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Brethren, Love One Another

November 13, 2005

Love is a command

1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Love is an action verb

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.

Fervent love in the church

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity [love] among yourselves (in the local church): for charity [love] shall cover the multitude of sins.

Forbearing one another in love

Ephesians 4:1-2 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye are called (to His kingdom and glory 1Thes.2:12), 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.

Everything must be done in love

1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity [or love].

Without love all that is done is wasted

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

The source of our love

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

God’s love toward us

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We love one another

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Love defined

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Charity suffereth long [patient], and is kind; charity envieth not [not jealous]; charity vaunteth not itself [it makes no boast], is not puffed up [proud or arrogant], 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly [it is not rude], seeketh not her own [it is not self-centered], is not easily provoked [not easily angered or offended], thinketh no evil [it keeps no record of wrongs]; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity [unrighteousness], but rejoiceth in the truth (no compromise w/ sin, love has boundries) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Love is a servant of the truth

3 John 1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

Love is a commitment

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

Love is not based on feelings

Luke 6:27,32 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, (how?) do good to them which hate you, 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank [grace] have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

A love that is rewarded greatly

Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

We already love ourselves too much

Ephesians 5:29 “.. no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it…”

2 Timothy 3:2 “… men shall be lovers of their own selves…”

Give some love to your neighbor

Matthew 22:39 “…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

Love others by putting them before yourself

Philippians 2:2-3 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

Love is not ONLY a heart issue it is outward

John 21:17 He [Jesus] saith unto him…Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee (you know my heart Lord). Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep (show me you love outwardly).

Love is displayed visibly in good works

1 John 3:16-18 Hereby perceive we the love of God (How?), because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Faith works by love

Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

A dead faith

James 2:15-17 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works (of love), is dead, being alone (without works of love).

Our faith and love go together

Ephesians 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints.

Colossians 1:4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints

It is a breastplate that needs to be put on

1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

Put on love

Colossians 3:14 And above all these things put on charity [love], which is the bond of perfectness (“the bond of unity” NASB; “binds everything together in perfect harmony” RSV)

Fruit of the Spirit is love

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit (outward for others to enjoy) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

If you love God then love the brethren

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?

Who are the brethren?

Luke 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

Do not forget whom your loving

Matthew 25:35 'for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 'I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous [the sheep that inherit the kingdom, v.34] will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 'When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 'Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

A love that is not forgotten

Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

The testimony of love

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