Alive in Christ
Excerpts
I wonder if we fully appreciate the enormous significance of this belief in a literal, universal resurrection. The conviction that death is not the conclusion of our identity changes the whole perspective of our mortal life. …
Living worthy to meet Christ is no easy task. Many current writers characterize the time in which we live as toxic, a time of contempt or hostility toward adversaries. …
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, taught us how to relate to one another. The great commandments in the law, He taught, were to love—God and neighbor (see Matthew 22:37–39). …
… Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries. All mortals are beloved children of God. …
… The covenants we have made inevitably position us as devoted participants in the eternal contest between truth and error. We balance our various responsibilities.
This balancing is not easy. … But as followers of Christ, we should seek to live peaceably and lovingly with other children of God who do not share our values and do not have the covenant obligations we have assumed. …
… We can follow the example of Jesus Christ, who is our role model, by choosing to love others—even if they show little or no love toward us. …
… How it would change the world if followers of Christ would forgo harsh and hurtful words in all their communications. …
My brothers and sisters, as followers of Christ, let us follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers.