Love For One Another

I have said before, I’ve seen Christians (true ones) defending their beliefs tooth and nail, almost and even sometimes destroying the dignity of other fellow brethren. I applaud Christians who are dogmatic about their view of theology, and doctrines they hold to; especially when they trust in the Holy scriptures to back them up. That’s great. For me, over the past year I have been taught by the scriptures about loving the brethren. I am considered to be a 5 point Calvinist, a premill dispensationalist who holds strongly to the literal interpretation of the Holy Writ. Right there it could be said I am argumentative and lacking in love with anyone who disagrees with my views. I’ve seen this stereotype amongst some of my brethren in the past year as well. People being shut off because they don’t do or believe what someone else might believe. Yet, both believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amazing how we constantly are fighting over things to prove our points as the scripture admonishes us to love the brethren.

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)

Now we know in this text, Jesus Christ is speaking to His disciples. He is addressing them to love one to another just as He had loved them. Jesus Christ had exemplified His love (agapao) and told His disciples that others would recognize them as His followers by the love they show one to another. Now fast forward to this Christian society today. Is this commandment really truly being obeyed amongst us today? I have watched myself become so angry at other believers who don’t see texts the way I may regard them. I even saw this come out of me last night with my wife, who asked a question about Peter, and I went off the total deep end because she wasn’t seeing what I was seeing. I repented, and sought to restore the fellowship with my wife, my sister in Christ. Are we doing this today with our brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ? I believe the Lord Jesus Christ smiles upon those brethren willing to restore fellowship with their brother, even if they are not likeminded in doctrinal issues (those issues that are not in direct contradiction with Jesus Christ. I am not agreeing with a Jehovah’s Witness, or a Mormon, they directly contradict Christ Jesus the Lord).

[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (Philippians 2:3)

I was reading p207 of The Doctrines That Divide: Predestination of Free Will: Whitefield v Wesley, when I was struck by a statement made in the chapter. Doctrines That Divide stated that before his death, Whitefield asked Wesley to preach his funeral as a sign of unity among believers. Wesley accepted and gave Whitefield an outstanding tribute. What an outstanding display of Christian love? To drive home the point, the book further states both Arminians and Calvinist believe their stands are correct; each Christian from their camps is used of God.

So that is why we must seek to love our brethren. If they are true blood bought believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, they are used of God. Christ cares for them and they are your brother or sister in the Lord. We must remember that. Let’s say you lived in Africa, and the ONLY CHRISTIAN congregation available was a Christian charismatic tongues-speaking church which had the correct Gospel. Would you send men and women seeking the Lord to that church? Think about that, is your love from the body of Jesus Christ willing to go that far? This is not compromise, don’t get me confused here. Do you have the understanding that the Lord Jesus Christ loves them and uses them? Are the arguments and debates that we win mean anything? Do we want to spend the rest of our Christian lives arguing and fighting? Or should we be loving the brethren and loving the world by sharing the Lord Jesus Christ?

By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35)

What is it that all shall know that we are followers of Jesus Christ? The love for one another! Ginōskō is the transliteration for the word ‘know’. This 3^rd person verb is in the Future Middle (deponent) Indicative and denotes a personal and true relation between the person knowing and the object known, that is to say to be influenced by one's knowledge of the object, to suffer one's self to be determined thereby. A quote from A.W Pinks Commentary puts it well:

Love is the badge of Christian discipleship. It is not knowledge, nor orthodoxy, nor fleshly activities, but (supremely) love which identifies a follower of the Lord Jesus. As the disciples of the Pharisees were known by their phylacteries, as the disciples of John were known by their baptism, and every school by its particular shibboleth, so the mark of a true Christian is love; and that, a genuine, active love, not in words but in deeds.

The world sees we love Jesus when we love the brethren the same. But is the world seeing that? Are they seeing a lot of defending, bickering and fighting? Talking with one non-believer, he told me that he just wants to see something real in Christians, not all this arguing and fighting.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye. And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15)

I encourage us to continue loving, loving the brethren in Jesus Christ. Yes, stand for the truth, but love those in the truth as well!!!!