Overview
Hearts knit together in love means two or more believers uniting their hearts by free will around something greater than themselves – the accomplished work of Jesus Christ. In this fifth and final Heart Webinar, Rev. Rico Magnelli teaches Colossians 2:2, where Paul prays that the Colossians’ hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love. He shows from 1 Chronicles 12, 2 Chronicles 30, Colossians, Acts 2 and Philemon that heart union is never coerced, is blocked by worldly expectations and personal preferences, and is built when Christ – not performance, opinion or standards – is the common thread between us.
Transcript
Recap: What the Heart Webinar Series Has Covered
God bless you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. My name is Rico Magnelli and welcome once again to this webinar series on heart. And today we’ll approach and consider our fifth and final in this series, hearts knit together in love. Everything we’ve learned so far in the heart webinar series builds our understanding to hearts being knit together in love, which is certainly God’s desire and his gracious plan or his will. We started this series with a heart to see God. A heart to see God is a pure heart that sees God in all things because all things begin, pass through, and end with God, including free will. In the end, God will right every wrong and reward every right. Next, we addressed a heart at peace. Peace is the wholeness, the completeness, and the sense of rest and well-being that results from a settled or resolved matter.
We need peace. We needed to build our new life in Christ. Only with peace in our heart can we build or advance a heart relationship with God and with others. Thirdly, in our series, we addressed a heart of prayer, which is about our attitude when it comes to prayer. Prayer is the fundamental and practical way to connect and open our hearts to the Father. A heart of prayer is humble, is confident, and pursues the big picture. We approach God boldly, but we address him humbly, never trying to force our desire on God, but seek his will, his desire, his gracious design, which is always, always loving and has the best outcome and is graciously designed to incorporate all variables involved, many of which we know nothing about, understanding that he alone is sovereign and all-knowing. Fourthly, in our webinar series, we considered a heart that heals, which is blessed and in union with the accomplished work of Christ. We learned that we are blessed of God and not cursed. Our lives can receive the benefits of these blessings we have in Christ Jesus, which include health and healing. The words we employ in our daily lives and even in specific situations reflect the seeds of knowing we are blessed of God and therefore enjoy the benefits of the blessings, so we are not deceived by following the path of the cursing that the world would have us to follow. We have a clear choice to make.
What the Bible Means by the Heart
A choice is made in our heart. God focuses on the heart as he looks on each individual life. He is the searcher of hearts, the heart being that figurative womb for treasured thoughts to incubate and develop. It is the fallowed ground to plant ideas and concepts to be watered. It is the inner part of man’s mind where believing comes from, where the true life of God issues from. It is where our ethical and moral compass is calibrated and it is a sanctified place of peace where we commune with our heavenly father and his light shines bright. It is where trust in God resides. It is where the shield of faith of Jesus Christ stands upright to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. It is where the process of the healing of our minds and bodies makes any necessary turns, gets a fresh start or sped up by God’s power.
This heart is not dry or brittle or hard, meaning resistant to growth, but alive and fresh and supple and can be enlarged and stretched out by God to reach beyond our current capacities or expectations. It has a resiliency to it despite disappointment, discouragement or hurt that results from living in this world. For the Christian, having our hearts knit together or unified in love is God’s will or desire and gracious design. However, this is not always the case as we have no doubt found out in our life. There may be obstacles in the way that hinder this union. These obstacles may be a lack of understanding evidenced in mental obstacles of our own making or the obstacles may be in other people’s hearts or it can be a combination of both.
Free Will and Devotion to Something Greater Than Yourself
Having our hearts knit together in love requires at least two individuals, at least two individuals. The two basic components to have our hearts united in love are not really new to us probably, but we’ll get into the depth of these. The individuals, at least two, like I mentioned, enter into this union of heart and it must be done by free will. It cannot be coerced. It cannot be forced. It must be done by free will. Amazing. So there’s no default setting. You don’t just fall into our hearts being knit together in love.
Secondly, the individuals must be devoted to something greater than themselves. So there’s a free will aspect and there’s an aspect of devotion to something greater than themselves. Now you think, well, I can do that. Sure, but it’s going to take some understanding and development from the scriptures to see this. What we’re devoted to that’s greater than ourselves for the Christian is love. That’s we’re devoted to. And this gracious design is so simple that even children can follow it and be successful. The challenge becomes as people live in this world, they may experience unloving interaction with others and this can cause obstacles and walls around their heart. These walls, they emerge to protect themselves from any further hurt, disappointment, or discouragement.
But there is a solution. It’s called the love of Christ. That’s the solution. Why is that the solution? Well, because he experienced an unloving response from the world. They executed him and yet all he did was love. And he overcame that unloving response from the world and now he’s in you. That’s why we can overcome the world too. And this is a lifestyle of our identity in Christ. Look at 1 Chronicles chapter 12, please.
1 Chronicles 12: My Heart Shall Be Knit Unto You
Key to hearts being knit together is being devoted to something greater than yourself. Now, personal preferences and expectations. If we are devoted to personal preferences and expectations, that at times can cause a stumbling block or challenge as we’re endeavoring to knit our hearts together in love. The more personal preferences and expectations are involved, the more likelihood there’s going to be disappointment. As we interact one with another. Failure to meet expectations in any relationship is one of the key factors why hearts are not knit together. Well, here in this record we’re going to see, again going back to our wonderful ancestor David, who is such a tremendous example of heart. Individuals are coming to David to make him king. And this was an endeavor greater than themselves that involved all Israel.
And this was of God. 1 Chronicles, please. Chapter 12, verse 17. And David went out to meet them, individuals coming in to make him king, and answered and said unto them, if you become peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you. It’s beautiful. But if you come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it. There is a spiritual condition for hearts to be united, like motive and intent. Mine heart shall be knit unto you. It means to unite or to become one.
And this is so at the core, C-O-R-E, of genuine relationships that God would have us to have. It’s not a surface connection we make with people. It’s from the heart. I like the Septuagint. It reads, let my heart be at peace with you. David was saying my heart will be at peace with you if you are coming in peace. And we know that peace comes from a completeness. And he says, hey, listen, if you come for another reason, God’s going to have to show me this. And God can make us aware of agendas that work against a heart union.
Certainly he can. It may not be clear at first, but eventually fruit will show. Look at verse 18. Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains. And he said, thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse. Watch this. Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers. For thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them and made them captains of the band. What God wanted for Israel was to have David as king in this situation. And they brought and approached this situation with peace. This is very key in our understanding of how we knit our hearts together in love.
2 Chronicles 30: Hezekiah, the Passover and One Heart
And it’s interesting, look at verse 38. Hearts that are unified can inspire others to do the same. This is certainly true about marriage. As hearts are unified, it can be an inspiration to the body of Christ. But look at verse 38. And all these men of war that could keep rank came with a perfect heart to Hebron. The word perfect is to be at peace, at peace. This brings us back to our webinar on a heart at peace and how key that really is in our relationships. They came with a perfect heart or a heart at peace to Hebron to make David king over all Israel.
