Colossians 3:12-17

This is why Paul can say in Colossians 3:14 that sacrificial love is the bond of perfection. Let us go read that paragraph.

All of these things that we can do for each other in our own mutual relationship of obligation to one another ends in thanksgiving. Be thankful. You can be thankful when your brethren are supporting you and you are supporting them. And the thanks ultimately goes to God the Father for calling us and giving us this ability through His Spirit and the example of Jesus Christ to do these things.

It is high-level spiritual life, but that is what we are aiming for as God's people. We are aiming to replicate that covenantal relationship with God that we should have with each other. You cannot separate the two great commandments: love God, love neighbor. It all works the same. It all works together.

God comes first, obviously. He has the greatest power. He has the greatest love. He has the greatest sovereignty. He has all the things that we need, and we love Him and obey Him and do what we can in worship of Him. And then we are supposed to transform that relationship into our relationships with each other. Now it is among equals, and we give and they give back to us. We give thanks. They give thanks. We give kindness. They bestow kindness upon us. We give them mercy. They give us mercy back. We forgive them; they forgive us. You can go through this whole list. It is how it is supposed to work.