The Value of Christ Centered Relationships with Brothers and Sisters in Christ

As I have been pondering relationships that every person has while they live on this earth and beyond, I am greatly amazed at how God has put everything together.  He provides us with parents to guide and direct us throughout our lives. He provides wise men and women in everyones life in order to direct them in the right direction (of course we have to listen to such people).  The most important relationship any person has in their life is that of their relationship with God Himself.  The very outcome of eternity for any one person depends on their standing with God.  He has sovereignly drawn His people to Him so that they might live with Him in glory for eternity.  That is the relationship that God should be most praised and thanked for in a Christian's life.  For without Christ and His sacrifice, we would be living in enmity with Him and have no hope, peace, or joy in our lives.  Praise God for His pursuit of His children! Its exactly those children that God brought to Himself that are the parties contained in some of the most meaningful and blessed relationships one can have in their lives:  the relationship we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ! 

Believe it or not, all of us as Christians and children of God are eternally united with all those who have placed their trust and faith in Him.  This is a powerful union which cannot be broken by anyone or anything for it is as strong as the union between Christ and the Church, the persons of the trinity, and Christ's union with His flesh (1 John 1:1-2:2)!  Elisabeth Elliot wrote, "The relationship between Christian brothers and sisters is not something we create, ITS ALREADY ESTABLISHED, we are members of one another. We are related." A Christian should live in that truth and recognize that those relationships between brothers and sisters in Christ are uniquely important!  

Personally I recognized this truth a few years ago in a new way.  I had never noticed how important such relationships are in a believer's life.  Personally I had never had any really close relationship with a brother or sister in Christ.  I recognized that I had truly been missing out which is why I started to diligently seek God and ask Him to provide for me a uniquely close friend.  I began to develop close relationships at college but still had been missing out on a best friendship with a passionate follower of Christ. God graciously provided such a deep and blessed relationship with a sister in Christ about a year and a half ago and my lessons in how valuable close Christ centered relationships with other children of God began! 

Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.                    - 2 Timothy 2:22

Paul is exhorting Timothy to find brothers and sisters in Christ who will passionately call upon the Lord alongside him.  For Paul, it definitely seems that God's glory should be the goal in every Christian friendship one has.  He wants our friendships to be an expression of a passionate desire for God and His glory.  He wants our friendships to be completely surrendered to His Will and surrendered to Christ in everything.  After all, Christ is the one who has given you such a sibling relationship in the first place, so why shouldn't it be surrendered to Him and be for His glory alone? The pursuit of righteousness, faith, love, and peace should characterize all that one says and does with their siblings in Christ. Friendships with other children of God should ultimately be characterized by true biblical fellowship, affection, and genuine care; not to mention, a true longing and purpose of serving Him side by side! 

Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you might be healed. - James 5:16

The importance of biblical fellowship in a friendship with a brother or sister in Christ cannot be expressed enough.  The goal of any friendship with a sibling in Christ should be to grow in godliness together through discussing and sharing what God is teaching them and doing in them.  God and the Bible should be the common passion between friends and should be discussed constantly in order to encourage one another in their walks with Christ and spur one another on to love and good deeds!  I have been so blessed by God for a couple close friendships with sisters in Christ that are characterized by biblical fellowship.  One specific friendship with my best friend is so full of talking about scripture and what God is teaching us that we cannot help but be focused on Christ every moment of every day.  I have been so blessed by that relationship because in essence, it is impossible for me to take my eyes off of Christ due to the constant biblical fellowship we have!  Praying for one another is also very important! You would not believe how much more you notice God answering prayer when you have been sharing prayer requests with a close sibling in Christ and praying for one another thusly!  Christ truly works and answers prayer but its harder to notice such answers to prayer when you are walking on your own without close biblical fellowship with a brother or sister in Christ.  With biblical fellowship as a very important part of a friendship, you cannot help but encourage your brother or sister in what they are working on.  For instance, my friend was struggling with anxiety when it came to future decisions in the past, and I had the opportunity and great blessing to be able to encourage her in Christ through sharing with her Philippians 4:6-7 and constantly reminding her of that glorious passage in Scripture, not to mention praying for her.  God blessed that time of encouragement and prayer. She could not help but seek Him and trust Him, leaving the planning up to Him.  Now, she cannot help but rejoice and praise God for how all the decisions are coming together in such perfect answer to prayer! PRAISE THE LORD! 

Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as father, YOUNGER MEN AS BROTHERS, older women as mothers, YOUNGER WOMEN AS SISTERS WITH ALL PURITY.          - 1 Timothy 5:1-2

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. - Romans 12:10

Affection between brothers and sisters is also key to a fruitful sibling friendship that is Christ centered.  Protection and care for your brothers and sisters is key to a healthy and fruitful friendship, especially when it comes to opposite sex friendships. Affection towards siblings of the opposite sex should be done in ALL PURITY.  Preserving your brother or sisters purity in a friendship is very important to God and should be very important to you.  As one looks in 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter), one will notice that all the characteristics of love boil down to one thing and that is seeking what is best for the other person.  In order to show affection and genuine care for your brothers and sisters, you need to learn how to seek what is best for other person.  Believe me, this takes a lot of work and thought! One thing that is best for every brother or sister you will ever have is their purity being maintained.  This includes looking out for your siblings when they are in other relationships, making sure their purity is maintained.  This is especially important when one has affection and desire beyond friendship towards one of their brothers or sisters.  I have had recent experience in just that area.  God truly has blessed me with incredible wisdom from above and from authority in my life in order to help me look out for what is best for my sister in Christ.  What is truly best for her is for me to seek and maintain her purity, holiness, and sanctification in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Timothy 5:1-2; 1 Corinthians 7 etc).  This is played out in words left unsaid, constant surrender to Christ, and accountability.  I ultimately want to hear from her future husband these words..."thank you for being a brother to my wife!"  Those would be glorious words to hear from any husband or wife of people whom i have developed close friendships with! 

Other ways to show true affection and care for your brothers and sisters in Christ are to truly esteem them as better than yourself.  Do things for them that are honoring.  Give gifts, share with them why you value their friendship, lift them up, encourage them.  Most importantly, constantly look for ways to encourage them in their walk with God.  Look out for each other and serve each other.  Even rebuke each other in kindness and love so that you may continue to grow in Christ! Show true brotherly kindness towards your blessed siblings in Christ for Christ has provided such friendships for a purpose! 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds. - Hebrews 10:24

Finally, living and serving side by side is key to a healthy friendship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. We should be living side by side in service to our Savior.  We have been called to serve Christ in the world and serve each other.  He calls us to be firmly committed to biblical friendships that seek to serve Him.  In our sibling relationships, men and women should spur each other on to godliness.  We should stand against wickedness together, seek God together, and honor one another as we grow in grace.  A friendship is focused on something outside of them; a purpose and goal to serve in the world.  In service, true friendship is found and we can know our friends in a deeper way than ever though imaginable.  As we spur one another on to love and good deeds, the sky is the limit as to how close the friendship will get, how much of a blessing it will be, and how powerfully God will use the friendship! Serve and live side by side as siblings in Christ, seeking to serve Him with everything you have! 

I truly hope continue to grow and develop my own friendships with the siblings in Christ i have been provided with by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  They are truly blessed relationships that should not be neglected but should be sought out, grown, and developed as you both grow closer to Christ in your lives.  Praise Him for the union we have with those who have given their lives to Him!