The Father relates to the Son and the Spirit with great joy, with overflowing gladness. The Son relates to the Spirit and to the Father in the same way, and so on, in all the relationships between the persons of the Trinity. When we enter into salvation, it is an invitation to participate in the family dynamics of the Godhead. God invites us to be part of His family, and to enjoy engaging in the relationship that the Father, Son, and Spirit have shared in love together forever.
Jesus’ first and second commandments to love God and people are holy invitations for us to participate in the relational dynamics that the family of the Godhead have shared throughout eternity—to experience their joy and overflowing gladness in our own relationships with others.
The Lord is establishing Jesus’ first commandment—to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mt. 22:37)—in first place in the Body of Christ around the world; He is also strongly emphasizing Jesus’ second commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. He is empowering, inspiring, and stirring His people to walk in healthy and honoring relationships, including with those whom the world would not typically include.
In Romans 12:18, Paul says, “If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably.” In our relationships, we are to pursue a biblical process of restoration to mend broken relationships. Not all relationships will be healed—even in the Body of Christ—in this age. “As much as it depends on you” means that we are to do our part to see relationships healthy and restored.
The Lord wants us to honor each other. He is exhorting individuals and ministries all over the earth to establish a culture of honor. Where relationships are broken, the Holy Spirit is emphasizing the need to pursue healing. I don’t mean only current relationships that are injured or troubled, but even relationships from five or ten years ago. Our desire should be to walk in an excellent spirit, with love, where as a spiritual family we deeply value and live out Jesus’ second commandment together.
Jesus said that His people would be called “sons of God” when they are peacemakers (Mt. 5:9). Why? Because it is so rare for people to consistently exert the time and effort to be peacemakers, with humility, tenderness, and wisdom. Whether we are making peace in our own conflicts or being a mediator for two other parties, it is contrary to human nature to spend our time doing this consistently and tenderly simply because it is pleasing to God and blesses others. Thus, when believers live this way consistently—not occasionally, but consistently—Jesus said that those who observe it will conclude that we are like our heavenly Father in kindness, motivation, and love (Mt. 5:16; Jn. 13:35).
In the fellowship of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and Spirit enjoy each other. The way the family of God relates on earth is to be an expression of the life of the Trinity, the way they relate together in heaven. By the blood of Jesus we have actually been called into the participation of that fellowship, and are exhorted to be an expression of their loving fellowship when we fellowship with one another.
Going that extra mile to express the reality of the life of the Trinity and to bring reconciliation between brothers and sisters is something that pleases our heavenly Father who loves His family so much. Our union with Jesus in worship is deeply connected to the way we honor His family in the outworking of our day-to-day communication and relationships with the rest of His family on earth.