Posted on 01/11/2016 4:06:48 AM PST by metmom
"Let love of the brethren continue" (Hebrews 13:1).
Christianity's primary moral standard is love, especially for fellow believers.
Love of other believers is a natural outflow of the Christian life and should be a normal part of fellowship within the church. You can no doubt remember how after you were first saved it became very natural and exciting to love other Christians and to want to be around them. However, such an attitude is extremely difficult to maintain. This love, which is a gift from God's Spirit, must be nurtured or it will not grow-it may actually shrivel. That's why the apostle Peter urges us, "Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God" (1 Peter 1:22-23).
Paul teaches us the same concept of nurturing and practicing love for one another when he writes: "Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for any one to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more" (1 Thess. 4:9-10). Paul also gives us the basic definition of brotherly love: "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor" (Rom. 12:10). Simply stated, brotherly love is caring for fellow Christians more than we care for ourselves. And such love presupposes that we will have an attitude of humility (Phil. 2:3-4).
So today's verse from Hebrews merely supports what Paul and Peter said elsewhere. The writer's admonition that we should let brotherly love continue tells us that this kind of love already exists. Our challenge today and each day is not to discover love for one another, but to allow it to continue and to increase.
Suggestions for Prayer
Ask God to help you rekindle the love that used to be strong for a Christian friend, but perhaps isn't now.
For Further Study
Read 1 Samuel 18-20.
What was so special about the love and friendship between David and Jonathan? What was the end result of that relationship (see especially 20:8-17)?
Studying God’s Word ping
“Ask God to help you rekindle the love that used to be strong for a Christian friend, but perhaps isn’t now.”
Superior advice. Advice taken.
Just what the ‘Doctor’ ordered- thanks!
Preached on 1 Cor 13 this Sunday about acting our love, not just feeling it. The Sunday before on John 13:34 and loving the brothers and sisters in Christ.
I fully intend to “steal” this idea for next Sunday to further expound on the theme.
This is an exceedingly difficult passage, given the great and increasing apostasy that the visible church is undergoing. By their fruits we know them. Whenever any “church” or denomination embraces profound sin, well, that’s all we need to know to realize they’re not “brethren,” but wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Agreed. Here is a verse to back that up:
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 1 John 5:2
And those reference New Covenant commandments.
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