Our Lord said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). It is impossible to walk in the light while hating one’s brother (1 John 2:9-11). John explained that love for God is shown through loving one’s brethren. Claiming to love the unseen God while hating our very visible brothers is foolish (4:20-21). John went so far as to say that the brother who had what another brother needed and withheld it did not have the love of God in him (3:16-19)!
Love is an essential ingredient in Christian service (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Paul concluded his discussion of love by saying, “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). The apostle closed the letter urging the Corinthian brethren to, “Let all that you do be done with love” (16:14).
Effective love in God’s family must be practiced to the fullest. Peter said, “have fervent love for one another.” Vine says “fervent” means strained or stretched out. Imagine one of your children has fallen in a river and is floating downstream toward a waterfall. As you run down the bank, you see a limb extending out over the river. You climb out on the limb and reach down, only to discover you cannot quite reach out far enough. Surely, you would stretch and strain to reach that child before he went over the precipice. Christians are to stretch and strain to aid their brethren.
Christian living is like running a marathon through enemy territory (Hebrews 12:12-15). We must support each other, making special provisions for those who are weak. Bitterness must be avoided because it produces trouble and defiles. As Paul wrote, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:1-4). We need to ask ourselves daily, “What am I doing to show my love for the brethren?”
