The Unsaved, Me First Christians, and Committed Believers Are All Church People

Jesus died to transform our relationships with God and with one another. Relationships can be both the building blocks and wrecking balls of life. How can we tune up our relationships with fellow believers?

Through Jesus, we can have peace with God and others. Peace with God comes when we confess our sins and failures to God and ask Jesus to take control of our lives. Do you know why many church relationships do not honor God?

It is because two of the three kinds of “church” people are not following God’s agenda. The first are natural people who are not yet believers. Strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, and envy punctuate their relationships.

They are not connected to Jesus. Nevertheless, many of them see themselves as spiritual people.

The second group is carnal believers. They are still wearing spiritual diapers. “Me first” governs their lives.

They are as guilty of strife and jealousy as those outside of Christ. Billy Graham estimated that most professing Christians are in this group.

The third group is spiritual people. They are yielded to God’s control. They seek to know and do His will.

Jesus’ power is evident in their lives. Their faith connection to Him produces Jesus-like characteristics.

They pursue God’s will along with other spiritual people. They are responsive to the needs, joys, and sorrows of other believers. They sacrifice to benefit other believers. They are sensitive to their needs. They rejoice in their successes (1 Peter 3:8).

They avoid relationship-splitting attitudes and ways of dealing with conflict. They refuse to live with a non-forgiving, bitter attitude. They are not perpetually hypercritical, judgmental, or angry.

They break a conflict into smaller issues and consider each. They seek to understand other viewpoints. They compromise so everyone wins and loses something.

They respond like Jesus when others mistreat them. They bless them (3:9). They love, do good, and pray for them.

They do not ask God to punish them immediately. They know He rarely does.

They are glad. If He did, they would be in sorry shape most of the time. God’s graciousness to them motivates them to treat those who offend them as God treats them.

They know that forgiving them is healthier than taking a daily vitamin pill. They pursue happy, harmonious relationships with others.

To which of the three kinds of “church” people do you belong? What is your next step to make your church more harmonious? What is your takeaway?

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God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,090 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 15,150 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.  

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