Vertical & Horizontal Relationships

Devotion 8 – Vertical & Horizontal Relationships

In our Christian walk, we can develop the vertical relationship of our spiritual life in prayer, in fasting, in the Word, etc. but if we do not develop our horizonal relationships, we will never reach the optimum vertical relationship we desire. In order to develop our character in Christ, we all need to grow in the area of giving and receiving love.

 

1 Jn.4:7-11 – “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him… Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

1 Jn.3:13-15 – “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.  Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”

1 Jn.4:20 – “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”

In these scriptures, John is making it clear that the proof of our vertical relationship is judged by our horizontal relationship. If we do not develop a healthy horizontal love relationship, our vertical love relationship can be a false form of spirituality.  In fact, the bible calls us a liar if we say we know God and love God but do not love others. The two go together and are developed proportionately.  And this love is expressed not just in word or tongue but also in deed and truth.

1 Jn.3:17-18 – “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?  My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

John calls for our life to match our lips, our practice (demonstration of love to our brother) to match our profession ("I love God."). For the love for God and lack of love for Christians reveal falsehood/hypocrisy in our profession. True love for God is always accompanied by love for our Christian brothers and sisters. And the latter tests the former. Our love expressed to one another in the bonds of Christian fellowship tests and proves the reality of our claims to love God.

Our love for God is measured by our love for people; for if we truly love God, we will love those whom God loves.

Matt.5:23-24 – “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Here Jesus is reminding us and emphasizing that a right relationship with God depends on our willingness to maintain a right relationship with one another. However, our tendency is to compensate for personal guilt by doing greater service for God.

We must first be at peace in our own conscience with others before our gift to God can have meaning. When we are at peace within ourselves, unclouded by anger or resentment, we are aligning ourselves with the infinite love.

“True worship is not enhanced by better music, better prayers, better architecture, or even better preaching. True worship is enhanced by better relationships between those who come to worship.” - John MacArthur.

First Thing First

Matt.22:36-38 – “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.” And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’”

Jesus uses the word firsts and second to indicate priority.  That means, to develop love for our neighbor, we need to first develop a tremendous love for God. 

The love of God has caused many to give their lives to Him.  The love of God has brought forth many Christian martyrs. The love of God has brought the gospel to many nations and to areas of darkness where no man wants to go. The love of God has caused people to make great sacrifices, giving all they have.  What gives them the strength?

They are being empowered by God’s love. Unless we keep the first commandment, we would not have the strength to keep the second. The whole purpose for the creation of life is that we might experience God’s love and in turn be an instrument of that same love to others. The true revelation of God’s unconditional love for us would produce in us a desire to be like Him and thus love others the way He does. John 3:16 must lead to 1 John 3:16.

Jn.3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

1 Jn. 3:16 – “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

The fact that John uses the word ‘ought’ means that there are those who stop at knowing God loves them and do not press on in knowing God’s love for others. In fact, the word ‘ought’ in the original conveys the sense of a ‘debt’ or ‘need.’ Paul uses it to convey the debt of love we ‘owe’ others (Romans 13:8).

It is a powerful life changing experience to know how much God loves us – that is salvation. It is an even more powerful life transforming experience to allow God’s love through us for others – that is ministry.

May we all grow to experience His wonderful love for ourselves and for others around in our circle of influence.