Biblical Love in the Church

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Romans 12:10

The Lord Jesus in John 13:34,35 have taught his disciples to unconditionally love one another according to the will of GOD. Paul, in writing to the church in Romans, expands with specific details as to how we need to live this life in the local church. Love binds brethren together; it is the spiritual glue that fuses the church together; the fire that warms the heart of every member. Without the type of love God refers to, we are doomed to a loveless and meaningless existence within the local church. What does Paul teach as to how we are to love one another?

We are to cherish one another

As children are cherished by parents and parents by children. ‘Be kindly affectioned’. Affections refer to the feeling of love among brethren. We are not to only love one another in the local church, we are to cherish and treasure each other as being family members, and to have the appropriate feeling of love towards each other. Just as a child would choose parents above outside friends, the church member would cherish believers that GOD have joined in the same assembly.

We are to cherish one another in brotherly love

Love – This is the most natural expression of biblical love, that in the name of the Lord Jesus, we are brothers and sisters in the Lord and therefore, it is only natural for us to have an affection of love for and a delight in the brethren God has graciously set within our pathways. This kind affection is not to be tied to emotionalism but to practical brotherly love which manifests itself in practical deeds of care. The apostle John teaches us in My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18.

We are to show respect for one another and always esteem one another better than ourselves.

“In honour preferring one another” We are to have honour, respect for each other. Preferring one another. The word
preferring has the idea of a friendly competition of seeing who can be ahead of the other. The phrase tells us that we are to always be in the lead when it comes to honouring one another: we need to be constantly ahead when it comes to honouring each other: bro. Jimmy is always better than me; bro. Wong is always so concern for the welfare of the youth; sis Wing is always so capable. We must always be in the front when it comes to exalting another Christian, always esteeming them better than ourselves.

This is the apostolic teaching, this is the way of the Lord and this is GOD’s will of how we are to relate to one another in the local church, as brethren in Christ. Bought by the blood of the Lamb, we are ever to remember our kinship in Christ. Lord we will be kindly affectioned one towards another in brotherly love and in love preferring one another. Lord give us grace to we may do so.