“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another…” (1 Thessalonians 4:9).
Paul told the Thessalonians, “But concerning brotherly love … you yourselves are taught by God to love one another” (1 Thess. 4:9). And in verse 10 the Apostle Paul further exhorted the Thessalonians to grow in their love for one another when he wrote, “But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more…” There is always room for believers to love one another more comprehensively. Nevertheless, if we are truly redeemed by Christ then we will show genuine love because the love of God has been shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Concerning love, Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). If we are truly Christians, we will “fervently love one another from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).
Love is a test of our genuine faith, and the Bible teaches that genuine love demonstrates that we have passed from darkness to light (1 John 3:14-15), are truly born of God (1 John 4:7), and that God abides in us and we abide in God (1 John 4:12-13). The Apostle John also described the characteristic of love as being sacrificial and practical when he wrote, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:16-18).
Do you love other believers in practical ways or are you cold and indifferent when you see others in need? Are you willing to part with your time, talents, and treasures to care for other members of Christ’s body? Do you look forward to having fellowship with other believers in order to edify and encourage one another? Our love towards others will not be perfect in this life, nevertheless genuine love wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit will, without a doubt, manifest itself to others. Do you have genuine faith that is manifest by a genuine love towards others? “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).
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