Unity. This is the goal. As I said at the very beginning, this is what God is after in order that Christ

maybe made manifest in order that the church may be seen as not just another social club, but a divine institution of God.

Supernaturally born,

supernaturally sustained with a supernaturally eternal destiny.

Welcome to Race to You with John MacArthur. I'm your host, Phil Johnson. Have you ever been ridiculed because you're a Christian?

Maybe a classmate accused you of intolerance or a coworker mocked you for going to church?

Perhaps you know the pain of a loved one's insults.

When that happens, when your biblical convictions are under attack, how should you respond?

Consider that question here on Race to You as John MacArthur looks at some practical steps that you can take today to develop character that stands strong for God even when others oppose you.

It's part of John's study titled Getting in Step with the Christian Walk, and here now is John MacArthur.

We are learning these days the standards for Christian living. We're learning the basic principles of the worthy walk.

And we have been seeing the truth that the heart of the issue is a series of inner attitudes.

The first one is in verse two, all loneliness. That's total humility.

And total humility leads to something else. Total humility leads to meekness. Meekness is a manifestation of true humility.

Now humility leads to meekness. Meekness needs then thirdly to long suffering. Long suffering. What is this?

Macrothemia for you Greek students. Beautiful word. It literally means long tempered.

And you know what comes out of this? A fourth. Inward grace in verse two. Forbearing one another in love. Let's call it forbearing love.

Forbearing love is a product of patience, which is a product of meekness, which is a product of humility. Forbearing love.

You know what kind of love this is? Listen, this is so good. This is the concept of forbearing. That word means to suppress with silence.

It's the idea of throwing a blanket over sin. It's first Peter 4.8. Love covers a multitude of what? Sins.

It's Proverbs 10-12. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sin.

It's the thing that says, hey, not only can I endure it, not only can I take it from you, but I can love you in the middle of it.

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