The Importance of Brotherly Love
“Let love of the brethren continue.”
Hebrews 13:1
Hebrews 13:1
Genuine love among Christians is a testimony to the world, to ourselves, and to God.
The importance of brotherly love extends well beyond the walls of your local church or fellowship hall. In John 13:35 Jesus says, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” In effect, God has made love for one another the measuring stick by which the world can determine if our Christian profession is genuine. That’s why it’s so important that we have a selfless attitude and sincerely place the interests of our brothers and sisters in Christ ahead of our own.
If you are a parent, you know what a delight it is when your children love and care for one another. Such harmonious relations make for a close-knit family and fulfill the words of the psalmist: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1). God is both pleased and glorified when Christian brothers and sisters love each other and minister together in harmony.
Neither the author of Hebrews nor the apostle John is equating love with a sentimental, superficial affection. As already suggested, practical commitment marks true brotherly love. If you do not have such commitment, it is fair to question your relationship to God (1 John 3:17). Refusing to help a fellow believer when you can, John reasons, reveals that you don’t really love him. And if you don’t love him, God’s love can’t be in your heart, which proves that you don’t belong to Him. This logic is sobering and persuasive. It should motivate us all the more to see the importance of practicing brotherly love: “Let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We shall know by this that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before Him” (1 John 3:18–19).
posted by Jerry | 4:15 PM
3 Comments:
Nice! There are times when the selfish part of me wants to NOT help a Christian when they could use it. This is the kind of thing that is good to remind me to do it anyway. Thanks! --mrcivil
Why is it that Christians are not identified this way. If you asked 20 people on the street what it meant to be Christian or how they would discribe a Christian, I doubt that they would say that a Christian is someone who is marked by love. They would probably use the word "judge" more than "love".
Great point Brendar. And that's where the problem lies with how we present ourselves as Christians. I was just like what you describe. I took a personality test a few years ago, and it said I wasd interested in justice 100% over mercy. Then I got saved and when I realized that if the Lord gave me what I deserved instead of mercy, there would be no hope for me. Tat's when it all began to change and I was more interested in reflecting God's mercy that he has shown me outward, instead of being a judge inward. But as my pastor says, it's a process
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