The Word of God, as recorded for us in the Holy Bible is perfectly clear on how people should ideally interact with one another. As Christians, our appropriate treatment of others is important at all times. This holds true even in these dark days of global turmoil, as many Christians earnestly watch for the coming Rapture of the church by Jesus Christ.
How people interact with one another has been critically important throughout human history as we have attempted to live peaceably with one another. The conflicts between people over the centuries and right up to the present time, ranging from one-on-one personal conflicts to conflicts between nations, unfortunately result from a majority of the human race ignoring or discarding God’s original blueprint for interpersonal relationships.
God gave us His blueprint for life in biblical Scripture in order to teach us how to live in harmony with one another, but humanity has chosen not to follow God’s perfect design for human relations. As a result of mankind’s original sin against God in the Garden of Eden, every person since the very first child birth has been born with a sin nature. Satan has delightedly utilized our sin nature against us, in order to influence people on how to inappropriately interact with one another in what we refer to as the “way of the world” and “way of the flesh.”
Satan eagerly takes every advantage of our sin nature in order to create ongoing pain, troubles, and sorrow for humanity around the globe. If you listen to the daily news from around the planet, watch television shows, go to movies or surf the Web, it’s certainly easy to see how sin has negatively affected human relations across time and right up to the present day.
As Christians, we should make every attempt to follow God’s biblical principles for human interaction regardless of how bad things may get in this world (and it will get bad) as we approach the time of the Rapture and the following Tribulation. The period of time leading up to those events will be difficult, with an increasing persecution of Christians.
Let’s look at our typical human interactions today, contrasting those which are pleasing to Satan, with those we know are pleasing to God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
First, let’s consider how Satan is pleased when humans do the following to one another:
Hurt, steal, cheat, deceive, lie, ignore, reject, make fun of, abuse, bully, condemn, judge, laugh at, curse, distrust, abandon, dishonor, hate, disdain, anger, yell at, take advantage of, disregard, offend, belittle, argue with, tear down, disown, covet, divorce, envy, persecute, and yes, even kill one another. These are just some examples of sinful human relations.
Now let’s turn to God’s Word for examples of positive human relations we should try to emulate when interacting with one another, both with Christians and non-Christians.
“A new command I give you: that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God” (1 John 4:7).
“If we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12).
“Bear with one another and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10).
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
“Serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).
“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).
“Speak not evil of one another” (James 4:11).
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).
What is referred to as ‘the Greatest Commandment’ includes the admonition by Jesus Christ for us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:33).
“But I [Jesus] say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28).
“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same” (Luke 6:31-33).
These are a few examples of godly human relations. Which examples of human relations with one another do you find yourself practicing in your life, God’s examples, or Satan’s?
As Christians, we need to remain pleasing to God, despite any of our life circumstances, either until our death, or until the return of Jesus Christ at the Rapture, whichever is first.