Brotherly Love
1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted
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As we progress through Paul’s epistle to the believers in Thessalonica, we move on from his instruction on purity in chapter 4 verses 1-8, to that of brotherly love in verses 9-10. The order in which Paul gives his instruction is important: we cannot be the kind of blessing and help to others that we ought to be, if we have not first corrected and judged ourselves!
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
If we skip or avoid the step of judging ourselves in the area of purity, we are, in a sense, seeking to build a sturdy building without a foundation.
Though these words were spoken in the context of a church, Paul’s instruction in 1 Corinthians is still applicable to personal holiness.
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
The Thessalonians were heavily engaged in spiritual warfare. The devil was seeking to destroy them using unbelievers to persecute them, and Paul knew that if they were to “abound more and more,” they would need to be pure and holy for God to use them and strengthen them. That is no less imperative for us tonight. We must be willing to judge ourselves, and ask God to make/keep us personally and corporately pure. Our spiritual victory depends upon it.
But immediately after reminding his readers that “God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness,” Paul turns briefly to the topic of brotherly love. Though he does not write many words on the topic in this passage, I would like us to spend some time studying what the New Testament tells us about brotherly love.
I. Brotherly Love is Natural
I. Brotherly Love is Natural
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
A. “Ye need not”
A. “Ye need not”
Paul didn’t waste words, and of course neither does the Holy Spirit who inspired this epistle. These believers already knew about brotherly love; they already knew it was important. As Paul says, God taught them.
1 John 3:14-18
If you’re saved tonight, it is natural for you to love the brethren (fellow believers). It isn’t something you have to force. And if it ISN’T natural for you to love the believers, that is a strong indication that you may not be saved!
1 John 4:7-8
Inherited traits are fascinating things. It’s so interesting to see children display mannerisms of their parents, especially when you can tell those things aren’t trained. It’s natural for them to do so, because they were begotten by their parents. And it is just as natural for saints to love the brethren, because they have been born again; they have inherited spiritual traits from their Heavenly Father! Do you have this natural trait from the Heavenly Father? It is natural for those who are truly saved.
B. “Taught of God”
B. “Taught of God”
There are many truths that we know only because they are recorded in Scripture for us to read and learn. But brotherly love isn’t one of them. Paul epistle to Thessalonica is Scripture, but this young church didn’t need his letter to know that brotherly love is important. The fact that God teaches His children to love each other is an indication of how important it is!
Can we spend a moment appreciating how critical it is for spiritual brethren to love each other? Love is so important, it may perhaps be described as a “foundational element” of God’s very character. God is so concerned that we learn and apply it, He teaches it to His children directly! May God help us NEVER to be casual or flippant with things that God has taught us!!
C. “Increase more and more”
C. “Increase more and more”
Just because something comes naturally to us doesn’t mean we do it. We can retrain ourselves to eliminate bad habits or inefficiencies in our behavior. In spiritual things, if we aren’t walking with God and submitting ourselves to His Spirit day by day, we won’t do the things that we already know to do. As church members sit in the pew and hear familiar truths, it’s unwise to think, “I already know that,” and tune out the preacher. Frequent reminders are helpful…even critical. Ask yourself, “Am I increasing more and more in this area?” The Thessalonians already knew brotherly love was important; God had taught them that. But they still needed to increase more and more, and so the Holy Spirit led Paul to write to them about it. And so do we.
II. Brotherly Love is Recognizable
II. Brotherly Love is Recognizable
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Word = “message.” Tongue = “language, words.”
Love is easy to say; it is easy to claim. But loving in deed and in truth is not always easy. How can we know if we are? How can we recognize love towards the brethren? 1 Corinthians 13 gives us many traits of love.
You’ve probably heard that there are different Greek words for different applications of love. (Three most common are eros, fileo, agape.) If you study the uses of these words in the Bible, I believe you’ll see that while fileo is brotherly love and is commendable, it isn’t the same quality of love as agape. Agape is the kind of love that Christ demonstrated by dying to pay for our sins. Agape is an unconditional, self-sacrificing love.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:9, Paul says, “For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.” This is the verb form of “agape” love that he is talking about here! A Christ-like love that is directed toward fellow believers is what Paul is instructing them to “increase more and more.”
In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul writes about “charity.” This also is agape love, and it is recognizable.
A. Charity is irreplaceable
A. Charity is irreplaceable
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 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, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
B. Charity is others-seeking
B. Charity is others-seeking
Not self-seeking!
