Most of us probably remember the saying the “Three Musketeers” had, which was “ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL”. It’s a slogan that would serve Christians very well, being Christ Jesus led by example and gave His life as a sacrifice for all mankind. He would have gone through all that horrible agony and torture and died for YOU even if you were the only person on this whole earth. I think maybe people take His sacrifice way too lightly, because it happened so long ago, and plus the fact that none of us alive today were there to witness it firsthand, so they have not a clue what torture He endured for us.

How about YOU? How personally do YOU take His sacrifice? Or is your attitude, “Yeah, that’s nice, ok, thank you Jesus.” You know, I find if something costs you nothing, you don’t really appreciate it. I’ve given away numerous cars in the last 25 years, including three nice Mercedes Benz. They all cost me a bunch of hard-earned money, plus all the work and expense I put into them making them nice. And I gave them away to people who I felt needed them. But sadly, I find those people did not appreciate my sacrifice enough to care for them like I cared for them. Why? Well, they just weren’t invested in it. I was.

I said all that to say this: it isn’t YOUR pain and YOUR blood and YOUR obedience and YOUR prayers that purchased YOUR salvation, so, while you may somewhat appreciate what Christ Jesus did for you, it just isn’t the same as if it was YOU doing the suffering, HELLO??

The cardiac arrest I suffered two weeks ago today has shown me something: WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR ALL THESE PETTY GRIEVANCES AND STRIFE AND BITTERNESS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER.  We need to grow up and start acting like the sons and daughters of Christ Jesus that we ARE!

When I look around at the “CHURCH”, that is, those who are born again in Christ Jesus, I see VERY LITTLE evidence of ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL. It’s more like we bark and bite at each other, and we’re in disagreement with those who are SUPPOSED to be our brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s more like “BRETHREN AND CISTERN”, in other words, if you don’t agree with me, then down the toilet with you. What happened to loving one another with such fervent love that we would lay our lives down for even the LEAST of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Yet, Christ died for all of us, and it’s a pretty sorry bunch we are that can’t get along even with those for whom Christ suffered and died and forgave their sins, let alone those who are NOT born again.

That’s why there are so many DENOMINATIONS within the Church, because we can’t get along with others and walk in agreement. DENOMINATIONS means DIVISIONS OF. Is Christ divided???? No! Then why are WE? We need to look at ourselves to see the problem. The problem isn’t “THEM”, it’s US!

It is written in 2 Peter 1:1-11,
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: note
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

It is also written in Romans 12:1-16,
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which isyour reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

All this “DIVISION” among us has to stop, and NOW!! Else Christ will not be formed in us, and if He is not formed in us, we are none of His. Do I have to tell you what THAT means? We should ALL be of one heart and one mind, compassionate toward one another, even as Christ Jesus is toward us. I’d be the first to say there are many differences in personalities and gifts and purposes that God has put inside us, but YET, none of us should see ourselves are more important than the other.

Look at your own body, if you stub your toe, your whole body feels it, right? If even the least of us is suffering, the whole body suffers. We should all be applying the “Balm of Gilead” to heal the hurts of others. Not a one of us is without messes in our lives. We ALL need Christ Jesus, and we ALL need one another. The moment we become an “island”, we are stranded and surrounded with nothingness. Instead, let’s all get on Team Jesus and start thinking and acting like Him….ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!