Have Intense Love for One Another

“Have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.—1 Pet. 4:8.

In his first letter to fellow Christians the apostle John refers to God’s love in sending his Son to deliver mankind and he shows that Christians are to imitate this expression of love. This is not a matter of choice but is really an obligation that we have, to love one another.

He says: “Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another.” (1 John 4:11) So here John emphasizes the importance of Jesus’ “new” commandment. (John 13:34, 35) Christians should be exemplary in showing love to one another. Jehovah himself has set the example in showing principled love to his earthly children. So, as obedient children, and as God’s servants, we should follow that example and show love, not only for Jehovah God, but for one another.

John again confirms this obligation and shows the seriousness of the matter, at 1 John 4:20 and 21, where he writes: “If anyone makes the statement: ‘I love God,’ and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that the one who loves God should be loving his brother also.”

So this matter of showing love, self-sacrificing love, for one’s Christian brother or sister is a very serious thing, because thereby we show that we love Jehovah God himself. Who is our visible brother whom we are to love? Well, we cannot limit him to someone of the same race, the same color or the same nationality, can we?

Rather, our brother is our fellow servant of Jehovah in the local Christian congregation, or in any other congregation of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses throughout the earth. He is our brother in the faith. (Gal. 3:26-28) So we are obligated by Jehovah’s love to have intense love for our Christian brothers.

As an organization today, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses show such love for one another. There is no fighting between national groups; there is no racial bias or hatred. And this is as it should be. The mark of true Christianity is definitely there in the organization. But the question is: How are we as individuals doing in this matter of showing love for our Christian brothers?

Are we individually displaying true love for one another? Do we individually have intense love for one another? In this respect it is good for each one to examine himself according to the standard set out in Jehovah’s Word. Yes, as Paul said: “Keep testing whether you are in the faith, keep proving what you yourselves are.”—2 Cor. 13:5.

We have learned from the words of Jesus, and also from John, that love for our brothers is a necessary Christian quality. It is not something we could call optional; love is not something we can practice only when it is convenient. Rather, the command from Jesus for his disciples to love one another is really a royal law, one that should influence all our actions.

Neither can we limit our love to just a few close associates in the congregation, but, rather, our love should reach out to include the entire association of brothers in all parts of the earth. Just as Peter wrote: “Have love for the whole association of brothers.” (1 Pet. 2:17) How important it is, then, that we do not limit our love but that we reach out to include the entire association of brothers.

Have a great day