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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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1 John 4:21
Comments
Not only is love for God not genuine unless it is also expressed to fellow believers, but we have a specific commandment to love our brother also. Christ summarises the law with two great commandments based on love – love to God, and love to our neighbour; both must go together. Moreover, Christ has made his love for his disciples a pattern which he has commanded us to imitate. Because of this it becomes an expression of our love to God that we too love the brethren, for God has deliberately linked the two commandments together. He himself finds fault with a love that is directed only to him and which excludes our brother, for he can never be flattered by our partiality. Within such love there is really much pride at work, for it wants to be treated as a special case and thinks it is entitled to define itself.
Application
The exclusion of our brother from our love is an act of hostility towards God, who loves all his children. It is his purpose that his children should be united and this cannot be done if we do not love one another, for only love can build the unity which he seeks.
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