Genesis 13:1-18

Overcoming Strife Amongst Brothers

Introduction

After, Abram’s brief sojourning to the land of Egypt, in escaping the famine that was widespread in the land. What were the hardships experienced in Egypt? Well, for Abram, it appears as though he endured no hardship whatsoever. His station in life grew significantly, Genesis 12:16 “And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.”

Who suffered the hardship in Egypt? It was Sarai and Pharaoh. Now, it was not expressed last week but there are a couple of notes regarding Abram that has been articulated by modern commentaries and others, like Calvin. Scripture is not crystal clear on the decision of Abram. We are left to assume. Most would agree, as was explained, that Abram was acting wrongful in sinning against his own bride in offering her up to Pharaoh.

However, there is another insight by Calvin. Abram was permitted in this act of deception since Egypt was an enemy. Remember, Egypt, Mizraim, is one of the descendants of Ham. The line of Ham was representative of the seed of the serpent, a common theme seen thus far in Genesis. Deception was permissible in times of military conquest.

Similarly, Calvin and others would say that Abram’s faith in the promise was so strong that in giving up Sarai to Pharaoh, he knew that the Lord would step in. Hence, the Lord does indeed defend the honor of Sarai by inflicting Pharaoh with plagues. Despite one’s view - which both are tenable in Scripture itself - Abram comes out of the land of Egypt, in a typological and anticipatory redemptive-historical movement of the Exodus account, with far more than he had.

We see, however, a different Abram coming out of Egypt. One who rests upon the Lord’s lovingkindness and goodness. Abram who perhaps learned from his experience in Egypt and returns back to the land of promise. Abram who is bent on going back to the place of promise in order to worship the Lord His God. Thus, we will look at three primary points from the text. First, returning to worship in vv. 1-4, second, reconciling brothers in vv. 5-13, and third, remembering the promise in vv. 14-18. We will turn to our doctrine of Christ, as our brother, who reconciles us to God. And finally, the usefulness of reconciliation as we apply the text to our lives.

(1) returning to worship (vv. 1-4)

(2) reconciling brothers (vv. 5-13)

(3) remembering the promise (vv. 14-18)

Doctrine: Christ - Our Brother - Reconciling Us to God

Application: The Usefulness of Reconciliation

(1) returning to worship (vv. 1-4)

The word used in verse 1, “went up,” is associated with the exodus event in the lives of Israel. He departs with the whole host of those who went with him. Abram’s status is highlighted as well in verse 2. We are told “Abram was very rich.” To be rich here is also tied to the word often used in reference to God’s glory. The Hebrew word כבד (kah-vode). It is, like many Hebrew words, onomatopoeic. The word sounds like its meaning. Thus Abram was very rich temporally but was also in an honorable state of being, in a weighty sense. Representative of one who has been richly blessed by the one who is in Himself weighty and glorious.

Some would argue inconsistency in the text because in Abram’s sojourning, Lot is not mentioned. Thus, why would Lot now be included in the story? Plainly, the focus of Gen 12.10-20 was not on the relationship between Abram and Lot as it is here in the text. Likewise, we need to remember the somewhat artificial nomenclature of chapter and verses. This was a continuous thought and narrative expressed by Moses. Often what would be more helpful is reading our Bibles without these divisions. Though certainly helpful, they can be a hindrance. Why then is Lot only mentioned now? Because the text is centering around Abram and Lot.

Abram does something very important in the text. What was his attitude when the Lord called him from the east to bring him back to the presence of God? Genesis 12:7 “So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” Abram responds in an act of worship. Similarly, as Abram’s exodus from the land of Egypt demonstrates the forbearance and loving kindness of the Lord, it naturally produces a sense of worship in the life of Abram.

In fact, this motif is common in the Exodus accounts. What happens after Exodus 14 when the Lord God parts the sea allowing His people to cross upon dry groun whereas the Egyptians are submersed in the judgment of the Lord? Moses’ song. Exodus 15:1 “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” Moses’ first act was a declaration of the grand wonders of God in redeeming His people.

