The Law of Love: Love Your Brother

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

Christ’s people are to show each other a special kind of love. You’re supposed to do for other people whatever you’d want someone to do for you. You’re also expected to do for your brothers and sisters in Christ what you’d never dream of asking anyone to do for you.

Our model is the kind of sacrificial and humble love demonstrated by Christ Jesus

“Who, being in very nature God,
  did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
  taking the very nature of a servant,
  being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
  he humbled himself
  and became obedient to death—
    even death on a cross!” (Phil 2:6-8)

That’s a high standard, but that’s the life to which we are called. What does that look like in practice? It is what some call the New Testament’s “one anothers”. For example:

Wash one another’s feet. (John 13:14)
Honor one another above yourselves. (Rom 12:10)
Serve one another in love. (Gal 5:13)
Carry each other’s burdens (Gal 6:2)
Be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Eph 4:2)
Be kind and compassionate to one another. (Eph 4:32)
Forgive each other. (Eph 4:32)
Bear with each other. (Col 3:13)
Spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Heb 10:24)
Encourage one another. (Heb 10:25)
Pray for each other. (James 5:16)
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1Pet 4:9)

It’s the high calling of humility where you “value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Phil 2:4). This attitude pleases God who “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

When we live like this, we not only honor Christ, we proclaim Christ to the world. As Jesus prayed to his Father, “Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23).

In giving us this command, Christ Jesus did not ask us to do anything he hasn’t already done himself. When we live this out, we honor him, we build each other up, and we show to the world around us that the gospel is true.


Part of Christianity 102