To My Neighbor in Christ

Dear Neighbor Who Shares with me in the benefits of Christ Jesus-

I, just like you, wrestle with the demands of the Law and weakness in my flesh. There are ups and downs, but mostly downs. I want you to know the loving embrace your Father in Heaven has for you. I lift you up in prayer often with that request, especially as my weary body enters into sleep.

Alas, however, I am often more a reminder to you of the Law than of the grace and mercy found in Christ Jesus alone. I represent to you on occasion demands you cannot attain, and yet I am so weak.

Together we are given to hear and receive that Christ Jesus is now our flesh and life, because He in our stead has rendered true obedience to the Father and lives to intercede for us as our Advocate.

You, like me, are very much down on yourself when others excel at this or that. Yet you are absolutely beautiful in every way, even if certain actions and reactions may not be within your best ability or mine. By virtue of what the Creator has spoken and accomplished it is okay.

Together in Christ Jesus we are forgiven, and we live. Together we go through life as one, built into His body through faith, Baptism, and Supper. In Christ Jesus together we are fine. Apart from Him we are totally lost. Totally. Lost.

I know you know that of which I speak, because Christ Jesus has brought us into perfect agreement. We bear with one another because, Truth be told, we are nothing without the grace of God in this crucified, living Son of God.

Our bearing with one another also bears the semblance of a cross, which is to say it has not any glorious appearance, but an appearance the world does not know or recognize. Not yet, anyway. But it will in the life to come, because God Himself has promised it. He has spoken this to us and taught it to us from an early age, yes, even from the beginning.
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