"Let Us" series continued...

This is a continuation of my "Let Us" series wherein i expound upon every NT scripture that says "let us"...

"Let us be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven us".   Yes, the Father forgives us "for Christ's sake", for if He does not forgive us, Christ's sacrifice would have been in vain. We are the salt of His sacrifice, we give meaning and purpose to what He did - He was being kind and tenderhearted and forgiving to us when He died for us, we can do no less for each other. We must not be like the man who received forgiveness for his debts but refused to forgive the debts of those who owed him. If we harden our hearts towards others, God will harden his heart towards us.
"Let us increase and abound in love one toward another - and toward all men, even as we do towards you". When Paul says "we", he is writing on behalf of other believers in another city (in this case, Athens), he is writing on behalf of Silvanus and Timotheus and perhaps others too. The point is, we should not limit our love and affection to those who fellowship with us in our own church. We should have a great love for and desire to fellowship with brethren of every stripe and color and background, no matter where they fellowship. In our city or town, denominational boundaries must fall! We are not whatever name or label our church ascribes to, we are simply brothers and sisters in Christ, though I acknowledge those who adhere to false doctrines will find it difficult if not impossible to fellowship (in any meaningful way) with those who follow Christ personally (though all churches claim to be of Christ, most are not. This is in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy "take heed that no man deceive you for many shall come in my name saying I am Christ (or I am of Christ), and shall deceive many"). Still, those of us free of the spirit of religion must love and admonish those who aren't, in the hope that they too will choose freedom, leaving their denomination behind forever, knowing that no one's teachings are completely pure, except the Holy Spirit's. "Now we know in part, now we see through a glass darkly" but one day we'll see Him face to face. Remember, it is not "I" but "we" who have the mind of Christ. It is very, very dangerous and unhealthy to let one man do all the teaching in a fellowship for they inevitably teach error at some point and I've never yet seen a pastor receive correction when he teaches false doctrine. Besides, even if everything he teaches is 100% pure, direct manna from Heaven, he will still teach his "pet doctrines", teachings he is fond of and familiar with. We need multiple teachers to maintain a healthy spiritual diet. I sat under a pastor once who did all the teaching in his church (as is the custom in most churches) and after six months to a year he would start teaching the same things over and over again, the same themes. I've also been in churches that insist on giving an altar call at the end of every service (for salvation), though everyone in the room is saved and have been for years. The altar call (for salvation) you see, became a religious tradition to them, to the point where they didn't feel like they "had church" without it. Some churches have people sitting in them for twenty years yet they still teach the same (milk, pap) basic doctrines, over and over again. I say again, if the Holy Spirit is abiding in us, than He is our teacher and what we mostly need from our fellowship with one another is prophetic revelation. Paul said, concerning brotherly love, he did not need to write to them to do so "for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another". How refreshing to hear someone in authority say we are "taught of God", not man. We need far more men "taught of God" rather than taught of men at a Bible college. Everyone thinks their understanding is pure but I've had to repent many times of teachings I'd been taught by men I trusted, false teachings. We must not cling to our doctrines so tightly God can not pry them loose from our mind's grip. We must hold them loosely enough that the Holy Spirit can blow upon them and that which He blows away is chaff....dead doctrines that bring forth death in us. But I am warning you now - if you seek to ferret out any false doctrines taught in your church, when they find out you do not agree with them, they will give you "the left foot of fellowship", they will kick you out with it, lest you draw others after you in your "heresy". Though they are the ones teaching heresy and you are the one presenting truth to them, they cannot or will not see it. Go with forgiveness in your heart for them and pray to meet other believers like you who value and love truth over "doctrines of devils" and "doctrines of men" (the two go hand in hand, equally harmful). Start meeting in your living room.