First act of worship for Abram in coming to the land and returning to the land was building an altar, calling upon the Lord, and worshipping him. That should be the mindset of all who call upon the name of the Lord. Why? Because when we see the great acts of God’s salvation, we don’t need to build an altar anymore. Why? The Lord God already built the final altar of sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary as Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the wrath of God on your behalf.

Like Abram, as our spiritual father, as his spiritual seed who have rested and received upon Christ by faith alone, our act as we dwell in the land, though exiles, should be worship centered upon the Lord God. Do not neglect the worshipping of God which does not start and terminate sunrise of Sunday and sunset of Sunday. To worship God is a natural state of one who has been born again by the power of the Spirit.

Even as we see Abram’s piety coming forth from his desire to serve and obey the Lord, he still encounters challenges. Though these challenges would not arise from external nations; rather, from amongst his community. Thus, we come to our second point, reconciling brothers.

(2) reconciling brothers (vv. 5-13)

In reconciliation there is a problem, a solution, and a decision. If the problem becomes greater than the solution, then reconciliation is not possible. A decision cannot be met lest the solution is of greater benefit than the problem itself. Here, we will look at the three and also see them in light of redemption in the following doctrine.

[1] the problem (vv. 5-7)

Both Abram and Lot were well off in terms of the Ancient Near East. To have suitable livestock and possessions to expand was not only a benefit but also a necessity. There was no large city for them to dwell in. Nor could they align themselves with a great ruler, like Pharaoh.

The problem, as stated in verse 6, is that “that land could not support them.” The word in Hebrew used for “support” can also mean “to lift up” or “to carry” and is sometimes used in atonement language, though that is not the nuance here in the text. Essentially, the land is unable to bear the weight of such grand flocks and the numerous people of Lot and Abram. Thus the main problem was the inability for Abram and his nephew, Lot, to endure the seemingly small parcel of land.

Thus, the result of the problem is strife between the two camps. The word strife here is most often used of the prophets, known as the “Reive” motif. In the prophetic office, the prophet would act like a lawyer and confront the people who were breaking the law of God in hopes that they would return back to His Word. When using this, the prophet acted as a mediator between God and the people, or, between the problem (the people) and the solution (God). To put it in salvific terms, to break the law meant that the people were condemned, which was ultimately their problem, whereas the solution was to return to God and enter into salvation.

The strife between Abram and Lot required reconciliation by way of a mediator. This is where we see how Abram typifies the offices of Christ as prophet, priest, and king. As a priest, which we have seen already, Abram builds altars, makes atonement, and calls upon the Lord. As king, Abram is leading his people into the land which God promised. And here, as prophet, Abram is reconciling. Thus, we come to the solution.

[2] the solution (vv. 8-13)

There is a lot to unpack in Abram’s response to Lot. Yet, some key elements come forth in how man is to reconcile between brother. First, acting in Christlike humility, second, sacrifice, and third, dependance upon the Lord. All three are elements of Abram’s solution.

[2a] Acting in Christlike humility

How does Abram demonstrate Christlike humility? His response demonstrates this, Genesis 13:8–9 “Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.””

Abram is surrendering the decision ultimately to Lot. Now remember, to Abram were given the promises of God, not Lot. Yet, Abram is willing to give Lot the choicest of areas for his own herd to settle. In the Hebrew, Abram uses a word that is often translated as “please,” though it is not brought forth in the ESV. The word used “separate” here really means “to spread out” as we saw in Genesis 10 when the people according to Shem, Ham, and Japheth, spread out across the land.

It has an imperatival thrust to it, yet it is not to be taken as a command, but rather, as a supplication. Abram is saying “Please Lot, my nephew, choose the land that looks best for you and settle there. Allow yourself to have the first decision in the matter.”

[2b] Sacrifice

How do we see sacrifice in Abram’s declaration to Lot? Again, he is offering any part of the land that Lot so chooses. If Lot finds the best land to the left or to the right, Abram has given him the best choice. We could say that if one option resembled the most lush and green lands for flocks and people to flourish, Abram is willingly giving up that part of the land to Lot. Abram is saying recognizing, however, that ultimately his dependence is upon the Lord.

