"Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified"

"Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world..."(2 Tim 4:9-10).

Paul was calling on Timothy to come to him and join him in the work of the ministry. He was calling on Timothy to come and help him because Demas had forsaken him, "having loved this present world." If God's work of bringing the lost into a saving and growing knowledge of Jesus is going to be done, God's people must stay united in love for that purpose. But in order for that type of unity to be achieved, God's people must not only keep from falling in love with this world, and love one another, but they must first love God. John wrote, "if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him." Demas forsook Paul, not just because he loved the world, but because the love of God was not in him. As important as it is for believer to dwell together in love and harmony for the sake of Christ, that loving harmony will not be achieved unless individual believers are first seeking and experiencing loving fellowship and intimacy with the Lord.

"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other. They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other but to another standard to which one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in the heart nearer to each other then they could possibly be were they to become unity conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion (devotion) is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and higher life" (A.W. Tozer).

I'm convinced that the reason believers are forsaking each other--the reason they are not experiencing harmony and unity is because their eyes are not fixed on the Lord and His love for them--they are not themselves cultivating an intimate and dynamic love relationship with Jesus. We can not strive for closer fellowship with one another unless we are striving for closer fellowship with the Father.

Christians know how to do the religious thing, but they are weak on the relationship thing. We can play the part on Sunday morning without a close relationship with the Father, but as soon as there's a problem, a disagreement or an offense our superficial relationships will break down.

Let's turn our eyes from this world, and even one another and turn them to the Lord. Let's gaze on the beauty and love of Jesus until His love overflows in our hearts toward one another.