In our series of responsibilities, brotherly love is next in our text in I Peter. When we are born physically, we come into a family. When we are “born again,” we receive a spiritual family. In I Peter 1:23, we are born the first time of a corruptible seed. Before Adam and Eve sinned, they were perfect. In this original state, they would have never died. The original state of mankind was “heaven on earth.” Once mankind sinned, the death sentence was given. In Genesis 3:19, God pronounces the punishment for their sin against Him. “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” From this moment onward, the body would deteriorate. This was the corruptible seed. However, this new birth in Jesus gives us an incorruptible seed that will live forever in Heaven, where, once again, everything is perfect. This new birth brings a new family. Within the family of God, we are to exercise brotherly love.
I Peter 1:22-23 “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
This new birth will yield an “unfeigned love of the brethren.” The word unfeigned means sincere, pure, and free from any pretense. It is genuine, not fake. After the new birth, we will sincerely love our brothers and sisters in Christ. This word love is “phila” in the Greek. It means brotherly love or love for the family. It is a love built more on emotions and feelings. This second word, love, used in the phrase “love one another” is “agapao.” This is a godly love. It is a love that is not based on emotion but on the will. We decide to love our brethren. It is a choice given by God but also a command by God. With these two types of love exercised, we find a genuine love for other Christians that has emotions and feelings but is guided by a decision of the will to love. In this new family, we can obey or disobey. God’s desire is for us to love in a way that prefers the welfare of others rather than what pleases us. He gives us this directive in I Corinthians 13:5, “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” In a “me first” world, this command to love in a way that thinks of the other person before we do ourselves is considered strange or wrong. The world teaches that we must love ourselves and put ourselves first.
God says to love others first, and I will take care of you. II Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” We must have a humble spirit desiring to care for our brethren. It is never to be done for a show but out of love. Matthew 23:12 “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” We can do this because verse 22 teaches us, “we have purified our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.” It is not our own power but the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us when we experience the new birth.
In verse 22, we exercise or demonstrate this love with a pure heart fervently. This kind of love can only come from a heart that is loving God in the proper way. We must love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is commanded by Jesus in Matthew 22:37. If you do not love God supremely, you will not be able to love your brethren the way God intended.
Matthew 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.”
When we are born again, we will love the brethren. It is not always an easy task, but it is possible because the love of God resides within us. It is possible because we have a new Spirit living within us, prompting, reminding, and convicting us when we do not exercise brotherly love that pleases the Father. We see in I John 5:1 that all who place their faith in Jesus are born of God. All that love God will love those that are of God. We love what God loves!
I John 5:1-2 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”
Now, it is time to examine our own hearts. How much do you love the brethren? Do you spend more time criticizing than you do praying for your brethren? Do you show partiality by doing for some but refusing to do for others? Do you allow your differences in culture, ethnicity, education, or economic status to determine how you treat other believers? It is time for the body of Christ to exercise its love for one another and show the whole world the difference Jesus makes. We are to seek to be like Jesus, not like other people, and not like the world.