And all the rest also of Israel were of what? One heart to make David king. In other words, they saw something greater than themselves. When we get stuck in our own tunnel, when we get stuck in our own expectations, when we get stuck in our own preferences, and maybe those preferences and expectations were given to us by the world, what ends up happening is we can’t fully engage in that hearts being knit together like we would really want to. Look at 2 Chronicles, please. 2 Chronicles, the next book. 2 Chronicles chapter 30. In 2 Chronicles chapter 30. So free will is absolutely involved. There can be no coercion, there could be no forcing, there can be no strong arm to a heart union one with another.
Cannot be done. It’s impossible. No matter how much they may have in common, it has to be free will. And there must be evident a devotion to something greater than themselves. That’s right. 2 Chronicles chapter 30. In this record, Hezekiah and the leaders at Jerusalem want to keep the Passover in the second month. It’s referring to something greater than themselves, because the Passover was to represent and commemorate and celebrate the exodus from the bondage of Egypt. They wanted to celebrate that God released them from the bondage of Egypt, and that’s what the Passover was all about.
Now watch this record how this develops. In verse 1 of chapter 30. And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel. For the king had taken counsel and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. They knew it was right, so they began to devote themselves to it. Now they sent out these letters, or what the Bible refers to as posts. They sent people with communications.
When the World Gets Into God’s People
Verse 10. So the post passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun. But what did they do? They laughed them to scorn and mock them. They laughed them to scorn and mock them. That’s what people will do with the things of God. Even people that are supposed to be in God’s camp, so to speak. At times they will, because the world has gotten into them. That’s the only reason. They’re not necessarily evil people, but the world has gotten into them.
And if the world gets into you, it’ll get into your relationships. That’s right. Verse 11. Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. They saw something greater than their own desires and interests and expectations and everything else. They saw God’s will clearly to celebrate the Passover. They humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Watch this. Also in Judah, the hand of God, the hand of God, meaning his direct involvement here, was to give them what? One heart.
Having our hearts knit together in love must involve God. It has to involve God. It cannot be done without God. To do the commandments of the king and of the princes by the word of the Lord. How fantastic. Look at Colossians in the New Testament place.
Colossians 2: Hearts Comforted and Called Aside From the World
Colossians chapter 2. Now the Colossians had fallen into the trap of bondage to the elements or the rudiments of the world. And Paul was going to address this with them. These elements or rudiments of the world, they were doctrines of men where Christianity becomes about works, becomes about ceremonies and rituals, and the never-ending list of something that is left undone that we need to do to complete the work of Christ to be accepted by God. These worldly standards produce worldly expectations, meaning what we’re anticipating, what we want to happen. When these expectations are not met, often resentment and deep divides can result. But there’s another option. What if we held something in common between us that was finished? What would life be like? Then I’m not imposing my standards on you and you’re not imposing your standards on me. What would that be like? Well, we have such a thing. It’s called the faith of Jesus Christ.
This is what Paul taught the Colossians. At the end of the first chapter of Colossians, Paul is laboring with all his effort to preach, to warn, and to teach the wisdom of walking in the lifestyle. No more worldly expectations and false standards, because the world had gotten to these believers. Colossians chapter 2, verse 1. For I would, Paul says, that you knew what great conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea. Colossae was near Laodicea in the Asia Minor area. And for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God. And the words, and of the father, and of, are not in the Greek text. Just reads the mystery of God, and then the word Christ could be understood, which is Christ, or even Christ, as some translators handle it. What’s interesting here in Colossians 2, that their hearts might be comforted.
This word comforted in the Greek is the Greek word, the Greek verb, parakaleo. Parakaleo, that’s the way you’d pronounce it. It means to call to one side, and there’s all manner of speaking in order to accomplish this calling to one side. It can be comfort, it can be encouragement, it can be entreaty, it could be instruction. Many, many different examples. But the basic meaning of this word means to call one aside. What are you calling them aside from? The world. That’s right. A benefit of having our hearts knit together in love is that encouragement, that comfort, that calling aside from the world.
So worldly practices do not ruin our relationships. That’s right. You know, to respond to the calling aside from the world and its expectations is key to hearts being knit together in love. The world and its practices contaminate and eventually dissolve the bonds of love for the Christian. It’s right. It says that we are to be comforted, being knit together in love.
Sumbibazo: Knit Together in Affection by the Faith of Christ
These words being knit together are one Greek word, sum bibazo, and they mean knit together in affection. And it’s in a passive sense in its Greek grammatical construction, meaning something from the outside is affecting you. That’s that devotion to something greater than yourself. That’s right. It also means to unite. We unite our hearts in love. That doesn’t mean that I like baseball. You don’t like baseball. Now you have to like baseball.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that at all. It means our hearts are united in love. And what this is is an understanding of the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, which is Christ. See, what Christ accomplished for us and in us is still a mystery to most Christians. And I mean not just doctrinally but practically and especially when it comes to relationships. It’s still a mystery, still clueless, still looking for the answers when the answers are right in front of our face. It’s the love of Christ. That’s right. Verse three, and whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Yes, in Christ is the depth of what we’re looking for, the how-to of living this life, this new life in Christ. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. So there’s a possibility to be tricked if we’re not attuned to the scripture. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in spirit, in the spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ or the faith which is in respect to Christ. Talking about the faith of Jesus Christ. There’s a steadfastness, there’s a firmness when we have the faith of Christ between us because then your expectations and mine do not hold sway in that relationship. The faith of Christ, the accomplished work of another is what we have in common between us and then we build from there. See, the faith of Christ is like the skeletal system in our body. It provides strength and support to the whole.
It allows us to move as one, but you can’t see the bones. It’s on the inside and this also applies to the spiritual body of believers. The faith of Christ is the strength we have on the inside. The more each of us relies on that strength of Christ, the more cohesive our efforts will be when we function together. We do have the accomplished work of Christ in common, meaning that is what we share together, but when we don’t have it, meaning it’s not active in our lifestyle, in our walk, we’re aware of it mentally, but it’s not in our heart, in our lifestyle, you will replace it with something else and the world has a banquet, a menu, ad infinitum of things that you can replace that with. That’s right. Don’t get fooled. Don’t be beguiled by men’s words. Let’s keep reading.
As you have, verse six, as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. What does that mean? You’ve received Christ Jesus in the new birth. Now make it a lifestyle. Now make that central point in your heart, the faith of Christ, his accomplished work. Rooted and built up in him, look at this, and established in the faith. There it is again. It’s the accomplished work of Christ as you have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving. Now pay close attention to verse eight because this is how you and I get tricked. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after who? Christ.
