How Can We Love Each Other More?

How can we love each other more? What an important question that each New Testament Christian should ask. The bond we have together in Christ is most wonderful and overwhelming. One that transcends national, ethnic, and even family boundaries. This bond was made possible by the bounty of the Savior’s blood and we must not forget that. With this great love shown to all of us, we must seek to love one another more, and certainly not less.

We Can Love Each Other More by Being Peacemakers

Contention causes strife. We must be so determined to make peace. Jesus preached, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God" (Matt. 5:6). Peacemaking is not merely being a peaceful person. A negligent peaceful person can often bury their head in the sand and ignore serious issues. To be a peacemaker is to see a problem and find a way to solve it.

If we love each other, we will listen to our brethren. We learn a lot about what troubles members of the church when we listen to their hurts, concerns, or sins against them real and perceived. Remember we need not give an ear to gossip, and we must discern what that is and what that it is not. Some helpful questions to ask when we think it might be bordering on gossip are, "Have you talked to them about this?" or "Do you think this sounds like gossip?" The Proverbs read, “For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth” (Pro 26:20). Simple questions help us think about the way we approach things. A peacemaker truly shows love by acknowledging, ascertaining, advocating, and advancing solutions to issues among brethren.

We Can Love Each Other More by Forgiving One Another

            God's Word calls us to be forgiving people. We extend forgiveness to our brethren, not a mere seven times, but seventy times seven, not a literal number but a perpetual forgiveness predicated on repentance (cf. Matt. 18:21ff, Matt. 18:15-20, Luke 17:3-4). The Spirit adds,

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you”

(Ephesians 4:32).

Forgiveness requires us to show compassion, care, and commitment to a return to peace among each other. This does not mean we do not have residual damages that have occurred from a sin. We may no longer have the closest relationship with someone who had erred against us. However, if it is possible we should do our best to have the closest relationship we can with our brother or sister for whom Christ died. It takes a lot to say I'm sorry, we need to be able to say that. It takes a lot to say I forgive you when someone says they're sorry. We need to be able to say that to each other. When we do the love of the church grows.

We Can Love Each Other More by Our Willingness to Die

            Are you willing to die for your brother or sister? It depends right? What are the circumstances? The reality is that it depends on your faithfulness to God. The circumstances are those which you chose when you obeyed the Gospel. First, we continue to die to ourselves. The Apostle Paul affirmed that he was able to eat anything clean or unclean which was scripturally accurate and remains so today. However, Paul was unwilling to assert his liberty to eat at the cost of his brother. He explains,

Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge ye this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock in his brother's way, or an occasion of falling. I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself: save that to him who accounteth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of meat thy brother is grieved, thou walkest no longer in love. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died.

(Romans 14:13-15)

Paul was unwilling to destroy his brother over his own liberty. He also taught this to the Corinthians.

But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to the weak. For if a man see thee who hast knowledge sitting at meat in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And thus, sinning against the brethren, and wounding their conscience when it is weak, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat causeth my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh for evermore, that I cause not my brother to stumble. 

(1 Cor 8:9-13)

In small matters, we must be willing to sacrifice our own liberty for the sake of our brethren. If we wound a conscience of one willingly it is a sin against Christ. May we ever have the attitude of Paul, who learned from Christ the willingness to die for a brother.

Jesus showed us the perfect example of love and he commands that love for one another.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you. No longer do I call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I heard from my Father, I have made known unto you. Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye may love one another.

How can we love each other more, the answer is simple. To love each other more, we love Jesus more, and become more like Him

Grace and Peace,

R.D. Beavers