[2c] Dependance upon the Lord

Though this is not explicitly stated in the text, we see that God blessed Abram again in the proceeding verses. Here, growth in Abram is being established in light of his obedience unto the Lord. As Abram goes to Egypt for the famine and gives up Sarai, which most believe his lie is a neglect of dependence upon the Lord, here, Abram knows that whatever land is given to him, the Lord will surely bless it. Abram acts in Christlike humility, with sacrifice, but also, with dependance upon the Lord.

[3] Lot’s decision

Lot’s decision, however, is similar to the same choices made in the Garden and also, as we looked last week, with Pharaoh. From Lot’s perspective, the land that he lifts his eyes upon resembles the Garden of Eden. Perhaps due in part to its lusciousness and wealth of green plants and trees. We are told of the Garden that four rivers came from it, it was ripe with sustenance, and was the place where God dwelled with man.

Lot’s decision is in fact very similar to the decision of Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit. Lot’s decision is based upon the Garden-like presupposition that he “saw” it looked similar to the Garden itself. However, this is not the case with the area Lot chooses to set his tent. In fact, it is the polar opposite. Genesis 13:13 “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.”

What is the result? Rather than supporting the fact that Lot choose a location like Eden, he is actually pushed away - eastward - from what the Garden resembled, namely, the presence of the Lord. Lot’s desire in accordance with his disposition of being a sinful man does not look at the fundamental problems of Sodom and Gomorrah, but rather, only that which pleases him.

Again, we are told of the nature of the men of Sodom. They are both wicked and great sinners. Wicked here means to be depraved or reprobate. In fact, in the Septuagint, the word translated for wicked is πορνηρια (porneria) where we get the word pornography. The very practices of Sodom represented this state of being. Similarly, they are “great sinners” or “great transgressors” of everything the Lord stands for.

We are given insight later into the magnitude of their wickedness in Genesis 18:20–21 “Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.””

And you probably remember the exchange between Abram and the Lord. Abram suggests that if merely 50 men were righteous, then perhaps the Lord would avert His judgment. Yet, in the Lord’s response, Abram realizes how preposterous it is to think that there are any righteous men in Sodom and Gomorrah. What is the result? Genesis 19:1 “The two angels came to Sodom in the evening” to inflict judgment. Though Lot’s decision will certainly be his own downfall, in the death of his wife and the sexual misconduct of his own daughters, the Lord is not only active but also reconfirming the promises to Abram.

(3) remembering the promise (vv. 14-18)

One of the great blessings I had on one of my military deployments was being able to travel to Mount Nebo in Jordan, the very place where Moses looked down and saw the promised land that the Lord God had showed him. Though he would not enter into the promised land, he was able to see the vastness. I remember standing upon that very mountain and looking across the land to see all that the Lord promised. It was absolutely breathtaking. Yet, the land that Abram was promised is nothing compared to the descendants of whom he shall have. As we have looked at previously, the promise to Abram encompasses land, seed, and blessing.

[1] land

Abram is told by the Lord, “lift up your eyes.” This is the third time the verb “to lift up” has been used. The first instance was the land’s inability to “lift up” or “carry” the burden of Abram and Lot. The second was Lot lifting up his eyes to see the land of Sodom. This, the third, is Abram lifting up his eyes to see the promised land.

For Abram to lift up his eyes truly implies that the promise of God is confirmed solely upon the work of the Suffering Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is “lifted up” for the sins of His people. To know the promises of God means to rest on Him as Surety and giver of salvation. In the same way, just as the Lord’s promise to Abram, regarding the land, is widespread and omnidirectional, so also is his steadfast love and forgiveness. As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

The difference here to the previous blessings is that God not only says he will give the land to Abram, but also to his offspring. What is the temporal time stamp on this? The Lord will do it forever. This is where the understanding of covenant theology becomes paramount. To an understanding from a dispensational mindset, or those who claim a “literal” hermeneutic, the potential pitfall is that God failed on His promise. Abram’s offspring are to have this land forever.