The Rudiments of the World: How a Little Step Leads to Z
It doesn’t say Jesus. It says Christ. Why? Because Christ embodies Jesus. It’s the emphasis on his glory and his resurrected self and his position at the right hand of the throne of God. And that’s who’s in you. It’s not Jesus in you. It’s Christ in you. This word rudiments, I want to pay close attention to. The word rudiments means in the Greek, the word that’s translated rudiments, it means a little step.
That’s right. A little step. What the world does is get you to take a little step towards their expectations, towards their preferences, defining your relationships. I’ll just take a little step. They do it through magazine. They do it through movies. They do it through books. They do it through interaction with people that have worldly thinking in their head. They do it through all sorts of avenues in order to get you to take a little step in that direction.
And that step is always away from Christ. That’s right. This word also means that its way to describe this word would be fundamentals in a succession. We all are familiar with the alphabet many use in English. A, B, C. Well, it leads to Z. And what Paul is teaching here is that if you take one little step in the world’s direction, those expectations were going to take you from A all the way to Z. And then you’re going to find yourself in a conundrum. Then you’re going to find yourself in a difficult position as a Christian believer in your relationships because you bought hook, line, and sinker the bait. These rudiments, these little steps can be expectations that the world offers when it comes to relationships. I’m not saying everything that people say is wrong. That’s not what I’m saying. But if it contradicts Christ, then I have a problem with it. That’s right. I have a problem with it.
Marriage as an Illustration of Two Hearts United in Love
Look at Ephesians 5, please. What God wants is as many heart relationships unified that we can develop in our life to do so. He wants our hearts knit together in love. He wants our hearts united in love. And the key to that is Christ, not anything else. It’s Christ. Ephesians chapter 5, if you would. Now look at this in light of marriage, which is a tremendous illustration, if you will. It’s real, but it’s also an illustration of two unique individuals uniting their hearts in love.
It’s wonderful. Totally unique people, yet they come together. This was God’s plan from the beginning. That doesn’t mean that everybody’s got to get married. I’m not saying that. I’m using it as an illustration. Look, verse 31 of Ephesians 5. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. How do two people become one flesh? They knit their hearts together in love. That’s right.
There’s going to be plenty of give and take. It can’t be my way or the highway. That doesn’t work. Many of us who’ve been married know that. Some that are aspiring to be married or just starting out, this is a great truth. It says in verse 32, this is a great mystery. Why is it a mystery? Because the world has infiltrated not only marriage, but every relationship known to man. And they have set these false expectations. They’ve set these false standards.
And they have infiltrated into the hearts of God’s people. And that’s why Christians have tough times in these situations at times. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Two individuals can be an example of what it means to unite our hearts in love. And then the entire body of Christ can follow suit. Like I said, it’s an inspiration to people.
Genesis 3:5: The False Expectation That Divided Man
See, this has been going on for a long time. I’m going to show you something. I want to show you Genesis 3:5. Genesis 3:5, it was a false expectation that began the divide of man. It was a false expectation. And it came from Satan. And in Genesis 3:5, it clearly says, For God doth know, this is the devil speaking, that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, Elohim, knowing good and evil. That was the expectation set before Eve. And then Eve talked to Adam, and they both took it.
Setting false expectations in relationships is one of the most destructive avenues that the adversary does. Look at Acts 9, please. Now you understand what I mean by expectations. You know, they’re shaped by the books we read. They’re shaped by the movies we see, by the things that we read, or the conversation in the woman’s bathroom or the man’s locker room. But they may or may not reflect the truth. Some may reflect that. I’m not saying it’s there’s not truth out there. All I’m saying is you have to understand.
Don’t be beguiled. Don’t take the little step and then start incorporating that, cobbling all these expectations and standards that are worldly into how you approach your relationships. Amazing. One thing to remember, our value as Christians is based on Christ, not upon our performance, our compliance, or anyone’s expectations, not even our own expectations. Why is this so important when it comes to knitting our hearts together in love? Because Christ must be the common thread that ties us together in love. That common thread gives each of us equal value in God’s eyes. And it’s the very basis of our fellowship one with another. That can never be dismissed. That can never be diminished. That can never be improved upon. All that can be done is we can build upon it. And that’s how you build relationship in the Christian community.
Acts 9: Christ Is the Common Thread That Ties Us Together
We’re going to see this in Acts chapter 9, and we’ll get to the world at large here in a minute. The apostle Paul started out. He figured out that he, after he got born again, that the central focus of his life was going to be Christ, nothing else. But Acts chapter 9, verse 22, this is Paul after he gets born again in verse 22. But Saul, that’s his Hebrew name, increased the more in strength. So there’s strength involved in what Paul was doing. He’s getting stronger. How is he doing this? And confounded the Jews, the Judeans, which dwelt at Damascus. Here it is, proving that this is very Christ.
The word proving is that word we just saw, sumbibazo, means to unite. What was he doing? He took his voluminous knowledge of the Old Testament, and he started putting together that this very Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. The tapestry of the Scriptures is united by one consistent thread. That thread is Jesus Christ. Christ is what we have in common. And then you build from there. Then go bowling. Then go golfing or fishing. Then go to work.
Then have a party or do whatever you do. But let Christ be the thread. Because when Christ is the thread, the common bond between us, then there’s no judgment. There’s no false expectations and standards. We look at each other through God’s eyes. Back to Colossians.
Colossians 2:19: Knit Together and Increasing With the Increase of God
Do you see how important this is when it comes to relationships? Now perhaps the light of the word is clearing out some things here for you. Nothing wrong with that. Everything right with that. God wants us to understand Colossians chapter 2 verse 19. And not holding the head, Paul’s dealing with the Colossians again, who allowed a lot of the world to get involved in their lifestyle, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment, ministered, and knit together. There’s that same word. United. Increaseth with the increase of God. Wow.
Increaseth with the increase of God. The head of the body is Christ. It allows our unified effort, our functioning together interdependently in the body in unity. And it causes increase, which is the word for growth in the Greek. It causes us to personally grow. It causes our relationships to grow and blossom and spring forth the beauty of a living thing. Not a dead interaction. Not like, oh him again or her again or them again. No.
It’s alive. It’s vibrant. Just like the beauty of spring coming forth from a cold winter. This is what our lives can be. This is what our relationships can be. But it has to be centered on Christ.
Touch Not, Taste Not: The Commandments and Doctrines of Men
Verse 20. Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ. Yes, we were crucified with Christ. We identify with that. We were buried, raised with him, and seated at the right hand. Look at this. From the rudiments of the world. Guess what the word rudiments is? That same word. A little step.
A little step. And then it brings you down to the end. And then you find yourself in a position where you don’t know what to do. Well, wherefore if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world are you subject to ordinances, touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using after the commandments and doctrines of men. People are going to tell you everything they have in their perspective. They’ll write books about it. Articles about it. You hear them on TV. You see them on social media.
