LOVING THE BRETHREN

 

LOVING THE BRETHREN

John 13:34-35

[34]A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

[35]By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

The mark of a disciple IS love. Note I say disciple, not a believer. Anybody who believes in Jesus Christ is a believer and is guaranteed life eternal and a status of being an adult inheriting son. But ONLY a disciple grows enough to learn love, first loving God which expresses itself to loving His children. In other words not all believers are disciples and therefore not all grow enough to love his brothers. This kind of love is a mark that identifies for the unbeliever who is a true disciple, not just disciple by name. 

While anyone can claim to love the brethren (after all words are cheap- they shouldn't be), true love expresses itself in action. The Bible speaks of faith working in love and of labor of love because that's what love does- it works for the benefit of the one loved. God Himself gave as an example. "God love the world in this way that He GAVE His uniquely born Son;" "God DEMONSTRATES His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ DIED for us." This kind of love acts- He gave and He died- for the objects of His love. This kind of love is demonstrated also by the abiding disciple:

1 John 3:16

[16]We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

If we truly love as God loves, we'll be just as ready to lay down our lives for the brethren since Christ did not hesitate to do it for us.

While not all are called to die for the brethren (if God called me to do so, I hope it is quick), the Bible gives more practical tests of love:

1 John 3:17-18

[17]But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

[18]Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

You saw a brother that is in need and you have the ability to supply the need, and you didn't, one does not have to be a theologian to conclude that this brother has no love of God ABIDING in him. Sure he is the object of God's love but that love did not penetrate him enough to extend it to his needing brothers. John put it this way:

1 John 4:19-20

[19]We love, because He first loved us.

[20]If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

We knew love because our love is a reflection of His love. That is we love because God first loved us. Now if you claim to love God but hate your brother (refusing aid when you can definitely qualify as hating your brother for if you love him you'll give), you're a liar. How can you love the Invisible God if you cannot love your visible brothers who by the way are equally made in the image of God as you are? 

James agree:

James 2:15-16

[15]If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,

[16]and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

Simply saying pious words apart from action will not benefit the needing brother or sister. James called this as dead faith- and it does mot speak of faith that does not exist but of faith that is separated from action. Earlier James speak of not just being a mere hearer but a doer of the word. Well this guy is a hearer but his faith is not working for tue benefit of the brother. Such faith is said to be dead for it does not benefit a brother, there is no application of faith, and thus the faith is not matured or completed. It does not deliver the hearer from the discipline of this age nor the evaluation at the Bema. It also does not deliver the brother in need. 

God's ideal is for His children to support each other. 1 Tim 5 talks of the church supporting its own widows if they MEET certain requirements. In 1 Cor 8-9 Paul called the Corinthians to act on their love in supporting the Jerusalem saints who are destitute:

2 Corinthians 8:7-8,24

[7]But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.

[8]I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also...

[24]Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.

Paul is not trying to blackmail them into giving. It is a grace giving after all. What he is saying if you have love, act on it. He gave the Macedonians (who ironically were inspired by the Achaians a year ago in giving) and the Lord Himself, who both in true love gave- one gave themselves first before they gave even beyond their ability (they are after all needy themselves) and the other "who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped," (Phil 2:6).

It is not the amount but the thoughts that count. A widow's mite given in love is worth more than a million dollars given without hilarity.

(Kung gusto ninyo ng karagdagang impormasyon, bisitahin ninyo kami. May pagtitipon kami sa Dahat, kada Linggo, alas 8:30-10:30 am. Sa Amoguis, 1:00-3:00 pm. Sana manampalataya kayo at kita-kita tayo.)