Becoming Christlike in Our Relationships

MEMORY VERSE: “This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.” —Philippians 1:9

ROMANS 12:9-21; 14:1 through 15:6; I CORINTHIANS 12

THOSE whose ambitions are not now of an earthly nature, but who are seeking the heavenly nature and its blessings of joint-heirship with Christ, must ever bear in mind that while they are no part of the world in which they find themselves, they are yet God’s representatives in the world and must faithfully carry out and exemplify the principles of righteousness in whatever position in life they may be placed. We should, then, become more Christlike in our relationships with those with whom we come in contact.

There seems to have been an especially strong bond of love existing between the great Apostle Paul and the brethren to whom he was writing in Philippi, as expressed in the first chapter of that letter. He says, “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now.” (1:2-5) What a truly beautiful relationship between brethren! And we know also that Paul’s relationship even with his captors and those who sought to do him bodily harm was such as to bring honor and glory to God.

The principal ingredient in the Christian’s character is love: love for God, our Lord Jesus, the brethren, our families and friends, and the whole world of mankind. In this connection we are reminded of the apostle’s exhortation that “as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Gal. 6:10) Paul indeed loved the Philippian brethren, being the first to preach the Gospel to them, and having called back upon them twice thereafter to establish them more firmly in the truth.

And in response to his labors of love on their behalf the Philippians manifested the same spirit of love toward him by supplying his needs in a temporal way, as recorded (Phil. 4:15-18): “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only; for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity; not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account; but I have all, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.”

The growth and development of Christlike characters was the apostle’s main concern for these brethren, as noted by the words of our memory passage, that they might abound more and more in knowledge and fruits of righteousness. The tender sentiments of his message to them are perhaps better expressed in the Weymouth translation, which reads, “And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ, so that you may be men of transparent character, and may be blameless, in preparation for the day of Christ, being filled with these fruits of righteousness which come through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”—Phil. 1:9-11

It should also be our desire to help and encourage one another in the ways of holiness so that we might have the privilege of bringing honor and glory to God; and, if faithful, we may have the opportunity of assisting the world of mankind back to the ways of truth and righteousness in the millennial kingdom of the future. There is, however, no better time nor place than here and now to direct our attention along these lines. Let us renew our endeavors to become more Christlike in everything we do, and wherever we may be.

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual under standing; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”—Col. 1:9,10

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