Brotherly Love

In 2 Peter 1:5-8, Peter expresses the components of a vital, effective faith. He calls us to add goodness to our faith, knowledge to our goodness, self-control to our knowledge, perseverance to our self-control, godliness to our perseverance, brotherly kindness to our godliness, and love to our brotherly kindness. What is brotherly kindness?

Brotherly kindness, or better, brotherly love is the kind of love one has for their brothers and sisters. It is that kind of love that sticks together through thick and then. Brotherly love was a common expectation in the ancient world, much like today, although it wasn't practiced any more back then than it is today. It was a common enough problem that it is addressed by several writers in the New Testament (See Heb. 13:1, Rom. 12:10, and 1Pet. 1:22).

First John 3:11-18, helps us to understand the nature of brotherly love. John reminds us that the Christian message is rooted in love. We should love one another just as God loved us. We are now his children, and that makes us family.

John commands, "Don't be like Cain" (see 1 John 3:12). Why? Because Cain belonged to the evil one, he murdered his brother, and he was an evil doer. His hatred of his brother marked Cain as a son of the devil. The mark of God's children is love. The devil hates and murders; God loves and redeems. This dichotomy drives the tension between God's people and the world. God's people seek to do right and please God. The devil's people seek to do evil and disobey God. 

If Cain teaches us to understand hate, how are we to understand love? John tells us that we know what love is because Jesus' death. Love sacrifices itself. It gives to others, before taking for itself. John gives a practical example of how this plays out for believers: the will to help those in need. Those who don't want to help others, don't really show (or possess) the love of God. Our love is to be in word and deed.

The mark of the Christian is love. Love for God, and love for our fellow believers. Love isn't just what we are called to do, it is who we are. It is deeply ingrained in our spiritual DNA. Do you love your brothers? What are some of the ways you show it? Leave a comment, I would love to hear from you.