Yet, as we read through the history of Israel, the people are exiled from the land. And though yes they return to the land, the nation of Israel is completely dispersed after the destruction of the temple in 70AD. Did God fail then in His promise? No, of course not. In fact, as we see the better covenant made manifest in Jesus Christ the land that is promised to the descendants of Abram, that is, all who have been given the gift of faith, the land extends to the ends of the world. God’s promise remains and goes far beyond the temporal and temporary boundaries of Israel.

[2] seed

Where Abram was promised in Genesis 12.1-3 offspring, the quantitative extent of descendants is given as “an offspring as numerous as the dust of the earth.” Scientist estimate that the grains of the sand are 7.5x10^18. That is, 7.5 with 18 zeroes after it. Yet that is only sand. This isn’t to say the number of the elect can be counted but instead emphasizes a numerous gathering.

Paul, in fact, highlights the magnitude of Abraham’s descendants, Galatians 3:7 “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” Galatians 3:16 “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.” Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

So also are we told that Abram did not even possess the ability in his own time to see this profound panoply of believers. Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” The magnitude of the Lord’s blessings have gone far beyond those born of Abraham, physically.

[3] blessing

What blessing is seen in the life of Abram in this third promise? Abram, once again, builds an altar to the Lord (Gen 13.18). The blessing given to Abram is the great privilege and benefit of worshipping the Lord. How is worship a blessing? You, like Abram, have been transformed from dead and decrepit lifeless forms of dust who are only bent on sinning and transgressing God. Yet, through Christ, He has transformed you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Christ has brought you, in Him, back to Eden. So that, just as Adam and Eve were created to worship the Lord and were expelled from the Garden, now Christ has called you son, friend, and brother, to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Doctrine: Christ - Our Brother - Reconciling Us to God

Hebrews 2:11 “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,”

In Abram’s act as mediator between the people of Lot and Abram, we see how temporal reconciliation is greater magnified in the Lord Jesus Christ as He has reconciled us to Himself. In fact, we - in our state of sin - are more like Lot than Abram. In our sinful state, we do not return to the state of paradise and communion of God. Instead, like Lot, we lift up our eyes and see the greener pastures, according to our standards, and pursue a place of sin.

Where does Lot travel? To the area of Sodom. What town is obliterated by God’s judgment? Sodom. What does Sodom represent? Genesis 13:13 “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” The men of Sodom were depraved and transgressors of God’s Law. Who are you before God apart from Christ? Depraved and transgressors of God’s Law.

What do we see of Christ as made manifest in the Scriptures? How does he reconcile us? Look at what Paul exclaims in Romans 5:10–11 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

Christ Jesus has brought us reconciliation. “Reconciliation” is a relational term. It presupposes a relationship with God Himself. Yet God did not sever the relationship between Him and us; rather, we severed the relationship. We fell into a state of alienation, enmity, and hostility against God. But God, as Paul writes, Romans 5:8 “But God,” as Paul writes in Romans 5:8, shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Daniel Doriani writes, “reconciliation to God can lead to reconciliation with our fellow man” (Daniel M. Doriani, Romans, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2021), 159.) As we see reconciliation in Abram and Lot, we see how much greater reconciliation has been granted through Jesus Christ.

And in a lot of ways, just as there was strife between Abram and Lot wherein Abram acts as mediator, so also does Christ act as Mediator between us and God. 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Hebrews 9:15 “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

In a lot of ways, Christ acts, as the prophets of old, in dealing with a problem, finding a solution, and making a decision. What is the problem? What is Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler in Matthew 19? He shows him the law. How are you to obey God? Loving the Lord with all heart, soul, mind, and neighbor as yourself. He even specifically mentions the sins to the rich young ruler. How does the ruler leave? Sorrowful. Why? Because the problem for him was not his supposed obedience to God’s law but because he broke it by bearing false witness against himself and assuming he does not covet.