Interviews are done. People want to know how to have genuine relationships that are meaningful, purposeful, that are enriching. Well, here it is. Here it is. The key is Christ. And not having our expectations from a worldly influence. There’s nothing wrong with plenty of illustrations in the world. Sure. No problem with that. But our expectations are in God and in the Lord and what Jesus Christ accomplished. So we don’t want to take that little step down the false expectations. Look at Colossians chapter 3. This is how we interact.
Colossians 3: Put On Love, the Bond of Perfectness
Colossians chapter 3. Put on therefore, verse 12, put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels. Now I got to stop there. This word bowels is referring to the inner organs. But in the Hebrew mind, they would use physical things to demonstrate and explain and illustrate aspects of the soul and of the heart. Here, the bowels is referring to the heart, the deep affections, not a surface kind of interaction. Holy and beloved bowels, heart, deep affections of mercies, kindness and humbleness of mind, meekness and long suffering, which is patience. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another. Any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do you. Didn’t he say on the cross, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
Amazing. And above all these things, put on charity. Charity here is the word for love. Love. Put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. The bond here is singular. There’s only one bond. There’s only one thing that ties us together. The faith of Christ is the strength within.
And then as we endeavor to walk in this love, like Christ walked, like we just read, it just binds us together. This word bond means that which binds together. And an illustration that can be used is like the ligaments in the body. The ligaments in the body are bands of tough tissue, and they’re elastic, and they’re around the different bones to provide support. And they can be elongated. They can be stretched. They allow bending and movement, but they also limit movement so we don’t hurt ourselves. How interesting when you apply this to love. These ligaments protect from contact and stress that’s placed on the skeletal system.
See, we need faith-based love. We need it if we’re going to interact in the body of believers. No doubt about it. We need it. Love is that bond that allows us to move and interact as God would have us. But the strength from within is the faith of Christ.
Romans 1: Comforted Together by the Mutual Faith
It’s the completed work of Christ. Look at Romans chapter one, please. The foundational treatise to the Christian church is found in the book of Romans. And there’s great truth in this book. And we want to look at one aspect, Paul’s initial address to the Roman church in Romans chapter one. See, the faith of Christ is our strength. It’s from the inside, like our skeletal system. Love is what binds us together. We are knit together in love.
That love is based on the work of another man. The work of Christ. Romans chapter one. Look at these verses in light of what we’ve just discussed. Verse 10. Making request if by any means how at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. He wanted to do it, but he wanted God’s involvement in this journey. God’s blessing, God’s direction, God’s timing perhaps. For I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift.
Sure, he was a spiritual man. He wanted to impart a spiritual gift. To the end, you may be established. He wanted them on firm footing. Now we’ll look at verse 12. That is that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. The Roman church, the individuals had the faith of Jesus Christ. Paul had the faith of Jesus Christ. He understood when you get together with people, with Christian believers that understand that there’s going to be comfort and the word comfort again is that calling aside from the world.
When you and I have the strength of the faith of Christ, the completed work, and we interact one with another and you do as well, the result is going to be comfort. It’s going to be an encouragement from the world away from it and to the things of God. It’s beautiful. Verse 12 is one of the great descriptions of what Christian fellowship should be. I know it doesn’t use the word fellowship. I understand that, but it’s one of the great descriptions. The mutual faith of you and me to the end that we are both encouraged, to the end that we’re both comforted, to the end that we are both instructed. You see it? It’s beautiful. Where in there does it say opinion? Where in there does it say my preference over your preference? My standard over your standard? It doesn’t.
It says a mutual faith and this mutual, it’s reciprocal, back and forth. That’s the environment that has no judgment in it. We just are convinced at what God did in Christ Jesus in each other. Now again, that doesn’t mean that everybody is going to walk perfectly and do everything great and we have to agree with everyone’s behavior. That doesn’t mean that at all. It just means that we are convinced of the work of God in Christ in each Christian believer and we start from there.
Acts 2: Koinonia and Respect Upon Every Soul
Look at Acts chapter 2, please. Acts chapter 2. Let’s look at the beginning of the Christian church. Every group that calls themselves Christians can find their ancestral roots right here in Acts chapter 2. There’s, I don’t see how you can get around it. Here it is. After Christ ascends into heaven, 10 days later, the day of Pentecost and the gift of Holy Spirit comes, is being offered to man with the faith of Christ and individuals were transformed, changed their whole lives based on this information and understanding. Acts chapter 2, verse 42, and they continued steadfastly, meaning the group that was the apostles. In the apostles doctrine and in what? Fellowship. This word fellowship is a familiar word to some. It’s the Greek word koinonia.
Now people have come to think that this means doing a meeting. No, it doesn’t. This has come to be replaced with the word meeting or it has come to be replaced with I identify with this organization or identify, I fellowship with these people and so forth and so on, but that’s not what its biblical meaning is. It means a joint participation. It means a communion, meaning you’re sharing something together. If you’re in the car driving with somebody, you’re in the same car, that would be technically a communion, a fellowship, because you’re sharing the car together, but of course, Christian fellowship goes a lot deeper. It’s what Jesus Christ accomplished by grace, not by works. This is the faith of Christ. Christian fellowship is not about having the same group or organization in common, but the accomplished work of Christ.
Fellowship is an invitation to share in the accomplished work of Christ with another and our aim is always praising God. He gets the glory. So when we get together with the members of God’s family, it’s to celebrate the accomplished work of Christ and praise God and it certainly includes our future glory. No doubt about it. Then verse 43, and fear, and this word fear is the word respect, reverence, and respect came upon every soul. Respect came upon every soul. This is from the first day. The first day. This respect was based on not anyone’s preferences or expectations because no human being can meet everyone’s expectation except one, Jesus Christ.
It was based on his work, his resume, his portfolio, his accomplished work, and then everyone began to respect one another because they knew they had nothing to do with it. It was done by God’s grace. They were given eternal life. Why is this so important when it comes to knitting our hearts together in love? The reason why it’s so important is because it’s the true standard. It is the common thread between us and once that becomes embedded in our heart, deep within our heart, we can have heart relationships. It’s fantastic.
James 2: Christian Fellowship Without Respect of Persons
We’ll be back here but look at James for a second. I just want to show you something about respect. James. Now the book of James more than likely was written by the half-brother of Jesus Christ. His name was James. So this may have been written somewhere around 45 AD. So they understood the faith of Christ. Oh they did and they knew it had nothing to do with the respect of persons. You know what respect of persons is in the Bible? It’s when you assess value to someone by natural or worldly knowledge.
You assess their value by natural or worldly knowledge. That’s not respect came upon every soul. We have mutual respect because we assess the value to each individual by spiritual knowledge. James chapter two. Look at this in verse one. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect to persons. Stop assessing the value of other Christians based on some other standard other than the accomplished work of Christ. This works in marriages. This works in friendships.
