LESSON # 10: OTHER CHRISTIANS

“What is My Relationship to other Christians?”

As we learned earlier, when you got saved, you moved from the devil’s family to God’s family. Spiritually, you now have a new family with many brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

We saw how the church is likened to a body in the previous lesson and in this lesson we will study the special relationship which you now have with your spiritual family. This lesson is designed to give you a clear understanding of how the body of Christ operates as a family unit.

1. You have both a family and functional relationship to other

Christians.

1. Other Christians are your brothers and sisters in Jesus

Christ. Be sure to understand, only those in Jesus Christ

(saved people) are your brothers and sisters regardless of

any other factors. Likewise, those NOT in Jesus Christ (lost

people) are not your brothers and sisters regardless of any

other factors.

Romans 8:29; I John 3:1-3; Romans 9:8;

Hebrews 2:9-12

2. Other Christians are your fellow laborers in service for

Jesus Christ.

I Corinthians 3:5-10

2. You share certain responsibilities with other Christians.

1. We are to pray for each other. Almost every one of Paul’s

letters opens with a prayer for those to whom he is writing.

I Thessalonians 1:2-3; II Timothy 1:3

2. We are to minister to each other.

1. Physically

1. For those in your immediate family

Galatians 6:10; Romans 12:13

2. For the entire body of Christ.

Acts 11:27-30

2. Spiritually

Galatians 6:1-2; Romans 15:1-2; Hebrews 13:3

3. We are to encourage and edify one another.

I Thessalonians 5:11

4. We are to serve one another with humility.

Philippians 2:3-4; Matthew 20:25-28

3. You have a personal responsibility to maintain a biblical

attitude toward other Christians.

1. You should love them.

I John 3:14-16; I Peter 4:8

2. You should be patient with them.

Romans 15:5-7

3. You should be sensitive to their needs.

I John 3:17-18; James 2:15-16

4. You should be forgiving of them.

Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13

4. You have a part in a biblical fellowship that unites

Christians.

1. Fellowship is sharing our common life in Christ.

1. “Fellowship” is a term commonly used by Christians

generally referring to getting together for activities

or times of sharing common interests. However,

this is only a small part of true fellowship.

2. While fellowship is sharing things in common, true

biblical fellowship goes FAR BEYOND just a meal

or an activity. It is the sharing of life and ministry with

other believers through the person of the Lord Jesus

Christ.

Philippians 1:3-6; 2:1-2

3. The essential elements of true biblical fellowship are

not physical matters (such as social status, friendship,

common interests, etc.) but are the biblical essence

of the common life and mission we share.

2. Fellowship involves many aspects of Christian living.

1. Prayer - II Corinthians 1:11

2. Faith - Romans 1:12

3. Ministry - II Corinthians 8:4; Galatians 2:9

4. Suffering - Philippians 3:10; I Peter 4:13, 5:1

5. Doctrine - Acts 2:42; Romans 16:17

3. Fellowship is maintained by the practice of biblical

character qualities.

1. Humility - Philippians 2:3-8

2. Honesty - Ephesians 4:25; II Corinthians 4:2

3. Love - John 13:35; Galatians 5:13-15

4. Hospitality - Titus 1:8; Acts 2:42, 46-47

4. Fellowship among believers must be based on your

fellowship with Christ.

* You must learn to have personal fellowship with Him

before your fellowship with others believers will be

proper. True biblical fellowship is rooted in the

elements listed above (prayer, faith, ministry, suffering,

doctrine) as we come together in our fellowship in the

person of Christ.

I John 1:3-7; I Corinthians 1:9-10

5. What if another Christian offends me?

Unfortunately, this will probably happen to you if you spend

any time with your brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Just

as in your physical family, there will be times of offense, hurt,

and disagreement within the body of Christ. The Bible gives

us directions dealing with all situations. In serious cases of

offense, the following principles provide a definite progression

to deal with such matters.

1. Privately take the offense directly to the other party first

and try to settle it between yourselves.

Matthew 18:15

2. If the matter is not resolved privately, take a mature

believer with you as a mediator in the situation. This

person should be able to bring an objective evaluation

and give balance in dealing with the offense.

Matthew 18:16; I Corinthians 6:1-5

1. Do NOT go to the lost world to settle a spiritual

problem within the body of Christ.

I Corinthians 6:6

2. Go to the authorities if a crime has been committed.

Romans 13:1-5

3. If this matter still cannot be resolved, take it to your pastor

so the offending party has the opportunity to submit to

the structure of the church.

Matthew 18:17

1. Be prepared to support church discipline.

Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 5:9,11; II Thessalonians

3:6, 14; I Timothy 6:5

2. Commit the situation to the pastoral leadership of the

church. They will handle it justly as the Holy Spirit leads

through the structure God has established.

Hebrews 13:7, 17

3. While you should be ready to forgive your brother or sister

if there is true repentance, reconciliation and restoration

cannot take place without this repentance on the part of

the offending party. God made forgiveness possible when

Christ died and rose again.

That forgiveness becomes operative only when we repent

and receive His forgiveness.

Matthew 18:21-22; Luke 17:3; Colossians 3:13

4. Pray for your brother.

Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 12:14

5. Though you are ready to forgive when the offense is dealt

with biblically, be certain you do not enter into sin by

harboring bitterness in your heart in the meantime.

Hebrews 12:14-15