic unit of the society. 

Marriage is a tool of holiness and sanctification. It was ordained by God to curb sexual immorality for God tells us in his Word, “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” (1 Cor. 7:2) Marriage is also for the sanctification of believers.

Marriage is Christ’s gospel tool. Marriage is not an end in itself. Christian marriage is a portrait of Christ and His church, and both husband and wife have specific roles to play in this portrait this is why Ephesians 5:32 calls it a profound mystery that refers to Christ and the church. And then we are told of the marriage supper of the lamb in Revelation 19:6-10 and we are told, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (19:9).

                            ... Next message is Let Marriage Bed be Undefiled

Love Finds Love

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the LORD. Proverbs 18:22

Brethren, do you remember the effort it took for you to be where you are today as a husband and wife? Identifying a potential spouse is both very hard and easy, depending on your age and circumstances. But now that you are married, I would like you to remember the following; 

1) Kindle strong love by remembering your first love.

2) Consider the value of your wife.

3) Your marriage is a favour from the Lord.

1. Kindle strong love by remembering your first love 

He who finds a wife… When it comes to searching for the right spouse, the world has advise for you – look for the person that you are most attracted to by their physical appearances. In this worldly wisdom, the world does not realize that charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain (Prov. 31:30). There is also the common advice to seek them for what they have, that is, by their material possessions. How often we forget that one’s life does not consist in the abundance of one’s possessions? (Lk 12:15). Do not fall in love just because of outward, physical/material, temporal things – they will soon be gone. They will all fade away. 

Remember how she was the only lily in the valley, the only rose of Sharon, the only apple of your eye, the only fish in your lake Victoria, and the only bean in your githeri… she was the most beautiful among women (SS. 1:8). When you saw him, his voice was like that of an angel, his strength that of a stallion, his love, beyond compare.

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favour from the LORD. (Proverbs 18:22).

Three things could be said from the dose of divine wisdom in this verse:

The Lord puts the responsibility of finding a spouse into the hands of the man

He (masculine singular) who finds a wife… Men are to be deliberate in taking leadership in the matter of initiating the process of marriage. To find is to deliberately seek in order to have. It is not to stumble upon or to receive, even though some may be fortunate, the norm is for men to find wives for themselves. Men are called upon to show their love for their wives in lovingly leading them and caring for them. This is the example set by the Lord Jesus Christ when from heaven He came and sought the church to be his holy bride. He gave his life for her.

 Women on the other hand need to be available and willing to be found by such men as are worthy the name. Be found in the company of the righteous, in the narrow and the strait path, in biblical churches, in the company of the Master and his church. That is the right context for beginning your love story. Christian men, thou shalt not go to Vanity Fair or down to Timnah among the Philistines, or among the heathens to look for wives. For there you will find Madam Fair Uncouth, and Delilah and Jezebel and what will become of you but what became of Samson?

Notice that the verse says, ‘… finds a wife.’ It does not say, he who finds a girl, or a virgin or a lady or a woman! The consideration is that by the time the man finds the lady, she is already worthy the name of ‘a wife’ even if she is yet unmarried. Otherwise this verse means that men are to snatch married wives from their husbands! Clearly the Lord does not say that you take a wife from her husband! This would be adulterous and contrary to the sixth commandment. Rather, to find a wife is to obtain a woman who is a ‘wifely’ or wife material. Matthew Henry puts it this way,

A good wife is a great blessing to a man. He that finds a wife (that is, a wife indeed; a bad wife does not deserve to be called by a name of so much honour), that finds a help meet for him (that is a wife in the original acceptation of the word), that sought such a one with care and prayer and has found what he sought, he has found a good thing, a jewel of great value, a rare jewel; he has found that which will not only contribute more than anything to his comfort in this life, but will forward him in the way to heaven. 

It is true, that wives are as rare Jewels – they are not found anywhere. Yet, the gracious hand of providence leads God’s sons to where God’s daughters are to be found. Therefore, as men carryout their business, as they work, as they study, as they go to church for worship, they need to have their eyes peeled. They need to pray with their eyes open. They ought to see such women who are worthy to be called by the name ‘wife’ in their conduct. Good wives can be found anywhere, if you are walking by faith and trusting in the Lord to guide you. Some obtained good wives from school, from work, and especially from church. 

Now, you married a person that you fairly knew well.  What is she like today?

