Love thy Brother

LOVE THY BROTHER

1 John 2:7 Context

4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 

The first thought might be, why was it necessary for God to command our love one to another. If we have His love in us as His is in the Father, we can not help but to love everyone. Jesus was an only child. His earthly brothers, no doubt as children do, had disagreements and pouted one against another. Jesus walked the streets where His chosen walked and saw the selfish withholding of love one to another. The law by which they were “governed” had no provisions demanding love. Law and love never became an obsession with God’s people. That is why Christ made Love a commandment of God and a lack of it an offense against the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5: 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

It would be the height of ridiculousness to draft a law against any of the lone concepts. Out of the mouth of our Lord came a law of love. 1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Jesus stated to one attempting Him to say some violation of the law. When he was ask “what is the greatest commandment” he answered. Mathew 22: 37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38  This is the first and great commandment. 39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus followed his statement concerning with a new commandment, not a suggestion, a commandment. John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

Also in another lecture he added: Matthew 5:43 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.” Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matthew 5:46 “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Humbleness is a mark of a child of God. It’s what we refer to as our walk in Christ Jesus. When we are seen to be Christ like all will know that we love God and all who lives. We pray for everyone without conditions. John quoted it in this manner: John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Love being the mark of a Christian displays itself in the obedience to God’s Word. The entire bible contains the commandments of God; all of it! We prove unto God and human kind our love of our heavenly Father.

John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments” 1 John 4:21 “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 1 John 4:20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

Jesus commanded us in this manner: John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Romans 13:10 “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Matthew 24:12 “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Romans 7:11 ”For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, (love) deceived me, and by it slew me.”