WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,

Christ is in our midst! He was, is, and ever shall be.

WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST

" Moreover, BRETHREN, I declare to you, the gospel which I
preached to you, which also you received and in which you
stand, by which also ARE SAVED, if you hold fast that word
which I preached to you–unless you believed in vain…"
(1 Corinthians 15:1-2).

When as Christians we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we
begin, "OUR Father…"

Our Creator created man and woman and was
not only the Creator of the Universe but also their Loving and Heavenly Father and God.

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, our God, we are "brethren" indeed. The "Bridegroom" is Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His "Bride" is the Church. The spiritual "womb" of His Beloved and pure "Bride" is the baptismal font through which all are baptized and are "reborn through water and the Spirit.." "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (St, John 3:3-6). Through Baptism at the same time, one is joined to the Church. Following the Baptism, we chant: "As many as having been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). Furthermore, one becomes A CHILD OF GOD, A MEMBER OF THE Body of Christ or the Church, an inheritor of Eternal Life, it is therefore evident that Baptism IS INDISPENSABLE FOR ALL including infants, so that growing in body and Spirit they might grow in Christ. In the Apostolic Scripture, there is mention of the Baptism of WHOLE FAMILIES, the house (family) of Lydia, the house of the prison guard, the house of Stephanas, and NOWHERE IS IT MENTIONED THAT INFANTS WERE EXCLUDED FROM BAPTISM.

In 1 John 3:1, we are reminded "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,
that WE SHOULD BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD… Beloved, NOW WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD… (v.2)v.7).
LITTLE CHILDREN, LET NO ONE DECEIVE YOU…" (v.7).

In the Mysterion (Sacrament) of the Holy Eucharist practiced from the beginning of Christianity, the Bloodless Sacrifice was offered for THE REMEMBRANCE OF BOTH THE LIVING AND THE DEAD AND FOR THE REMISSION OF THEIR SINS. The Holy Eucharist is a sacrifice which in the most intimate fashion UNITES ALL THE FAITHFUL IN ONE BODY IN Christ. It is also a sacrifice for the peace of the churches, for the good condition of the world, for authorities, of those in infirmities, and labors, for all who ask for help… "AND FOR ALL MEN AND WOMEN."

Having presented all the above evidence to you, I am attempting to convince you of the fact that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and that we are all one Christian family. A spiritual family who share the same Father, that are united in Christ, the Bridegroom of the Church, His faithful Bride whose spiritual "womb," the Baptismal Font, we are "reborn through water and the Spirit." Therefore, we have a common Father, a common Savior, a common spiritual Mother, the Holy Church, and that through the Holy Eucharist, the Bloodless Sacrifice, we become one with our Lord Jesus Christ and WITH ONE ANOTHER. We become the Body of Christ; He being the Founder and the ONLY HEAD.

Our Lord’s command is that we as a Christian family, as brothers and sisters, and as His followers and disciples, "love one another as I have loved you" (St. John 15:12). The Almighty God loves us UNCONDITIONALLY, SO WE ARE TO LOVE ANOTHER UNCONDITIONALLY in Christ’s Name. It is this Divine command that has been neglected among our people and in our parishes. We must avoid controversy, debates, power struggles, politics, competition, cliques, jealousy, anger, and animosity. The church is sacred, it is God’s house, it belongs to Him and Him alone, it is a place of prayer and worship, it is a spiritual Hospital, and we come there because we are all injured by sin and evil influence and we need our health to be restored by the Divine Physician of our souls and bodies. We are there to be healed by the grace of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen our commitments to our Savior, and to be restored and forgiven by Him in the Mysterion of Repentance/Confession and reconciliation. We are there to charge our spiritual batteries, to leave the church refreshed and renewed spiritually, to be healed from our spiritual illnesses, and to be prepared spiritually to continue the spiritual warfare in the world. We must not attend the local parish with a different agenda that has nothing to do with our Savior and God Jesus Christ. We are in His presence and He knows what we think, what we feel, and how we act. I don’t believe that anyone wishes to offend Him deliberately and knowingly.

We are indeed brothers and sisters in Christ! Our Lord is our Master and we are His willing slaves (servants). We are there to please only the One, Him, and Him alone, and to serve one another. All that we offer and do must always be done with AGAPE (LOVE), EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE FOR HIS SAKE AND FOR HIS GLORY. Anything other than that will bring condemnation upon our souls. Our God is a mystery to us, but we are NOT a mystery to Him!

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always
give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the
Lord IS NOT IN VAIN" (1 Cor, 15:58)

Thanks be to God!

___________________

"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"