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
C. Charity is under control
C. Charity is under control
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Charity is given freely and intentionally. It isn’t a bargaining chip or a means of manipulation. When it is given as a gift, the giver cannot “get burned” or lose in that exchange. No matter what results your charity to others brings, when you give it intentionally as a gift, your Heavenly Father is glorified!
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, 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 whatsoever I command you.
D. Charity has Godly values
D. Charity has Godly values
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
True charity cannot endorse or participate in the sins of others. It cannot rejoice at the calamity of others. (We may rejoice when the forces of evil are destroyed, but when people are destroyed along with it, we should mourn! God loves the world.)
E. Charity is faithful
E. Charity is faithful
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
“Fair weather charity” isn’t true charity. God isn’t a “fair weather” God. When we love because we are of God, our love will be faithful. Is yours?
F. Charity is always relevant
F. Charity is always relevant
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Prophecies are fulfilled; prophecies are forgotten. Tongues cease and die off. Knowledge is forsaken and lost. But charity never fails. It is always relevant, always needed, always blessed. It has never been more needed than it is today, because it is always needed!
G. Charity is pre-eminent
G. Charity is pre-eminent
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Child of God, what role does charity play in your life? Do you love in deed and in truth? Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church, beseeching them that they love each other with this Christ-like, agape love. Do we? If we do, it will be recognizable.
III. Brotherly Love is Purposeful
III. Brotherly Love is Purposeful
And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
“Toward all.” That doesn’t happen by accident! “That ye increase more and more...” That also doesn’t happen by accident!
Beseech: same Greek word as “exhort” in 4:1. “Urging, imploring for your sake.”
When we love the brethren in deed and in truth, we are loving with purposeful action. Brotherly love is not just hanging out at the same potluck, or just shaking hands at church. It is purposeful, and often this means that it is engaged in the battle against sin.
A. Avoiding offenses
A. Avoiding offenses
1 Cor. 8:1-4
If we have knowledge that protects us from believing falsehoods—i.e. idols are supernatural beings—we are better off! However, that knowledge doesn’t give us the permission to offend brethren without the knowledge.
1 Cor. 8:7-13
Are you willing to “slow down” so that your brother in Christ can keep up? This is one way to demonstrate brotherly love. We avoid offenses.
B. Resolving offenses
B. Resolving offenses
Matt. 18:15-17
Every child of God is precious, and true charity loves others as oneself!
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
When a brother commits a trespass, love doesn’t say, “I can’t wait for God to judge them!” Love seeks to resolve the offense. Love seeks repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. That’s how Christ loves us.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Do you avoid the resolving of offenses? Do you enact vengeance? Neither of these behaviors demonstrate brotherly love. And if the brethren don’t love each other, it may mean that they aren’t truly brethren, because the Father is love. When believers don’t love each other, it will mean that the devil will gain an advantage over God’s people.
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
C. Forgiving offenses
C. Forgiving offenses
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
In the same context as confronting trespasses, Peter asks the Lord about the limit on forgiveness. And Christ makes it clear that there is none!
Isn’t it sad that love has to be exhibited in so many negative situations? This is the impact of sin. But it is in the presence of sin that we have God’s greatest demonstration of His love!
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Forgiveness is one half of restoration. Repentance is the other half. Without both parts, there is no restoration.
It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
If the sinner refuses to repent, they will be judged by God eventually. If the wronged party refuses to forgive, they will become bitter, and also will be judged by God for their sin.
Do you forgive others? If you struggle with forgiving others, you have a spiritual problem. Your relationship may not be restored without their repentance, but you may still forgive them in your heart and give their sin against you over to God. He has forgiven you an eternal debt, which is infinitely more serious than anything another person can do against you.
Brotherly love is purposeful. It avoids offenses, it seeks to resolve offenses, and it forgives offenses. If you claim to love the brethren but you don’t do these things, your love is counterfeit.
1 Thess. 4:9-10 says this:
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
These Thessalonians loved ALL the brethren in every part (all) of Macedonia! However, they still needed to increase more and more. And so do we. It is natural, but it is not automatic. It is recognizable, because it is like the Father. And it is purposeful, because we live in a sin-cursed world, and each of us with a sinful nature. True brotherly love—charity—has plenty of opportunities to be extended. Do we love the brethren? May God help us to increase more and more!