This works in families. This works anywhere and everywhere on this earth. Anywhere else we go. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring in goodly apparel and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment and if you have respect to him that wear the gay clothing and saying to him sit down here in a good place and say to the poor stand thou there or sit here under my footstool are you not then partial in yourselves and become judges of evil thoughts. Could it be any plainer? Back to Acts. See what we don’t want is to have respect of persons. To assess people’s value based on some standard, some expectation that comes from the world. We don’t even assess our value that way. We assess our value based on the accomplished work of Christ.
Gladness of Heart and Provoking One Another to Love and Good Works
Look at verse 46 of Acts 2. And they continued daily with one accord. They were of one mind, one heart, one passion in the temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of what? Heart. Amazing. They went from the temple from house to house. It didn’t matter if they were in a large meeting or they were just in little small groups. The same environment applied. How about that? The same environment applied in the temple, large setting, open setting, or in small little groups. It was the environment of grace. Respect was present.
Mutual respect. And I’ll tell you something else. When we can bring God down to simple everyday activities like eating, we’re beginning to really understand fellowship and sharing grace. The simplicity of just eating together. Beautiful. They did it with gladness and singleness of heart, meaning they were very simple in their heart, very clear, very focused. There wasn’t all these rough patches in their heart. There wasn’t like a rocky road in front of them. It was a smooth path because everything they did was based on the work of another man.
Look at Hebrews chapter 10, please. In verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of what? Faith. We draw near to each other because we are convincingly convinced that the end of faith is the return of Christ. The end of faith is glory. Our gathering together unto Jesus Christ, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. There’s a cleansing that happens. There’s a purification that happens with the faith of Jesus Christ as a centerpiece of our relationships. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith. The word faith here is hope because the end of faith is hope.
Without wavering for he is faithful that let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works. We want to inspire. We want to sharpen one another to love and good works. We fight for being in person one with another. That’s not always available, but that’s the best way to do it. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting, there it is, calling aside one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Whenever possible we fight for being in person one with another and it’s not always possible. We shouldn’t feel guilty or condemned because we can’t or whatever. Don’t go there, but whenever possible that should be our primary priority.
Whenever possible. That’s one of the reasons why we’re doing the Love of Christ conference. We want to call one another aside from the things of the world, its negative influences, and celebrate what we share in common, the work of Christ. This is best done in person. When that’s not possible, we certainly utilize the technology available to us. So let’s go to first John please, chapter two.
The Love of Christ: God’s Love Taken to Its Highest Level
Our hearts being knit together in love and that love is the love of Christ. The love of Christ is the love of God that Christ exhibited. He took God’s love to the highest level possible a human being could take. That’s the love of Christ, but it’s God’s love that initiated it. God is love. That means that that’s his very nature and Jesus Christ took the love of God and took it to the highest level a human being could take it. To be on that cross and not be bitter and angry at what was going on. The only way we can understand it is spiritually. So he took God’s love and took it to the apex, the highest level a human being could take it with great forgiveness, tenderness, and compassion and resolve.
That’s the love of Christ and we can walk with that love of Christ and that’s exactly what God tells us in Ephesians that we are to walk in love as Christ walked. And here in first John, some great truth that will also help us in knitting our hearts together in love. In first John chapter two verse five, But whoso keepeth his word, talking about Christ, in him verily is the love of God perfect. Hereby know we that we are in him. The love of God gets matured, perfected, reaches its apex when we walk it. It’s in the walk, it’s in the lifestyle that love is perfected. Not in contemplating the love, but walking in that love that’s unconditional. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked. Again, to walk here represents the lifestyle.
It’s the way that the Hebrews would understand when you make something a practice, a habit. And we are to walk as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. And this from the beginning isn’t Genesis 1:1. It’s from the ministry of Christ. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. And what this is, is when Christ took love to a higher level.
John 13: The New Commandment to Love as Christ Loved
Loving one another as we loved ourselves wasn’t the standard. He took it further as he loved. And we can love like that. What this is referring to is John chapter 13 verses 34 and 35. No longer was the standard of love. You loved others like you loved yourself. Nothing wrong with that. It’s great. But Christ took it to a higher level.
And that’s why it’s a new commandment. It says a new commandment I give unto you in John 13:34. That you love one another as I have loved you. That ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have loved one to another. That’s the new commandment. But Christ had to come and exhibit the love of God to that level for it to become a standard. Couldn’t have that before. Because Christ hadn’t come yet.
Then it says again a new commandment I write unto you which thing is true in him and in you. Because the darkness has passed and the true light now shineth. The true light is Christ. This new commandment is referring to the commandment we just read. But why it’s new? It’s because for the Christian it might be discovering it afresh. Every time we walk in the love of Christ. It’s like as if it’s new. Even though it’s not new. It’s been enacted for thousands of years. But it’s new. It’s like a discovery afresh. And the key to it is as we walk in the light.
Love Not the World: Walking in the Light With Your Brother
Keep reading. And he that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother. The word hateth means to love less or to slight. His brother is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that loves less or slights his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness. And knoweth not whether he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. Now again it’s not referring to a specific situation where you might have slighted somebody and so forth. It’s talking about a lifestyle.
It says you walk in darkness. It’s a lifestyle of slighting brothers and sisters. What it says that doesn’t come from God. That comes from the world. That’s right. Look at verse 15. Love not the world. This is talking about the corrupted portion of humanity that Satan has corrupted. Love not the corrupted portion of humanity.
Not the people. The practices. Don’t make it incorporated into your lifestyle. Neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, meaning the corrupted practices that have been contaminated by Satan, the love of the father is not in him. Meaning the love in practice because the whole context here is walking as a lifestyle. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world. And the world passeth away and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
2 Corinthians 6: An Enlarged Heart Toward Carnal Christians
It’s beautiful. Fantastic. Look at 2nd Corinthians please. Chapter six. Now how do we practically speaking unite our hearts together in love? How do we knit our hearts together in love? Well we’re going to find out. Question. Can our hearts be knit together in love with carnal Christians? Well there’s going to have to be some changes there. Paul is addressing this very issue with the Corinthian church here in 2nd Corinthians 6. Paul’s heart was enlarged toward the Corinthians but the Corinthians were restricted. They were crowded in their own bowels, meaning in their own heart, in their own deep affection.
They were pressured by the world. We can enlarge our heart toward carnal Christians but they must by free will come out of the world in their heart and come to Christ. Now that doesn’t mean you stop loving them. No, no, no, no, no. We continue to love but I’m talking about having hearts knit together in love. There’s a difference. To the degree Christians separate themselves from the designs and desires of the world and embrace Christ in their heart places them in the best position to have hearts knit together in love. No matter what we still love. Remember the world didn’t love Christ.
He continued to love anyway. So we continue to love. 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse 11. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you. Our heart is what? Enlarged. Our heart is enlarged, meaning to make broad, to widen. Paul kept his heart open to them and I’ll tell you something. There’s great freedom in our heart when we enlarge our heart towards others, whether they reciprocate or not. Maybe one day they will but we keep our heart enlarged, meaning we widen it in order to accommodate them.
