One of the benefits of being a Christian is being a part of the body of Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.) We have the opportunity to be a part of a great group of people. We have the opportunity to have brothers and sisters in Christ that we would normally not have. It is an opportunity to have fellowship with others of the like faith.
But it is our command from God that we love our brethren in the body of Christ.
1 John 4:21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Loving our brothers and sisters in Christ is so important. God commanded us to love one another so we should obviously do as He has commanded. But there are other reasons we should love one another.
Loving our brethren distinguishes us as a follower of God. Those that wear the name of Christ are to be different from others in the world.
John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love is also the foundation of the gospel message. The basis of Jesus’ message here on earth was love. God sacrificed His son, a sinless man, because of His love for us. We need to imitate this love from our Heavenly Father in our lives today. Show love to all, but especially to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ!
1 John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
