Lisa Scott's Blog

There is something I see very much in Christianity that tells me that many Christians do not understand  the importance of the Body of Christ.  I have seen too many times how many Christians serve their physical family more than they serve their spiritual family which is their real family according to the Bible.  But, many Christians have not come to the revelation that God’s children are indeed their real family and the ones that they should lay their life down for.  However, many are laying their life down for the unconverted family.  

Many members of the Body of Christ play favoritism with their physical family.  They treat them more special than their spiritual family and see their unconverted family different than their lost neighbors or those unconverted out on the streets!   There is a special favoritism (which really is the fear of man)  toward their unconverted family members that causes them to stumble greatly when preaching and being a witness of Christ’s truth.  I find that many do not preach the whole counsel of the word of God to their family (many who are professing believers) and shrink back from being a witness because they fear the sword may come between them.  Brethren, I can tell you many times that sword will come down in your family because what does light and darkness have in common?  I find that many brethren do not share boldly (in grace, of course)  the word of God with their unconverted family as they do with the unconverted on the streets.  Does that not sound like special favoritism toward one group?  Does that not sound like putting your family above Christ?  You do not see Jesus doing that with His mother and brothers, but He put the spiritual family above the unconverted:


Luk 8:19  Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd.
Luk 8:20  And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.”

Luk 8:21  But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”

I’m not saying just to forsake your physical family, but please don’t put them above your spiritual family which is really your family.

See, when we put family or anyone above God, we cannot be a true bondservant and be entrusted with His word.  We will add to His word because we still please and fear man.  And many have become ineffective in preaching to their unconverted families because they fear man and loosing their relationships with them.

Gal 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.


(Actually, that can go both ways.  Many also fear to speak boldly the truth of God in the church also, especially when it comes to the lifestyles of the lukewarm.  I say lifestyle because so many can preach a forthright biblical preaching or talk the holiness talk, but I find many who preach the truth do not live it.  Be careful, that you are not among the hypocrites)


Jesus warned us that the sword would come down between the unconverted family members.

Mat 10:34  “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
Mat 10:35  For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;
Mat 10:36  and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’[e]
Mat 10:37  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat 10:38  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

It grieves my heart when I see Christians would rather spend more time with their lost family members trying to convert them than desiring to see their spiritual family come to maturity by real discipleship.   How sad that many will drive long distance to visit and serve their unconverted family, but when it comes to true brethren it just seems like too much work.  Then we wonder why there is no revival, no unity……..where is the love for the true brethren?  There is a problem when we are more comfortable with our unconverted family than our spiritual family, when we rather spend time with them more than the Body of Christ.

Paul evangelized more than anybody I know, but you can tell clearly that  he had a fervent love for the body of Christ more than the lost.  It is clear in scriptures that he would die for the brethren and was very fervent in desiring to see them grow to maturity.  I find that many Christians seem scared to know each other intimately, to get into each others lives so that they would be better at ministering to one another, seeing more clearly one another’s lifestyle in order that we would know how to exhort and encourage, and get right down to the root of any problems. This is important, if you care about bringing brethren into true discipleship.  Now, I’m not saying that this is an easy thing to do, because its really not and that’s why many brethren stray from true discipleship, and those who are mature and capable of discipling see the cost and aren’t willing right now to loose their life over this one.  Truthfully, discipling can get ugly because brethren are at different stages, sometimes dealing with false converts, but if we truly love and want to see revival, unity, the glory of God, ect… than we would gladly die, like Paul, in order that others may have life and be ready on that Day.   Remember, how the Corinthians thought Paul was too hard and unloving.  They did not realize how much Paul labored for them, but that did not stop Paul from ministering right to their hearts, and through such labors brought the Corinthians to repentance!

My heart’s desire is to see the brethren have more love for the body no matter the cost.  To put His body above the lost and to see each member come to maturity.  Remember, that pure desires from above, like unity, revival…..have a great cost, it is not just by prayer, but also, by you laying your life down for the brethren.

Peace, and may the Lord give us much grace to love the brethren IN His truth.