This is how we knit our hearts together in love. We make room for them in our heart. Remember we talked about free will and we talked about that you have to be devoted to something greater than yourself. One of the reasons why people won’t open their heart because they’re devoted to their own preferences. They’re devoted to their own standards. They’re devoted to their own opinions. Nothing wrong with those things unless they contradict Christ. Paul kept his heart open. Remember from a previous seminar we read Psalm 119 verse 32.
Psalm 119:32: Enlarge My Heart to Make Room for People
Psalm 119 verse 32 says, I will run the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart. The psalmist is saying that he could move swiftly on his word as God worked with him and widened his heart. Tremendous. Why do we do this? In order to incorporate people into our heart. We extend ourselves. We welcome them. We embrace them and we do it in love. That’s right. Now the Corinthians were not reciprocating.
Look at the next verse. Ye are not straitened in us. You are not straitened in us but ye are straitened in your own bowels. The word straitened here means to be restricted. We’re not restricting you. You’re restricting yourself and this word means to crowd into a narrow space. To be pressed into a room. The reason why this relationship between the apostle Paul and these carnal Christians could not be united in love is because Paul had his heart open wide to them but they were restricting their own heart. Their own deep affections.
They were pressed and crowded into a narrow space. People do this in their heart. Absolutely. That’s why it can’t be mutual. Can’t be reciprocal and he’s telling them the truth. The reason why it couldn’t happen, it takes at least two, remember? To knit hearts together in love. Paul’s heart was enlarged toward the Corinthians but the Corinthians were restricted. Crowded in their own bowels, meaning their own heart, their own deep affections. The Corinthians were carnal Christians.
They were governed by natural worldly knowledge. So they were taking in the rudiments. They were incorporating the rudiments and trying to apply it in a Christian setting and it doesn’t work. They were believing people above what God says. Paul’s trying to reach them. We can reach people. See the point here is Paul kept loving. He’s teaching them, isn’t he? Because he wants to unite his heart with theirs but they have got to get out of that crowded space in their heart and be willing to incorporate Paul into their heart. Now for recompense in the same, I speak as unto my children, be you also enlarged.
He’s encouraging them, hey listen, I’m enlarging my heart to you. How about you enlarging your heart to me? That’s exactly what that verse means. How about you respond? He calls them children. It’s so beautiful, that deep affectional term used in the oriental culture. We cannot knit together in love with unbelievers. We can be in business, we can play sports together, we can be neighbors, we can be workmates, but we cannot have our hearts knit together in love.
Unequally Yoked: Why Hearts Cannot Be Knit With Unbelievers
But there’s an exception. In 1 Corinthians chapter 7, it talks about marriage between a believing spouse and an unbelieving spouse. This is so deep in terms of understanding the grace of God because in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, it says if the believing spouse is happy to stay with the unbelieving spouse, God’s fine with that. Unbelievable, unbelievable that God makes that exception in terms of marriage. That’s what tells you what he thinks about marriage. There’s a level of sanctification for the unbelieving spouse that God allows by grace. Amazing, but here we see this is not possible on a general basis with unbelievers. Verse 14, be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Unequally yoked would be like an ox with a donkey plowing a field.
An ox is much bigger, much stronger. They would not plow a straight furrow because one is smaller than the other. They’re different creatures. That’s what God is saying here. It’s not on an equal basis. What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what communion hath light with darkness? We just saw that regarding light and darkness. And what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel or someone that’s unfaithful? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people. What’s required? Wherefore come out from among them.
Now does that mean we all run to the hills and you know no one finds us until the return of Christ? No, you’ve got to live in the world, you love people, go to work, go whatever you do, but in your heart you don’t get into these heart agreements, these heart arrangements. You can be in business, you can do all these different things, but you can’t unite your heart in love. It says come out from among them and be you separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you. This unclean thing means something in the moral sphere, talking about ethics, morality. You don’t get into an agreement in an immoral situation. That’s what it’s talking about. And I will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Look at Acts 15. But see there’s an answer.
Acts 15: The Faith of Christ Purifies the Heart
Acts 15. The faith of Christ purifies the heart of man. The more we delve into the faith of Christ, it will purify your heart. Brings us back to the first webinar, a heart to see God. If you really want a heart to see God, you need that pure heart and the pure heart is done through the faith of Christ. Acts 15 verse 9. Peter’s speaking, talking about the Gentiles. Verse 9. And put no difference between us and them. Meaning the Judean Christians that had been born again that were from Israel and the Gentiles. Watch this.
Purifying their hearts by what? There it is. That’s how you have a heart. It’s by the faith of Christ. What does that mean? That means you no longer are finding your value, assessing your life through your own works. There’s nothing wrong with going to school and vacationing and getting married and doing all these different things that are wonderful. Nothing wrong with it. But that’s not who you really are. You find your value. You assess and esteem yourself in Christ Jesus.
Faith purifies the heart and this is where we started in this whole webinar series. Remember Matthew 5:8? Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. You want to see God? Faith of Christ. It purifies you. Now look at Colossians. We do have arrangements.
Colossians 4: Walk in Wisdom Toward Them That Are Without
We do have agreements with people, but the word tells us how to handle those. I’m going to go to one place. Colossians chapter 4 because this book of Colossians really addresses so much of the issues that we’ve been dealing with. Colossians chapter 4 in verse 5. Walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the time. Our love must have wisdom in it. Love means unconditional love. It doesn’t mean no boundaries. It doesn’t mean anything goes. It just means our love is unconditional, but it does have boundaries.
It does have limits in our engagements, in our agreements, in our compacts with others. Especially those that are without. Those without are referring to anybody outside the household of God. Unbelievers. See we cannot knit our hearts together with the world. Love must have wisdom applied to it. We love everyone. That doesn’t change, but we do not enter into heart agreements, heart unions with everyone. We can do business, recreation, social agreements, but we do not have heart agreements necessarily.
I like the ESV here, the English Standard Version. It says walk in wisdom toward outsiders making the best use of the time. It’s the right thing at the right time and that right thing at the right time means it’s measured. I’m going to spend this much time. See because or else what will happen is the world is going to suck you dry. It’ll suck you dry of your time, your energy, your resources. An example would be social media. I’m not saying you don’t do social media. I’m just saying you have to walk in wisdom because it sucks your time. It sucks your energy. That’s right. Look at Philemon, please.
A Heart That Stretches: Your Value Was Established at the Crucifixion
Philemon is after Titus. Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Remember in a previous webinar we went to Psalm 119 verse 36 where the word talks about incline my heart and that word inclined means to stretch out. See because our heart is not stiff. It can be stretched beyond our personal preferences and expectations. We can find room to incorporate people into our heart if we want to. Takes free will. When we are strong in faith the walls around our heart are not needed anymore because our strength comes from within and that strength cannot be overcome. It cannot be squelched unless we allow it.
