Christians are called to be set apart for God, a people who will not be like the people of the world. Of course we all eat the same food, live in the same neighbourhoods, and shop at the same supermarkets. But we should know that there are some things that believers in the Lord Jesus have that those who don't believe don't have.
One of them is the ability to love with the love that we receive from Christ.
With this love we receive from the Lord Jesus, we are enabled to show the distinguishing sign that is the key characteristic that all believers should show – for the whole world to see. What it this?
Genuine, sincere, unselfish Christ-like love for our fellow believers.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35 MEV)
A Christ-Like Love
Friends, we are called by God to love one another. Yes, we're called to give the love of God to those who don't know Him.
However, we forget the distinguishing characteristic by which the world will know that we are truly Christ's followers: The way we love our fellow believers.
Many Christians today are blinded by the "love conquers all" mindset that accepts everyone without discernment, appreciates every person without rejecting sinful lifestyles, encourages everyone including their ungodly ways of living, and throws arms wide open to embrace all people of all belief systems in the name of "reaching out."
This is not about not loving others (We should love those outside the church since we were at one time one of them). What I am trying to emphasise here is that if we who believe fail to love our brethren, then our love for those who don't believe will be pure hypocrisy. We should love those who belong to the family of faith because they're our family in God.
Family First
Think about it, friends. If we don't love our brother and sister in church and then reach out to an unchurched person, doesn't that reek a stench of fakeness? It's like saying you love your neighbour but hate your own flesh-and-blood sibling. Yes, that's what it is.
God is Father to us. We are children to Him. Every other child of God is brother or sister to us, and God expects us to love them with all their frailties and imperfections. We're all dependent on the grace of God anyway, and so God will help us love our fellow believers.
A Challenge To Love
Friends, I urge you, love our fellow believers. Pray for them. Love them with the love you receive from Christ. Those who don't know Jesus will know He is loving through the love we who follow Him have for each other.
