Daily Devotion with Pastor Tong Liu: Daily Devotion

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River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english

1 John 4:19-21

"We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

John said that "whoever loves God must also love his brother." Not only are we united with the Lord, in the Lord we are also united with brothers and sisters. Before Paul accepted the Lord, one time he was on his way to Damascus to capture Christians there; suddenly, a bright light shined on them, and a voice said to them: "Saul, saul, why do you persecute me?" Saul probably felt puzzled and responded to the voice: "When did I persecute you? I persecuted those bad Christians! Who are you, I've never seen you, so how could I have persecuted you?" Jesus responded to him: "I am Jesus, who you are persecuting." Suddenly Paul understood how close the relationship between the believers and Jesus was.

Those who hate the brothers also hate Jesus, and those who persecute the brothers are persecuting Jesus. Every believer is precious and important in the eyes of God, because we are united with Christ. On the way to Damascus, Paul clearly learned that everyone who's in Christ is one with Christ, and they are extremely precious in the eyes of Christ. Not only that, when Paul was brought to Damascus, God sent Ananias to guide him, and the first thing Ananias said to him was "brother Saul." Paul once again experienced that in Jesus Christ, not only will he be united with Christ, he will also be united with all believers. You can't say that you are just going to love God because God is more loveable, and you don't want to love brothers and sisters. When you are in Christ, not only will you be united with Christ, you will also be united with all brothers and sisters. On the way to Damascus, Paul clearly saw that every believer is precious in the eyes of Christ, for he and all saints are one in Christ and cannot be broken up.

If you can truly see how precious the other brothers are in the eyes of Christ, and how you and other believers are united as one in Christ, you won't casually hurt others with your words. Instead, you will do your best to maintain unity in Holy Spirit, because that is the commandment of the Lord.

Pray with Pastor Tong Liu

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Lord, I thank you because it is your will for us to be one in you. Lord, please remove all the hindrance between people, let your love melt down everything so that we can truly become one in you and everyone will see that we are your disciple. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!