I’m going to narrow my topic this week to just address the men who read this, but I’m sure the women can apply some of this to their relationships within the church. Not being a woman, I have no experience there.
How are we brothers? In the first few centuries of the church, the Romans accused Christians of being incestuous because “brothers” were marrying “sisters.” They simply didn’t understand the closeness of the church. We are brothers and sisters as God’s children:
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,3 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)
Christian brothers are closer than blood because it is not our blood that bonds us together but Christ’s blood. Men whose biological brothers are Christian are double blessed, but those who are not in that situation still have their fellow Christians who love them, stand by them, support them, and pray for them.
In the New Testament, the Greek word for brother (adelphos) is the same for a natural brother or a Christian brother. It’s a word denoting an intimate relationship between men.
As Christians, men are to hold one another accountable. We’re to share our lives with one another, build one another up, be honest with one another. In short, we are to disciple one another and seek to be discipled. Because of this, brotherhood has a much deeper meaning in the church than it does in the natural sense.
The general mechanics of this takes several forms. A mature Christian man will mentor a newer Christian in the ways of the Lord. Men who have a special gift may mentor others desiring to use the same gift more effectively. Men’s groups are a wonderful way for men to grow in their Christian walk. I have been a Christian since 1975, and Men’s groups are a great way for me to grow and maybe help others in their walks.
I attend two men’s groups each week. One is a men’s prayer group where about 40 or 50 of us gather early on Saturday morning to pray for one another. The other is a group where we discuss the previous Sunday’s message. There we have a chance to ask and answer questions, share how various passages of Scripture have moved us during the week and get into one another’s lives. There’s a wonderful bond that forms among all who are involved.
Why is this important?
I became a Christian sort of all by myself. I thought I was a Christian until something I read in a book explained I needed to go all the way, to turn control of my life over to Christ. So, it was pretty much between God and me alone.
As a result, much of my Christian life has been one of solitude. Sure I had Christian friends, even brothers, but they were few and far between. I liked working out this “Christian thing” by myself. It wasn’t until I started to share my life with other Christian men that I learned of the closeness we feel toward one another. I was missing out.
I know I haven’t done a good job explaining how close Christian brothers can be to one another. It’s like trying to explain color to a sightless man. We’re more than just family. We are men who share the same Spirit, the same beliefs, the same purpose. Christian brothers are men that I have felt closer to than family, friends, closer than any other men on earth.
I am a brother to the Christian in South Africa, Colombia, China. We share the same Spirit.
The most beautiful part of this is that Jesus feels that closeness, that purpose with us. He says this directly by calling us “brothers:”
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” (John 20:17)
That intimacy, that closeness we Christian brothers feel for one another is simply a taste of the intimacy and closeness we have with our Lord and He with us.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 