Chapter 4
1Thess 4:9-10
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
Here we find ourselves at the attribute that “should” define us, “should” define Christians, “should” be our mark on the rest of the world… (I speak this coming from a bigly failed position in this area in my life)
I speak of “love”, “brother love”: love of the brethren – i.e. fellow members of the body of Christ.
Christ said in the Gospels: (John 15:12, 17) “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. ... These things I command you, that ye love one another.”
“Love” is a big deal.
Love of the brethren is a big deal – it is a special bond – when you find someone who is a fellow believer in the saving blood of Christ, your demeanor changes, you are more welcoming, you connect – you have a common Saviour.
Paul says in Romans: “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”(Rom 12:10)
In First Corinthians 13, he lays out the attributes of love/charity (I will print them again they are that good):
1Cor 13:4-8
Love of the brethren is a big deal – it is a special bond – when you find someone who is a fellow believer in the saving blood of Christ, your demeanor changes, you are more welcoming, you connect – you have a common Saviour.
Paul says in Romans: “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”(Rom 12:10)
In First Corinthians 13, he lays out the attributes of love/charity (I will print them again they are that good):
1Cor 13:4-8
(I know I use these verse too much)
Love/Charity suffers long (longsuffering),
Love/Charity suffers long (longsuffering),
it is kind,
doesn’t envy,
doesn’t boasts of itself or self-promoting,
not puffed up (prideful and vain),
not indecent,
not selfish,
not easily provoked (hair triggered),
doesn’t think evil,
rejoices not in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth (i.e. God’s word and the things that accompany his direction in that word),
suffers all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things…
And Paul ends Chapter 13 with this:
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1Cor 13:13)
The very first attribute of the “fruit of the Spirit” is “love” and the rest of the attributes follow: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal 5:22-23)
All the Law is fulfilled in this: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Gal 5:14)
And this doesn’t come naturally. I say that because he says in Chapter 4 verse 9 of First Thessalonians “for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” – they had to be taught it….we had to be taught it….we are still learning it…and taught “of God”. Look at where we were before:
Titus 3:3
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
And then….
Titus 3:4-7
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
To complement Titus:
Rom 5:5-11 (I know I use these verse too much)
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
(commend: to represent as worthy of notice, regard, or kindness; to speak in favor of; to recommend)
We have our motivation.
Love is an action and a choice, feelings may be in there but you choose to love and your actions follow. And we should love the brethren in Christ more.
The Thessalonians made the choice and acted. It was known throughout Macedonia (verse 9) – And Paul is exhorting, encouraging them to continue to grow in that love – “that ye increase more and more”.
Grace and Peace James
Love you brother
And Paul ends Chapter 13 with this:
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1Cor 13:13)
The very first attribute of the “fruit of the Spirit” is “love” and the rest of the attributes follow: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal 5:22-23)
All the Law is fulfilled in this: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Gal 5:14)
And this doesn’t come naturally. I say that because he says in Chapter 4 verse 9 of First Thessalonians “for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” – they had to be taught it….we had to be taught it….we are still learning it…and taught “of God”. Look at where we were before:
Titus 3:3
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
And then….
Titus 3:4-7
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
To complement Titus:
Rom 5:5-11 (I know I use these verse too much)
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
(commend: to represent as worthy of notice, regard, or kindness; to speak in favor of; to recommend)
We have our motivation.
Love is an action and a choice, feelings may be in there but you choose to love and your actions follow. And we should love the brethren in Christ more.
The Thessalonians made the choice and acted. It was known throughout Macedonia (verse 9) – And Paul is exhorting, encouraging them to continue to grow in that love – “that ye increase more and more”.
Grace and Peace James
Love you brother
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