Spiritual Siblings

This week's lesson starts out with the statement, "as Seventh-day Adventists, we often refer to one another as 'brother and sister.' " How true, how true. Unfortunately, it seems that the phrase has been so overused, that it holds little meaning. After all, how many persons who address you as brother or sister do you consider related to you? When those surrounding Christ made the comment that his mother and brethren were outside waiting to speak with Him, Christ responded, "who is My mother, or My brethren? ...Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and My mother." Mark 3:33. I wonder if as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, we actually see others as our spiritual siblings?

Yes it’s true, siblings quarrel, they fight, and sometimes they even kill one another. Just look at the example of Cain and Able. Their sibling rivalry led to the death of one of the brothers, and yet they remained siblings. It’s as if not even negative feelings or harmful actions to each other, can change the familial relationship. Oh sure, the nature of relating may change, but the relationship itself remains, whether we like it or not. Sad to say, many of us like it not. It seems to be our human nature to want to have control over who'll be in our lives, and how emotionally close they'll get to us. We like having (and exercising) the power of choice. Since we can't exercise it over who we are biologically related to, we exercise it over our spiritual siblings.

Truthfully, our biological family members are all diverse from one another. We have differing physical traits, likes and dislikes. We have different home training, and so evidence characteristics from being well read, to poorly read, from being well mannered to, well let's just say, lacking in manners. Yet, we all remain family. Why do we see our spiritual family any differently? We tolerate, or if we have matured spiritually in the fruit of the Spirit, we are patient with our family members, why do we not extend the same grace to our spiritual brothers and sisters? Do they deserve any less?

Does not the scripture say by their fruit you'll know them? Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Christ say in John 15:36, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another?" Just what kind of love is He talking about here? Is it familial love, erotic love, love between friends, or the love of parents for their children? Is He saying that if we have these types of love, others will know we belong to Him? Don't people who are not Christians possess these types of love? So what do we more than they? In John 15: 35, Jesus describes the type of love He refers to. He requests us in the loving tones of One who will die in our place, suffering our ignominious death, "That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Tall order? Not with the Spirit's help. In John chapter 14, Jesus says that He'll pray to the Father for another Comforter for us, "that He may abide with you, as the Spirit of Truth," and "dwell with and in you." "He is the Holy Spirit, sent in My name, He'll teach you all things, and bring all things to your memory." John 14:16, 17, 26.

Nowhere in the scripture does it say that by our unity (whether uniformity or true unity) others will know us as His true disciples. So where did we get this idea? It is, according to John 17, by One-ness "in Christ," and through Christ, that we though diverse in background, experiences, and the like, have unity. The scripture says that Christ died to break down the middle wall that separated us from God, and from one another through our customs, politics, traditions, and yes, even prejudices. He actually succeeded don't you think? So then why do we behave as if He hadn't? Why do we go on with our petty squabbles, and attitudes and feel justified with them?
Christ has said that it is He who justifies, and "the just shall live by faith ... the faith of Jesus, and by faith ye stand, and whatever is not of faith is sin, and faith comes by the hearing of the Word of God.” If we say, "I cannot treat my spiritual siblings in the loving and close way I treat my biological family.” If I say, “there is, after all, the distinction of blood you know,” then I make Christ and His Words a lie-- for He says just the opposite.

Besides living unconditional, undeserved, self-sacrificing love, we the members of a unified church will, both collectively and individually, hear His voice, search for and find other sheep, be sanctified through the Word which is true, and the Holy Spirit will dwell in and guide us. Furthermore, we will treasure the Holy Spirit and the Prince of peace, and with lowliness of mind, be joyful, grow up to maturity in Christ, be always in prayer, and thus will be in one accord. Sounds like a lot? It is, but in Christ-- "...all things are possible to him who believes." Will you choose to believe? Let's not be like the 80% of the church who are indifferent or cause trouble. Instead, by His power, let's choose to see others as our spiritual siblings.

Maria Greaves-Barnes

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