(PART 1 - REVISED) PERSONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Knowing When to Maintain Them and Knowing When to Avoid Them

�-�Introduction

�-�God’s Love �" Unconditional or Conditional?

�-�Know No Man after the Flesh

Introduction

As believers in Christ, we are called to be a light to the world, a city that is set upon a hill which cannot be hid. Whatsoever we do, in word or deed, we are to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

       Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12)

       We are to have our manner of life honest among the Gentiles so that when they speak of us as evildoers they may by beholding our good works glorify God in the day of visitation. How does this idea of walking in good works convey the mindset that at times we might have to make decisions to not associate with certain people? At first glance the answer by most Christians would probably be that this should not be the case, because God’s love is unconditional. Therefore, they would say that there should never be an instance where we should choose to no longer associate with someone else. This sounds right, doesn’t it? What do the scriptures have to say about this?

       In order to answer, this, we need to understand what is meant by stating that God’s love is unconditional? This kind of love is exemplified in John 3:16.

       For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

       The Koine Greek word for “loved” is eegapeesan from agapeo and it refers to a love that provides a benefit for someone else which is free and unmerited, and not based on any attractiveness or deservedness of the recipient. So God the Father gave the life of his Son on the cross on behalf of mankind thus satisfying the debt he owed to the justice of God. The barrier between God and man, sin, has been removed once and for all. However, each member of the human race still has a sin nature that sins. Heaven can only receive those whom God has made holy. God makes those unbelievers holy who have either believed in Him as he was revealed in the Old Testament or believed in his Son, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament.

       So, God provided unconditionally his Son for all mankind, but entrance into heaven is conditional, based on repentance and belief. Not everyone is going to repent and believe. Could we conclude that if God’s love is unconditional in this regard, then all mankind would simply be allowed to enter heaven at physical death?

       Likewise, as Christians we now have God’s love (agape), the fruit of the Spirit operating in us. Should the love (agape) that we evidence toward others whether they are believers or unbelievers be unconditional or conditional? If we say unconditional, could this mean that our love toward them would never make a decision to not agree with anything they have to say or do, and in like manner this love would never cause us to disassociate ourselves from them. Is this the manner in which God’s unconditional love should be expressed toward others?

       This study will convey to you the varied circumstances that will probably occur in your walk with God and with others, whether they are believers or unbelievers, which in some cases we will be directed by scripture to walk away from and no longer keep company with them? This topic will be very difficult for some believers in Christ, because of their uncertainty as to how they should respond to believers or unbelievers under certain conditions due to a lack of thorough teaching on this topic.

       Hopefully, this book will help provide us with insight as to what our response should be toward the varied situations that involve both believers and unbelievers so that we will be able to apply the word of God in the proper manner.

       Let’s begin by gaining a better understanding of God’s love. Is it unconditional or conditional?

CHAPTER 1

God’s Love �" Unconditional or Conditional?

When a person operates in the fruit or effects of the Holy Spirit, what are the characteristics of such a love?

       God wants us to operate in charity (agapee from agape), in his love, in a certain way, toward circumstances and people some of which or whom have brought hardship or adversity into our life. How should God’s love respond? God’s love responds according to its own character, a divine expression, which reveals in what particular way it should be manifested. It is unconditional in the sense that it continues to love expressing a divine perspective regardless of whatever or whomever is coming against it. It might be without conditions as to its own response, but in its response, it presents to the recipient an opportunity for blessing. Another word it presents a heavenly view in the midst of a disturbing circumstance or toward others whether believers to which they can respond to it for restoration or unbelievers to which they can respond to it for salvation.

       Let’s take a look at some of these qualities of divine love (agape) and the ways in which it responds.

       Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

�-� “suffereth long” Patient in bearing the offences and injuries of others; has a long mind. (1 Corinthians 13:4)

�-� “kind” Gentle in behavior. (1 Corinthians 13:4)                   

�-� “envieth not” Neither jealous; not grieved because another possesses a greater portion of earthly, intellectual, or spiritual blessings. (1 Corinthians 13:4)                            

�-� “vaunteth not itself” Does not desire to be noticed or applauded. (1 Corinthians 13:4)                                  

�-� “not puffed up” Not inflated with a sense of one’s own importance.

       Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

�-� “Doth not behave itself unseemly” Gives reverence and respect to superiors. (1 Corinthians 13:5)                 

�-� “seeketh not her own” Does not seek one’s own happiness to the injury ofanother. (1 Corinthians 13:5)           

�-� “not easily provoked” Though he may be injured, yet he governs his passions, restrains his temper, subdues his feelings. (1 Corinthians 13:5)                    

�-� “thinketh no evil” Will not think evil of one’s motives, opinions, or conduct until we are compelled to do so by the most unbreakable evidence. (1 Corinthians 13:5)

       Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

�-� “Rejoiceth not in iniquity” Does not find pleasure in the report that someone has done something wrong, and in the following up of that report, find it to be true. (1 Corinthians 13:6)                          

�-� “rejoiceth in the truth” Desires others happiness; everything that is opposite to falsehood and irreligion. Those who are filled with the love of God and man rejoice in the propagation and extension of divine truth-in the spread of true

   religion, by which alone peace and good will can be diffused throughout the earth. (1 Corinthians 13:6)                        

       Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

�-� “Beareth all things” Bears up under, sustains, and does not complain; never gives up; does not make the sins of others, if alone privy to them, the subject of conversation or censure; seek to hide the sins of others, and then help them make thing right; endures without divulging to the world its distress. Literally holding fast, like a water-tight vessel; holding its ground when it can no longer believe nor hope. (1 Corinthians 13:7)                          

�-� “believeth all things” Never loses faith; never stops believing. (1 Corinthians 13:7)               

�-� “hopeth all things” Is always confident; Hope is averse to sourness and gloom.  It takes sunny and cheerful views of man, of the world, and of God, because it is a sister of love; Sees the bright side of things. Does not despair; When there is no place left for believing good of a person, … anticipates the repentance of the transgressor, and his restoration to the good opinion of society and his place in the church of God, from which he had fallen. (1 Corinthians 13:7)            

�-� “endureth all things” Endures persecutions in a patient and loving spirit from enemies and friends; never says of any trial, affliction, or insult, this cannot be  endured. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

       Charity never faileth:

�-� “never faileth” Never falls powerless, never will be without effect; survives everything; it will be adopted to all of the situations of life. (1 Corinthians 13:8)   

       Now that you are aware of some of the qualities of divine love, how would we describe human love? Human love responds to difficult situations according to its own perspective of them, sometimes with insecurity, with anxiety, with disbelief, with anger, etc.’ and toward people, who are adversarial, it may be with fear, with hatred, with revenge, with intolerance, etc. This love responds favorably, when it is treated as such and unfavorably when it is treated as such.

       In the following chapters, you will see divine love at work expressing itself in its particular manner according to the situation at hand.

CHAPTER 2

 Know No Man after the Flesh

In order to know no man after the flesh, we need to have a different perception about Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:16

…though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (2 Corinthians 5:16b)

What does it mean to know no man after the flesh?

       I wonder how many churches in their teaching emphasize to the assembly of believers the many stories about Christ. They say this is how we should live by emulating him. So they try to be like him. As he fed others through miracles, so should we help others by providing for their physical sustenance needs. As he healed others of various illnesses, so should we try to help them by providing the means necessary so that they could receive medical help.

       The apostle Paul had a Jewish view of the coming Messiah. He, like his fellow Jews, was waiting for someone who would be born of two earthly parents, whom God would raise up to be an earthly king in order to free them from Roman oppression and establish an earthy kingdom with its capital at Jerusalem. However, when Paul believed in Christ a change took place in his life concerning his perception about Him.

        Before our conversion, we probably at some point in our life have heard about the various stories associated with Christ while he walked the earth. We marveled at the miracles. We were surprised at his rejection. We heard about his resurrection. Yet our lives in regard to walking after the flesh (the sin nature) didn’t change. Why? We never heard the gospel spoken from those who told us about these many stories about Christ. We thought that by going to church, emulating Christ, and trying to live a good life as described by the churches teaching was the way to get to heaven. So we tried our best to do what we were told.

       The apostle Paul said that his views about Christ changed when he was converted. He understood that He was not just a man, but the God-man, God incarnate. He was not sent to set up an earthy kingdom at this time, but to go the cross and become a substitute for mankind by paying the penalty for the sins of the world thus satisfying God’s justice. And when he fulfilled his mission sin would no longer be a barrier between God and man. Heaven was now open to receive all those who repented and believed in Him as He was revealed in any dispensation.

       Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh… (2 Corinthians 5:16a)

       In order for us to have a different view of others, we need to have a different nature along with a new mind whose thoughts are reflective of it. Where do we get this new nature from? This is from the person of the Holy Spirit, who is another member of the trinity? How does he come into our life? He comes into our life when we repent of our sins to God the Father and believe in his Son Jesus Christ, who as one of the persons of the Godhead, preexisted time, came to earth in the form of a man being born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, went to the cross and paid the penalty owed by mankind for sin to God the Father along with providing forgiveness for it, rose from the dead after three days never to die again, walked the earth for forty days in his resurrected body, and ascended into heaven. Once the Holy Spirit comes into our life we have a new nature.

       Now that we have a new nature, how is the new mind formulated?

       We formulate a new mind by hearing about the new person we have become at salvation by means of the word of God. As we appropriate these new thoughts about ourselves, the spiritual qualities (e.g. a divine love, a divine joy, a divine peace, etc.) of the Holy Spirit become operational within us and evidenced to others. Our life begins to emulate Christ’s life not in the sense of trying to imitate his actions, but by operating in the spiritual qualities of the Spirit as He did.

       As our thoughts about ourselves change, so do our thoughts about those around us change. While we are still aware of other people’s faults or sinful behavior, we understand that these areas of their life can truly be addressed by the impartation of spiritual life by someone else. If they are an unbeliever, it begins at conversion. If they are a believer, it begins by recognizing those areas of human weakness or human strength and replacing them with divine viewpoint.

       So, to know no man after the flesh, we need to know about ourselves after the Spirit. As we grow spiritually, our mindset toward unbelievers should be to present to them the gospel, and for those who are saved to help them learn about how they can not only recover from their sinful tendencies, but also be consistently free from engaging in them, which is not relegated by trying to stop doing them, but by having their minds renewed according to the word of God.

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