From the desk of Pastor Ben

Children of God – Part 2

“Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.”
(Matthew 18:5)

“Receives” translates a Greek word that means purposefully taking something or someone to yourself. People often used the term to denote the meeting of a guest’s needs with special attention and kindness. Our Lord’s point here is that the way anyone treats God’s children is the way he treats Christ Himself. When someone welcomes  with an open heart a Christian as an honored guest, that person does the same to Jesus. When a person treats any believer with tenderness and kindness, he does the same to Christ.

When the Lord portrayed the judgment of the nations, He re-affirmed this principle of unity. After placing the sheep (believers) on His right and the goats (unbelievers) on His left,

The King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we do those things?” . . . The King will answer and say to them, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
(Matthew 25:34-40)
We are to care for one another like precious children.

Ask Yourself:
How could you do a better job of expressing love and unity with your fellow believers? What are some of the sweetest blessings received from seeking their good and welfare, as well as having it returned to you in a full-circle celebration of what gos has done for us?