2. Consider the value of your wife

A Wife is a Good Thing

“… finds a good thing … “ Do you notice that the woman who is a wife material is called ‘a good thing’? How has the wife changed from being a person to being a good thing? Well, she has not changed at all! It is only her description that has obtained a wonderful adjectival phrase which extols her value and worth. A wife is being compared to such good things as a rare jewel of great value. The wife is given to the man as a helper suitable for the man and such is a good thing for the man. This is like Adam saying, “This at last is the bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Gen. 2:23)

Consider the delight a man draws from of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31. It begins with a question, “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” (v.10). Please note the language of the man finding such a rare jewel and the delight that ensues. The clear implication of this question is that just as there are not many rare jewels lying anywhere, so there is a considerable difficult of finding this type of a woman. Good women are very rare and scarce! Remember Jacob? He took seven years’ work to find Leah and to work seven more years to find Rachel! 

The description of this virtuous wife (Proverbs 31:1—31) is designed to show the kind of wives the women should strive to be. It is also designed to show what women the men should look out for, and as such the ‘good thing’! Therefore, this is a very significant passage for both men and women who are married. 

The New Testament in such passages as 1Timothy 2:9, 1Titus 2:10, 1Peter 3:1-6 agree with this passage as to what the duties of wives are. They show a woman who knows how to manage her own household. She is both reverent and industrious, so that is indeed a helper meet for a man. When a man finds such a wife, will he fail to love and cherish her, who is of such worth and value? Her price is far above rubies, and all the gold ornaments with which vain women may adorn themselves. The more rare such good wives are the more they are to be valued and cherished.

3. Your marriage is a favour from the Lord!

“… and obtains favour from the LORD.” God has done you a favour! He has done you men a favour by giving you a wife. And he has done you a favour by giving you women, husbands. Is it possible to obtain favour from the Lord? Favour is grace and it means unmerited favour. We do not deserve to marry the women that we eventually married! Why should God give us the privilege of calling a grown-up person to be ‘the bone of my bones and the flesh of my flesh’? Yet when you get married, you are given the wonderful favour and privilege of ‘owning’ someone to be yours. And this in and of itself is a great favour from the Lord who created the person who is your spouse.

A good wife is from the Lord. It is God who decided that Adam should not be alone. It is God who made Eve to be Adam’s helper suitable for him. It is God who brought Eve to Adam. Clearly, Eve was God’s gift given to Adam by God. It is the Lord who allows us the privilege of being married, and we know it when we appreciate the beauty of the woman God gave us. We do not deserve it at all. Yet the Lord out of his grace, sends us in the direction that we find a person who becomes the ‘helper’ suitable for him. 

 House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. (Proverbs 19:14)

Notice that the verse tells us that a prudent wife, coming from the Lord is far more precious than houses and wealth.  The reason is because, by her efforts, she can help in building houses and in creating wealth, yet houses and wealth cannot bring or make a prudent wife. They may attract some kind of women, but they cannot make a good wife! You may rely on your parents to give an inheritance of houses or wealth, but they cannot give you a prudent wife and for such we must seek from the Lord.

A good wife is a great and wonderful divine gift of God's providence to a man.  In talking about a good wife, we are speaking of a virtuous wife, a prudent wife, a worthy woman. Such a wife has imperishable beauty which in God’s sight is very precious. Such a wife is quiet-hearted and of a gentle spirit. Such a woman is very precious in the sight of God. Such a woman is neither found by a keen eye nor by human wisdom. She is found from, rather, she is given by the Lord. It is God, out of his goodness and love, who can gave you the wife who will meet your deepest need and so be the helper suitable for you. Your wit and your skills or your relatives could not. God, who knows what you need in this life and in the one to come, is the one who unites the right man with the right woman and makes them no longer two but one! (Matt. 19:6).

Happy marriages are made in heaven by God. The servant of Abraham knew this and so he prayed with this understanding in Genesis 24:12. 

And he said, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. (Gen. 24:12-13)

He directed his petition to the God of covenant, the Triune God, the infinitely gracious God. 

 I love my wife as I learn how to love from my Saviour Jesus Christ who loved his church and gave his life for her. Two non-Christians cannot know the redeeming love of Christ. The only reason why I do not run away with some other women is because of the help of the Holy Spirit. The non-believer does not the help of the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the bounds of Christian freedom are best expressed in the community of Christ – the church. Non-believers cannot fully appropriate the blessing of the church in their lives. One of the great motivations for godliness in this life is because there is a day of judgment coming, it is because Christians shall soon sit at the feet of Christ. 