What is the solution Jesus find? Atonement. We hear that before the foundations of the world, Christ Jesus solved the fundamental problem of man’s sin by offering Himself up. In this intra-trinitarian covenant of redemption we find the solution before the problem. Christ declares in John 17:5 “And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”

What is the decision? It is not your decision. It is instead Christ’s decision. Christ, in reconciling you to Himself, declares in the garden of Gethsemane, “not my will but yours be done.” Christ’s decision is to come as the Suffering Servant. To take upon humanity, to take upon sin and bear it upon the cross, to die for the sake of His own. Christ’s decision because of the great love He has for his own was to willingly lay down His life. Thus, as the author of Hebrews tells us, “That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.”

Do you hear that? God incarnate, the Second Person of the Trinity, who bore our shame with the joy that was set before Him is not ashamed to call you a brother. Reconciliation is relational and Christ has reconciled you to Himself that you may glorify Him. Because you have been reconciled, you therefore are to find reconciliation between your brother or sister in Christ.

Application: The Usefulness of Reconciliation

Use 1. Find reconciliation as Christ has reconciled you.

As it relates to Genesis 13, look at Hebrews 11:39–40 “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Ultimately, they found true reconciliation in Christ promised in the Old Testament.

If you are not reconciled to Christ, repent and believe. If the positive is true then the negative, or inverse, is also true. Thus, in looking at the ministry of reconciliation in Romans 5:10–11 “For if you are still an enemy of God you are not reconcilied to Him through the death of His son. You are in fact so beyond reconciliation and will not be saved by His sacrifice, that the wrath of God still abides on you. You have not received reconciliation.”

This is of utmost importance if you are not in Christ. Nothing else in life ultimately matters if you have not Christ. In the evening, we finished Jesus’s interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4. The woman of Samaria, like many in this world, believed her greatest need was only something temporal. In her interaction with Jesus, her need at the time was not eternal life, nor everlasting water, nor worshipping the Lord in spirit and in truth, nor allowing her sin to be confronted. Her need was physical, temporal water. Water she would need to gather daily.

In the same way, many believe there greatest need is something temporal, money, wealth, prominence, education, family, etc. And when we feel as though those things are prosperous, there is no need for anything else. Two issues. First, what happens when those things are inevitably taken away? Nothing truly remains. As we often reiterate, “the grass withers and the flower fades.” Second, what ground do you have to stand upon those things before the Lord God.

There is no denial that God exists. Man suppresses the truth. Man wants nothing more than to avoid the consequences of their sin by denying the existence of a Law Giver. Not only does man’s conscience bear witness to the eternality of God’s Law in recognizing sin across all cultures, but man inherently knows what is right and what is wrong. It is wrong to murder and wrong to lie, or steal. That a universal truth goes beyond culture and time testifies to the reality of God’s existence

Thus, you are absolutely without excuse if you are not in Christ Jesus, if you have not professed Him as Lord and Saviour and bended your knee to His rule and power. One minor breaking of the Law of God is an act of cosmic treason. Thus, sinner, you stand condemned. But find reconciliation in the Lord Jesus Christ. The one who declares in Matthew 11:28–30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

He who offers your sin stained robes for His blood stained robes which wash you whiter than snow. Just as the woman of Samaria’s greatest need was not water, so also your greatest need is Christ. Thus, come to Him. Just as the woman of Samaria brought an empty vessel of water to be filled yet not knowing that she herself was the empty vessel that needed filled, so must you come to Christ to be filled with waters springing up and bursting forth to eternal life in His name alone.

Use 2. Seek reconciliation as Christ sought reconciliation in you.

Genesis 13:9 “Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.””

If you are in Christ, you must always have an attitude of humility in seeking reconciliation between you and another brother or sister in Christ. This is precisely what Jesus declares in Matthew 5:23–24 “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Reconciliation between brothers requires humility. Perhaps you may not believe you are the one in the wrong. There is this prideful idea that if you are not in the wrong then you owe no one an apology. But what does the Scripture say? Jesus doesn’t say “if you remember your brother has something against you, first be reconciled to your brother, except for situations where you are definitely in the right in this circumstance.” No, in fact, he says to seek reconciliation.