We put on the shield of faith like Ephesians 6 says which quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked. That’s our shield. Our hearts have been healed so venturing out is not an issue anymore. Why? Because the strength comes from within. My validation doesn’t come from you. Your validation doesn’t come from me. You don’t need my endorsement. You don’t need my approval. You got it from God himself.
If you and I truly believe that we’re accepted in Christ Jesus by the almighty God you need no approval. You need no acceptance from any human being. Nothing wrong with agreeing and accepting people. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m talking about you. You don’t need validation and acceptance of who you are. Your value has been already established at the crucifixion. What did it cost God to have his son crucified? That’s how valuable you are. That’s how valuable you are.
Wise Vulnerability as a Tool for the Strong
Now at times in relationships we may need to allow certain vulnerability. Now again bear with me here. I don’t mean expose yourself to negatives. That’s not what I’m saying. But this can be done by revealing one’s own tendencies. You know sometimes you share your own defense mechanisms. We may all have where we react to certain things as a habit because in doing so this at times can disarm others and inspire them to do the same. And the reason why is because you’re strong on the inside. You could share a little bit about yourself.
So the reason for this is not to open ourselves up to attack. That is not what I’m saying. So you got to use wisdom. But it could be a signal that you’re ready to take a step closer to knitting your heart together with others. Some people just live in a cocoon. That’s not living. And you don’t need to be afraid and hurt about everything. The reason why is because everything’s been accomplished in Christ Jesus. That’s all I’m saying.
I know there’s hurt. I know there’s disappointment and frustration. But you know the time to get over it is now. This, doing this is an act of love to open your heart to somebody. But it must involve wisdom. So it’s not that we we do this and we just spill our heart to everybody and all this stuff and we you know pour our inner thoughts on the social media and all. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying it can be a tool for the strong. It can be.
Philemon: Paul Opens His Heart From a Roman Prison
And that’s exactly what you see with the apostle Paul here in Philemon. Here’s Paul in his later years and he doesn’t stand on his reputation or credentials as the apostle that brought us most of the New Testament but upon the love of Christ. He writes this letter to Philemon, a believer in Colossae, while in prison in Rome. So he’s in prison. You got to understand this. He’s in prison and he’s extending his heart. Amazing. Perhaps somewhere around 62 AD. Now we know Paul was in this area of Colossae in Acts 16.
And we know in Acts 19 that all Asia Minor, that whole area, heard the word of the Lord. So it could have been at this point that Philemon was reached with the word of the Lord. Good possibility. So Paul writes to him and the reason why he’s writing to him is one of the servants of Philemon named Onesimus fled from Philemon’s house and made his way to Rome. And of all people he runs into, he connects with Paul who’s in prison. Figure that one out. Onesimus gets born again and Paul sends him back to Philemon because Philemon’s a believer and now Onesimus is a believer. See Philemon is encouraged by Paul to look beyond earthly and cultural arrangements and the relationships that they have and see Christ within. The faith of Christ we all share.
That’s how he’s reaching him. We encourage one another. We don’t command one another. That doesn’t work. And this encouraging is the approach that Paul takes. Paul opens himself up. He illustrates the redemption of Christ when he, Paul, offers himself on behalf of Onesimus. This great forgiveness and healing here in this tremendous letter. Allowing himself, Paul, to be vulnerable.
And again I already explained what I mean by that. To knit his heart with Philemon was an act of love not fear. Was an act of strength not weakness. Was an act of humility not haughtiness. You’ve got to have some intestinal fortitude based on the accomplished work of Christ to open up your heart like this. And that’s the very foundation of the love of Christ that we extend to others.
Refreshing the Bowels of the Saints
Hearing of thy love and the faith, Paul writes, that’s the faith of Christ, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints. That the communication of thy faith or the faith, the faith of Christ, his accomplished work, may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. In other words, what he’s saying is that everything that’s good about you is based on the faith of Christ, his accomplished work, and recognizing that. Boy, that takes some humility, doesn’t it? For you have great joy and consolation. Here’s our word, calling aside. In thy love. See, when we genuine love and recognize love, there’s a calling aside from the world. We comfort, we encourage, we instruct, we entreat, all these things. Because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
Wow. Because the bowels of the saints, this word bowels, we already had this before. It means the heart. It means the deep affections. So the love of Philemon has reached these people in the depth of their heart. And I’ll tell you, you don’t get to people until you get to their bowels, until you get to their heart, until you get to their deep affection. Has nothing to do with money. People say that often. You don’t get to people until you get to their pocketbook.
Where is that in the word? Not the word, it’s the world. And then people say, oh yeah, yeah. No, no, no. You don’t get to people until you get to their heart. And they say, what shall we do? Like they said in Acts chapter 2. Look at this. This word bowels comes up in verse 7, verse 12, and verse 20. He’s getting to the depth of this situation. He notes that Philemon’s life, his love, and the faith he had in Christ was reaching these people deeply. The word refreshed.
It comes up in verse 7 and verse 20. This word refreshed means to cause, to pause again, or to rest from labor. When genuine love is exhibited, it releases people from the burden of works. And that’s what refreshing the bowels is talking about. It releases them from a works-based life. Not on the outside, on the inside. That brings them to Christ because the work has been done. So that’s a key point here, refreshed by the brother. The saints were encouraged every time they were around Philemon that it was grace, unmerited divine favor, the work of another man, the faith of Christ that was common between them. And they were refreshed in their bowels. They were released from labor. They were no longer trying to work to be accepted before God or anybody else because they were already accepted of God.
Receive Him as Mine Own Heart: Willingly, Not of Necessity
Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin you, which is to command that which is convenient, yet for love’s sake I rather beseech. That’s the calling aside. He had the authority as the apostle to command it and he didn’t do that. Even at the end of his life with all the credentials spiritually he had, he never used that as a point of leverage to get what he wanted. He still was trying to reach Philemon with love. Being such in one as Paul the aged and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ, he had put himself in incarceration to Jesus Christ. He tied himself to Christ. Fantastic. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus whom I’ve begotten in my bonds.
Now Onesimus, Philemon’s servant, is born again, which in time past was to thee unprofitable. Yeah, because he left. I don’t think he was supposed to go and there was consequences. But now profitable to thee and to me. Now he’s coming back as a son of God. Whom I have sent again thou therefore receive him. That is mine own bowels. He’s opening up his heart. He’s saying that receive him as my own heart.
I am taking the place of Onesimus. Receive him as you would receive me. Wow. He is opening his heart to Philemon. Even though Philemon may have a very justified cause to be angry with Onesimus, he’s saying forgive and receive him like you would receive me. Whom I would have retained with me that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel. In other words, he was really helping me. I’m in prison. He brings food or whatever.
He was helping Paul. But it was more important to Paul to send Onesimus back. But without thy mind I would do nothing. That thy benefits should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly. Wow. Meaning of necessity is to arise from constraint. I’m not constraining you. I’m not forcing you. I’m not imposing my authority as an apostle. I’m not doing that. I want it to be done voluntarily, willingly. For perhaps he therefore departed for a season that thou should have received him forever.
Onesimus Returns as a Brother Beloved
And he makes this interesting point in verse 15. Hey, you know, it might be that God had something in mind. And maybe he left part of it. It produced the new birth in him. So it can’t all be that bad. How interesting. Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother, beloved, especially to me. But how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord. Not only is he coming back as a servant in your establishment, but he’s also coming back as a son of God, a fellow citizen of heaven.
If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. Again, Paul putting himself in the place of Onesimus. That’s love. How can a person do this? Extend himself like that? Because he has a strength from the inside. His strength was the faith of Christ. And he had the love of Christ. If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account. I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand. I will repay it, albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
More than likely, it was under the ministry of the apostle Paul that Philemon got born again and others around them, as we mentioned. Look at verse 20. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord. Refresh, release me from labor. Let me experience once again by way of your humility. Let me experience in my bowels what it’s like to be released from labor. And that labor is the person that no longer is working for the approval, but has the approval in Christ Jesus, the acceptance. That word refresh is the same word. To rest from labor.
Let me experience that again. You see how this is so reciprocal when you’re around people that are not works-based? You’re around people that are faith-based. And I mean the faith of Christ. They don’t push an agenda. They don’t push those things because the work’s already been done. They just move in love. Having confidence in thy obedience, I write unto thee knowing that will also do more than I say. Paul knew that he would take the foundation of what he’s saying. He would fill in the gaps. He’d connect the dots, but it was based on the love of Christ to receive Onesimus back. And Paul didn’t know all the details of what all this meant, but he knew that Philemon would take it and complete it all. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s hearts being knit together in love.
The Aim: Hearts Knit Together in Every Relationship
It takes free will. It takes a devotion to something greater than yourself. And it takes at least two. And it could be many, but this is the aim. This is the pursuit, if you will, of having our hearts knit together in love in every relationship as much as possible as we walk this earth. And yes, it will take some humility on our part. Yes, it will. Yes, it will take some enlarging of our hearts, the stretching of our hearts to incorporate other people. But we can walk in the wisdom that God gives us in Christ Jesus.
Read the fruit. Just because we’ve been hurt, we have been mistreated, just because people have done injustices to us does not mean that we should close our hearts off for the rest of our life. The time is to open our hearts to God, widen our hearts, and not only incorporate the love of God in Christ Jesus that we have in our own personal walk, but extend it to others without any concern or fear, because the strength comes from Christ himself within us. It’s his accomplished work. And we’re looking forward to our Love of Christ conference coming up on April 2nd to the 4th in Jacksonville, Florida. And these five webinars were in place to build a heart appreciation, build an understanding that when we get to that tremendous conference, it will be in some ways a culmination and a launching pad to what we do from that point on. Love is worth the effort. We must be convinced of the Love of Christ because it will bring you the greatest satisfaction. It will bring you the greatest joy.
It will bring you the comfort, encouragement, stability in your personal life and in all your relationships. Thank you all for joining us in these webinars. It’s been fun. And we’ll see many of you at the Love of Christ conference. We’re sure excited about that, to share one with another and to be in fellowship, sharing in common the accomplished work of Christ in so many different ways. So we love you and I’ll close with prayer.
Closing Prayer
Gracious Heavenly Father, we are eternally grateful for your wisdom and the accomplished work of Christ that we can embrace. We pray for each and every individual that’s part of this webinar and for infusing them and enlightening their heart with understanding of what it means to love like Christ and that we can open our heart to incorporate others, that we can be knit together in love, unite our hearts in love and enjoy the fruits and the blessings of those relationships on this earth. We know we can’t do it with everybody, Lord. We know it takes free will and a devotion to something greater than ourselves and not everybody’s ready for that. But we have no criticism for them, Lord. We just have love. We have no judgment for them, just love. We have no bitterness, just patience. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for how you continue to bless, strengthen and guide us in all regards.
And we pray in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen. God bless you. Thank you for joining us.
Key Takeaways
- Hearts knit together in love requires at least two individuals, and it must be entered by free will – it cannot be coerced or forced.
- Both individuals must be devoted to something greater than themselves; for the Christian that something is the love of Christ.
- Worldly expectations, personal preferences and standards are the rudiments – the little steps – that pull relationships away from Christ.
- The faith of Christ is the strength within, like the skeletal system; love is the bond that ties us together, like the ligaments.
- Our value is based on the accomplished work of Christ, not on performance, compliance or anyone’s expectations – which is why there is no respect of persons in genuine fellowship.
- We love everyone, but we do not enter heart unions with unbelievers or with the world; love must have wisdom applied to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for hearts to be knit together in love?
It means two or more hearts are united or made one in affection. The Greek word in Colossians 2:2 is sumbibazo, meaning knit together in affection, and it is passive – something outside of you is doing the uniting. That something is the accomplished work of Christ. It is not a surface connection with people, and it does not mean you must share the same preferences or interests; it means your hearts are united in love with Christ as the common thread.
What two things are required for hearts to be knit together in love?
Two basic components. First, free will: the individuals enter the union by choice, and there is no default setting – it cannot be coerced, forced or strong-armed. Second, devotion to something greater than themselves, which for the Christian is the love of Christ and his accomplished work. It also takes at least two people, because one heart cannot be knit alone. Where personal preferences and expectations govern instead, disappointment and division follow.
Can a Christian’s heart be knit together in love with an unbeliever?
No. We can be in business together, play sports together, be neighbors and workmates, and we continue to love everyone – but hearts cannot be knit together in love with unbelievers, because 2 Corinthians 6 says be ye not unequally yoked. There is one exception: 1 Corinthians 7 shows that if a believing spouse is happy to stay with an unbelieving spouse, God allows it, and there is a level of sanctification God grants by grace.
Scripture References
1 Chronicles 12:17; 1 Chronicles 12:18; 1 Chronicles 12:38; 2 Chronicles 30:1; 2 Chronicles 30:10; 2 Chronicles 30:11; Colossians 2:1-3; Colossians 2:6-8; Ephesians 5:31-32; Genesis 3:5; Acts 9:22; Colossians 2:19-22; Colossians 3:12-14; Romans 1:10-12; Acts 2:42-43; James 2:1-4; Acts 2:46; Hebrews 10:22-25; 1 John 2:5-7; Genesis 1:1; John 13:34-35; 1 John 2:8-11; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Corinthians 6:11-13; Psalm 119:32; 1 Corinthians 7; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Acts 15:9; Matthew 5:8; Colossians 4:5; Psalm 119:36; Ephesians 6:16; Acts 16; Acts 19; Philemon 1:5-21
