If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
Typically the relationship between a king and servant is pretty one-way. The servant works to please the king, carrying out the duties and responsibilities that have been assigned. There is no real personal relationship. While the king may provide some form of compensation to the servant, the “give back” pretty much stops there. They are typically not friends and its laughable to think there is any love between the two. It is this realization that makes our relationship with God through Christ Jesus so remarkable. Yes, we are servants to the Lord…but it seems we are hardly treated as such. Not only are we relieved of our just punishment for our sins, but we actually have a genuine relationship with the King! We are embraced as a friend, we are cherished as children, and we are loved as no servant has ever been loved…the relationship is not a one-way street. We are not simply welcomed into his kingdom, rather we are carried in by Christ, in a loving embrace, valued as a true child of God. It’s hard to really grasp how incredible this really is…the Almighty God, the Creator of All, the King of kings…actually calls us friend. Kind of takes your breath away, doesn’t it. While only a few are mentioned above in the text, I imagine Paul could have gone on and on with a list of the benefits of being “united with Christ”. There simply is nothing more important, nothing more valuable, and nothing more worthwhile than having a true relationship with God through Christ Jesus! May we take the instruction in the text above and mirror the life of Christ, extending the same love, displaying the same compassion, and working towards one purpose of bringing glory to the Almighty God. To God be the glory!
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