Without exception, the Lord has designated all who name the name of Jesus “keepers of the brethren,” a responsibility that is second only to being the keeper of oneself. The question is not IF we are directly responsible for those near and dear to us and indirectly responsible for those who remain socially distanced from us. The question is how do we “keep”–minister–to them. Being a “keeper” is difficult in that those in both groups reject us on a spiritual level, wanting nothing to do with the walk we are taking with Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself faced this problem as is brought out in Scripture. Matthew 12:46-50 reveals that His mother and siblings were ashamed of Him, not wanting to be publically associated with Him. The same was true of His friends who believed that He was deranged (existemi–insane) (Mk. 3:21). Jesus Christ–the brethren-keeping gold standard–was rejected by both family and friends while He walked the earth and has, with the exception of His tiny church, continued to be rejected by the entire world for some 2000 years. The irony is that His detractors include those who claim to be His brethren–the Institutional Church–as this website has repeatedly pointed out. Only the truly sanctified continue to walk with Him by obeying His Word. Let us take a quick Biblical  look at His “little flock” (Lk. 12:32) in order to identify them and separate them from the two billion plus churchites who claim Him as their Savior while rejecting most of His Words.

In Titus 2:14 the Lord identifies His true saints as those for whom Christ died so that “He might redeem (them) for Himself from all iniquity (Lawlessness/sin) and to purify to Himself PECULIAR people, zealous for GOOD WORKS.” Defying His commands does not show zealousness for good works, nor does it make one peculiar within professing Christendom. Rather, it shows that one is a member in good standing within her. In his first letter to the saints in the Lord’s church (2:9) the Apostle Peter wrote: “You are a CHOSEN generation, a royal PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY nation, a PECULIAR people SO THAT you might show forth (to all watching you) the praises of Him Who has called you out of darkness and into His marvelous LIGHT.” Being obedient to God makes His saints PECULIAR (strange, different) to both the churched and the unchurched.

Obviously, being a true saint of the Lord is not for those who are concerned about popularity or who need to be liked, appreciated, etc. Let me assure anyone thinking about embracing the Lord that he/she should first “count the cost” of such a discipleship. The God-seeker should not put “hand to plow” without being willing to forgo the pleasures of acceptance by family, friends and acquaintances in the spiritual realm. If anyone knows about such separation it was Jesus Who declared that He had not come to make peace between brethren and among friends. Rather, He came with a sword–His Word–that would separate fathers from sons, daughters from mothers and husbands from wives, friends from friends, etc. He warned that a saint’s most adamant detractors would be those within his own family (Mat. 10:34-36). Jesus went on to say that rejection on the part of one’s loved ones is the price (cross) one must bear in order to serve Him. Therefore, one must be sure to count the cost before deciding to do so. The price paid for taking up one’s cross is quite heavy in terms of human relationships. But for those who do, the rewards will one day make the burden seem to have been light. To be continued. L.J.