My dear friends, you are not a Christian and your spouse is not a Christian and you know you have tried hypocrisy and it did not work. You tried hiding in the church, and it backfired on you. There is hope for your marriage – if you turned yourselves in to the open, inviting arms of Christ and called out for forgiveness, then you would be saved and your marriage could be redeemed. The hope is not in therapy of the psychiatrist and psychology counsellors – the hope is found in Christ. Come to him and you will know the full blessings from the one who designed you for His glory and meant your marriage for his glory and therefore for your greatest good and joy.

1) Marriage is honourable and desirable. Marriage must be held in honour among all and the marriage bed must be undefiled. Remember that God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous (Heb. 13:4)

2) God delights in the love of his children and hates divorce. Being married means becoming one flesh and you must remain with the partner (1 Cor. 7:12) for life. Be patient to one another, kind-hearted and live in harmony with one another. Outdo one another in showing honour, so that your love is shown to be genuine.

3) Your wife is beautiful. I mean we should praise God for He made her fearfully and wonderfully (Ps. 139:13-15). I mean she is in God’s image. Remember that “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” (Prov. 31:30). Look at your wife’s inner beauty of godliness (1Tim.2:9-10) and love her exclusively. Love her sacrificially. Love her purposefully to present her to Christ in splendour, without spot or blemish or wrinkle.  This beauty for a woman is found in the heart and it is imperishable. It involves gentle and a quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. It is daily demonstrated by a willingness to submit (1Peter 3:3-6). Wives, such is your calling. Stop those arguments then with your husband and listen to him.

4) Your husband is your man. He is yours by covenant. He is committed to you, and bound to you by cords of love that cannot be broken. He loves you. Believe him. Trust Him! Depend on him for leadership. He is loyal to you – therefore he married you.

CHURCH MEMBERS: WHAT IS THEIR PRIMARY DUTY?

                       

One of the tragedies of the church today is that the concept of church membership has been lost. In this article I do not intend to defend the biblical position of formal church membership for it is obvious; my purpose is to show you the practical need for church membership.

What is your membership responsibility in your local church? In one word, members are to LOVE. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and your neighbour as yourself. The Lord said:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40, see also Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27).

1.    LOVE GOD

To love the Lord God is both the duty and delight of every believer. God has shown so much love to Christians that they cannot do anything but love Him. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13). Jesus has shown His redeeming love. Therefore, ‘redeeming love should be the theme of our song’ until we die. You cannot afford to fail to love God because the Bible pronounces a curse on anyone who fails in this. “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed!” (1 Corinthians 16:22). So what is expected in loving the Lord our God?

a.    Negatively

(1) Hate sin. God is holy (Joshua 24:19); there is none holy like the Lord (1 Samuel 2:2); Our Holy God shows Himself holy in righteousness (Isaiah 5:16). Habakkuk nails it when he says, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? (Habakkuk 1:13). For this reason, we who are called by His name must be holy (1 Peter 1:16), and hate sin by killing it (Roman 8:13).

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you; sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming … But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off, the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Colossians 3:5,6,8-10).

(2) Hate the world. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1 John 2:15). We have no abiding city in the world, and so we must live as pilgrims do. That is, we must not be too attached to this world or the things of this world. After all, they are transient. Be dead to the world. Your heart must not be stained by any worldliness. But why should we take this serious step in our relation to the world? You should realize that our hearts are too narrow to contain both loves. The human heart is more likely to be worldly than to be godly. The way to demonstrate your love for the Lord is by giving yourself to spiritual things. Unless your heart loves the Word of God and spends time listening to it, reading it, studying, memorizing, meditating and applying it, you are still in love with the world. Pray every day. Spend time with believers in Christian fellowship.

b. Positively

(1) Love Christ. God loved us so much that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). The Lord Jesus Christ loved us so much that He gave His life as the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2). He is our Advocate with the Father. He died our death. He took our curse and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). How can we fail to love Him?  It is expected that we love Christ and live to serve Him. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible (Ephesians 6:24). You love Christ by knowing and doing His Word. This is how Christians become Christ-like. You love Christ by loving His church for which He gave His life. True believers are part of a local church themselves, and this is how they demonstrate that they are part of body of Christ. Christians are commanded not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as we see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:25). Christians gather on Sunday, the Lord’s Day for worship and fellowship. In this way the fourth Commandment is fulfilled.

2.    LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR

a.    Love fellow Christians

(1) Love for their Pastors. Christ has appointed that His church be orderly. There are men whom He has provided for the leadership of the church. These men shepherd the flock of God which the Holy Spirit appointed them overseers to care for the church of God which He bought with His own blood (Acts 20:28). How are you to show that you love those that Christ has given to lead in the local church where you are a member?

