To Brotherly Kindness Love

Love
From a lesson by Alan Hitchen
2 Peter 1:5-7
"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love"

To Brotherly Kindness Love

As man has taken dominion over the earth, he occasionally finds that there are things in the way of what he has in mind to do. Friction is a good example of this problem. As man has sought to take dominion over God's gifts of electricity, oil, and natural gas, he has found that when he seeks to make things turn very fast, things begin to get hot, as they get hot, they increase in size, which generates even greater friction. Soon the new invention lies in ruin. The path to dominion for the electric and gas-powered motors was blocked by friction. Man had to devise a method by which friction could be removed. He found that God had created certain elements that could be used to lubricate the metals or plastics, and reduce friction to a manageable degree. Man has found that grease, oil, graphite, silicone and other things will keep the things that have to move against each other from binding, squeaking, overheating, and breaking down.

When we move into human relationships, we find exactly the same thing. When people are forced to work together, there are going to be friction points. This is especially true with things that lead to strong convictions. Our own proverb: "don't argue about politics or religion" is a testimony to the kind of friction that often develops with clashes of ideas.

All of us have been called from the darkness into His marvelous light.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Pet 2:9-10

We saw in Isaiah last week how God chooses to characterize the type of personalities will come out of this darkness. God prophesies there will be people who have the characteristics of the wolf, lamb, leopard, young goat, calf, young lion, fatling, little child, cow, bear, lion, ox, nursing child, cobra, weaned child, viper. Isa 11:6-10

There is going to be gridlock in all congregations of God's people unless all of us develop the spiritual and emotional lubricants that God has created to help us deal with our personality problems and our former conviction problems. Peter tells them that we must add these things to our faith or we will be idle, unfruitful, shortsighted, and blind. II Pet 1:5-9

Have we added brotherly kindness and love to our faith yet? Do we understand the grave necessity that we gain it if we are going to make the right decisions that will keep the peace of the church?

Despite our divergent backgrounds emotional weaknesses and foolish notions gained from the darkness, God expected us to all get along together.

"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:20-21

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. 1 Cor 1:10

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph 4:1-3

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Ps 133:1

God offers us the means to have this unity. It comes by standing on what He says as the truth (keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace), and not going beyond. it. I Cor 4:6;

It comes from speaking as the oracles of God speak. I Pet 4:11

It also comes by gaining the emotional equilibrium that comes by adding brotherly kindness and love. Look again at Eph 4:1-3. "all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, Eph 4:1-3

Contrast this with what we bring from the darkness.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. Eph 4:31-32

We overcome the old man with the new. In this way we get rid of our impatient, rude, obnoxious, and violent behavior.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Col 3:12-15

These are the spiritual and emotional lubricants we must/have gain(ed) if we are to add brotherly kindness and love to our faith. They will help us through the highly stressful situations that can arise as we are all forced to work together and live together. They will keep us from becoming cynical and calloused against others.

We must learn brotherly kindness, love, compassion, tender pity, and mercy.

Jesus had it on the cross. Lk 23:33
Stephen the martyr had it Acts 7:60
Paul the persecuted. Rom 9:1-3; 10:1-3
Jesus command to us. John 13:34-35
We can even love for our enemies. Mt 5:43-48
The weightier matters. Mt 23:23
Sometimes we just have to let it go and let God deal with it. Ps 37:1-11

Top