Join... to brotherly affection, love

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Join... to brotherly affection, love

Join to your faith, virtue ; to virtue, knowledge ; to knowledge, self-control ; to self-control, patience ; to patience, piety ; to piety, brotherly affection ; and to brotherly affection, love. 2 Peter 1: 5-7

You might be wondering what the difference is between brotherly affection and love. It is true that these two qualities are quite similar. Let us say that brotherly affection is love within the family of faith, while in our verse love extends to all humans. This is, of course, the love of God... poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5: 5) and not a vague feeling, varying according to our moods or circumstances.

You are a son or daughter of the God of love, so it is normal that you love others without distinction, that you love them not only in word but in deed and in truth. The Lord himself has declared that if we love those who love us, we do no better than the unbelievers. He adds : I say to you : Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you ; thus you will be the children of your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5: 44,45).

You may have heard of Corry Ten Boom, this Christian woman who saw her sister die next to her in a concentration camp. Well, after the war she had the courage to shake hands with her sister's executioner and murderer. She forgave him because she had the love of God within herself.

It is out of love for your neighbor that you present to him the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ, so that he may escape eternal perdition. You also do it out of love for the Lord who has entrusted you with this mission of sowing for him. The love that you show gives credibility to the Gospel that you proclaim.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)