·  Submit to them (Hebrews 13:17). The church has a responsibility to listen and obey the pastors. Listen attentively to what they teach and seek to practice it. The authority of the pastors is in the Word of God that they teach. When you seek their counsel (you should avail yourself this privilege), you should do as they recommend. The Bible teaches this truth in various passages:

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. (1Thessalonians 5:12-13)

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7)

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17).

·  Pray for them (Colossians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:25, 2 Thessalonians 3:1, Hebrews 13:18). You should pray for your pastor to be a godly, faithful preacher and shepherd of the flock. Pray that he may not be slothful in zeal but be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Pray that he would grow in discernment so that he may not lead the church into error. Pray that the Lord may open doors of ministry for the Word to go forth through them. Pray that they will not be discouraged.

·  Financial support (1 Corinthians 9:2-14, 1 Timothy 5:17). While every pastor may not necessarily be financially supported, yet the church should always desire to meet the general principle that the labourer is worthy his wages. Pastors are usually poorly remunerated, not because people don’t have means but because they do not highly value the work that they do. Yet it is the pastor who will bring them the gospel, by which they are saved (salvation is the greatest and highest blessing ever!). It is the pastor who will counsel them in godliness, and usually this counsel is invaluable. It is the pastor who visits when they are sick, when they marry, when they have a baby. It is the pastor to baptize them. And the pastor is there even to bury them when they die!

(2) Love for their brethren.

·  We are to love with a fervent love those upon whom the heavenly Father has cast His electing love. Love with a sincere heart those that Christ has redeemed by His blood. May you show brotherly affection to all those who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. What does this love look like?

·  We are our brother’s keeper: It is our duty to watch their backs so that the enemy, the devil does not attack them. Satan is compared to a roaring lion prowling around looking for someone to devour. We should be on the lookout to help them differentiate wolves in sheepskin from their fellow sheep.

·  The ‘one-anothering’ ministry. The Bible has a lot to say on how we are to relate with each other. Some of the phrases show that ours is a very close relationship. There are many passages that have this kind of exhortation. Jesus said, “Be at peace with one another” (Matthew 9:50) and “Love one another” (John 13:34, 35; 15:12,17). Paul wrote, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour” (Romans 12:10). We are to live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16, 15:5); to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God (Romans 15:17). We are to instruct one another (Romans 15:14), greet one another with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12); and wait for one another (1 Corinthians 11:33). Members are commanded to have the same care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25). Brothers are to comfort one another, and to agree with one another (2 Corinthians13:11).

·  We are encouraged through love to serve one another (Galatians 5:13) and to bear with one another’s burden and so fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2; c.f. Ephesians 4:2). At all times we are warned against and discouraged from biting and devouring one another or consuming one another (Galatians 5:15). We are to desist from provoking or envying one another (Galatians 5:26). Neither are we to bear false witness nor are we to lie to one another (Colossians 3:9). Instead, we are to be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).

·  Moreover, we are to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21). We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom (Colossians 3:16). We are urged to abound in love for one another and for all (2 Thessalonians 3:12). Besides, we are to encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11; Hebrews 10:25) and do good to one another and to everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

·  We are to exhort one another every day (Hebrews 3:13) and to consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). It is also the will of God for us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16).

·   We are to show hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9).  Let us also remember to clothe ourselves with humility toward one another (1 Peter 5:5) and to have fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7).

b.    Love unbelievers

(1) Set an example of godliness. Christ expects us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. The way we show that we belong to Christ is by living in this world as He did. Our conduct must show that we do not belong to this wicked world of sin, but that we are citizens of the kingdom of God where righteousness dwells. A godly example for a Christian is the best platform for preaching the gospel. Unless one has the moral authority established on the principle of being above reproach, honest, godly, peaceable, loving, respectful and a man of integrity, the possibility of your faith being taken seriously is very low. How you live can either endear sinners to the cross of Calvary or repulse them. While we should endeavour to be as perfect as our heavenly Father is, yet we should realize that we do have flaws. The difference between us and the world is that we are willing to accept responsibility for our failures, confess our sins and even bear the brunt of our shortcomings while the unbelievers will try to hide.

(2) Preach the gospel. While our conduct is vital in representing Christ as His ambassadors, unbelievers are unable to see them. This is why we should bring the gospel in words and in a way that they can understand.  As witnesses of Christ we should be prepared to give an account for the hope we have. We must not get tired of telling the world of Christ and of His saving grace. We should constantly urge them to believe in Christ and repent of their sins.