A victorious Christian life is one of relationship, first vertically, and then horizontally. Vertically with God above; Horizontally with human kind on earth. This two fold relationship is pictured in the cross: the upright piece representing the vertical; the cross piece, representing the horizontal. This same relationship is expressed in the 10 Commandments: the first four, representing the vertical; the last six, representing the horizontal.
Our responsibility to both the vertical and the horizontal relationship is strongly commanded in the Scripture, both being commanded in the first and great commandment, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength” (the vertical), and “Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself” (the horizontal) (Matthew 22:37-39).
Today we want to focus on our horizontal relationship. We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves and our neighbors are supposed to reciprocate. In fact, every Christian is gifted not to serve himself or promote his ego, but to minister God’s grace to his brothers and sisters. “As each one has received a gift (charisma), minister it to one another as stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10). The word translated manifold, poikilas, means, “the various kinds of grace.”
There are two sides of our relationship with others. So let us examine both sides to see where we stand in obeying the 5th “I”:
THE GIVING SIDE THE RECEIVING SIDE
- Given someone money a. Given money
- Won someone to Jesus b. Given a job
- Spoken encouraging words c. Helped with children
- Visited d. Encouraging Words
- Emailed or phoned e. Visited in hospital
- Help find job f. Given spiritual insight
- Counseled g. Held accountable
- Admonished h. Admonished
- Held someone accountable i. Prayed for
- Interceded for someone j. won to Christ
- Brought someone to MMM, church or Sunday School k. Invited to MMM
- Praise Report l. Invited to dinner