Some good marriage counseling for those who are married or who anticipate to be married, seek reconciliation in your marriage. Husbands or wives, you may infallibly believe that you are absolutely right in the situation. Because that never happens in marriage … Reconciliation is not about being right or wrong but about restoring fractured relationships. Are you potentially right in this situation? Maybe. Though, we can never say for certainty that even if we are right, we have not acted sinful. Nonetheless, reconcile between your spouse.

And yes, that means wives you may have to submit to your husband, as Paul writes in Ephesians 5. Not my words, but the Holy Spirit’s. That also means though, husbands, you much love your wife as Christ loves the church in laying down His own life for her. That means that you may not be in the wrong, but be willing to lay aside your pride and demeanour for the sake of reconciliation.

It works similarly in any relationship. Regardless, you are not called to qualify your rightness based upon another’s offense. Instead, you are called to seek reconciliation.

Yet there are two aspects of that as well. Keeping the spouse analogy, if your husband or wife is seeking to be reconciled, then you must also forgive. How many times are we to forgive? As many as it takes. If a brother sins against you, forgive them. That is your obligation. If Christ so loved you that He has forgiven and pardoned your sin, ought you not also to seek reconciliation with brother and sister in Christ?

Use 3. Live a life of reconciliation since Christ has reconciled you.

How do we live a life of reconciliation? To go back to both Genesis and Hebrews, we are told in Genesis 13:18 “So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord” and in Hebrews 2:11 “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.”

What was the source of Abram’s reconciliation? The Lord God. Abram depended upon the Lord with wholehearted obedience that he would endure in the promises of God. What is the source of our reconciliation? The Lord God. Same source for both.

And as in the case of Abram and our personal walk, our sanctification derives from the source of our reconciliation, namely, the Lord God. Who is the one sanctifying you? The Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, to live a life of reconciliation requires that we conform to the image of Christ. But what does that actually look like practically? It seems so ethereal and far off from our own understanding.

Paul actually highlights this very point in Philippians 2.1-5. Paul uses Christ as the model of humility as it relates to reconciliation. Thus, to live a life of reconciliation means to be of the same mind (v. 2). To be of the same mind means to have a humble demeanour like that of Christ’s. Paul also says to have “the same love.” Just as Christ is the source of our reconciliation and sanctification, so also is He our shared love.

Living a life of reconciliation means to demonstrate love to the seemingly unloving because you who were once unloving are now loved. It means when brother or sister wrongs you, you seek restoration in love. In fact, Paul encourages Timothy that love should be the central aim and focus, 1 Timothy 1:5 “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

To be of the same love means your heart must be ever devoted to sanctification. Growing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Allowing His Word to dwell richly in your own hearts. Praising Him in Psalms. Praying to Him as Mediator and High Priest. Living a life of reconciliation rooted in love is demonstrated in Paul’s writing to the church at Corinth. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

To be of the same love is to show sincerity in your faith. As James declares, how can your faith be valid if you do not do anything to show it forth. If you know what reconciliation is, how can you refuse to be reconciled with one another? If you have been restored, then restore others for their wrongdoings and sins against you.

How else do we live a life of reconciliation? By being humble. It takes loads of humility to seek reconciliation. Again, as spouses, do you lord it over your spouse to demand forgiveness or do you actually look toward reconciling? Are you showing Christlikeness, or merely propagating the same sin of Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:12–13 “The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.””

Reconciliation is not bringing out the “blamethrower” to pit one another against each other. Instead, it is acting in humble submission, counting others more important than yourselves, being willing to wash feet, being willing to aid the downcast as the Good Samaritan. That is how Christ has reconciled you. Christ does not go to the Father and say, “The Church you have given me, she is the one who deceived me.” Instead Christ says, “Because the woman you gave me, the Church, has sinned against you, I willingly lay down my life for Her, that I may present Her blameless in the day which I myself return.” Cling to the promises of Christ, His promise of reconciliation, His guarantee of salvation, and lean on His everlasting arms.