Loving one another is not an option for a Christian. In John 15:12, it is a mandate from God, but godly love should come naturally for a Christian. We are to seek to be like Christ, and He loved us enough to give His life for us. In the church, the love that we have for one another is evidence to a lost world that we are following Christ, according to John 13:35. Loving one another will not always be easy because of our differences. However, the most important thing about us should be our faith in Jesus Christ. This should create a bond that allows us to love one another with deep affection. Paul expresses this kind of love in Philippians 4:1.
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
Philippians 4:1 “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.”
Paul’s love was genuine. He was sitting in jail remembering the believers at Philippi. He called them his dearly beloved, his crown, and his joy. These references give us a glimpse into how much Paul loved them. He loved them dearly, they were close to his heart, tender sweet feelings were felt when he thought of them. He longed to see them and wanted to hear from them. If you’ve ever been away from your loved ones for an extended period, you can understand how Paul felt. You can miss them so much it hurts. Some would call this being homesick, but this is more than just a longing for the comfort of familiar things and people. He longed for them, to know they were doing well in their faith and their love for each other. He calls them brethren because they were his family in the Lord. Paul couldn’t have loved them more if they were his own children. He had already spoken of how he longed for them in chapter 1, he was so desirous to see them that he repeated it. The reference to the bowels of Jesus refers to the great compassion Jesus had on us. Paul is following Christ’s example by feeling the same way about the Philippians.
Philippians 1:8 “For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.”
He found great joy in the knowledge he was receiving that they were continuing to follow Christ. He could say as John said in II John 1:4, “ I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.” While Paul longed to see them, he took great comfort in knowing they were following Christ as he had taught them.
If you are a Christian, how are you loving others in the faith? Do you rejoice when others grow spiritually? Do you rejoice when others are recognized for their achievements, yet yours are not noticed? Do you take or make opportunities to get to know your Christian brothers and sisters, seeking to find out their needs so you may be of assistance? Sometimes those needs may mean helping them monetarily but more often it will be by showing your love to them by just being their friend. God out within each of us a desire to be loved. While it can manifest itself in many ways, you will not know how to best show your love unless you get to know the person.
We need to be like Paul and pray for our brethren that their love will grow. He desired for them to love God, each other, and the unsaved more and more each day. Nothing is more detrimental to our witness than for Christians to be at odds with one another. As mentioned above in John 13:35, our love is evidence to a lost world that our salvation is real. It is evidence that the power of God can forgive and blend those together that seem so different. How are we going to convince others that we love Christ, and they should too if there is not proof of love within the church?
Philippians 1:9 “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;”
I challenge you as a child of God to love more. Love others by praying for them. Love others by getting to know them and making them a part of your life. If they are weak in their faith that is even more reason for you to extend love to them. Don’t allow our differences to cause division, but allow our love to be greater than our differences. We all need love, and we are commanded to love by word and by deed.
