The foulest, vilest, most wretched member of the human race has hopefully been loved at some time by someone—a mother, father, sister, brother, friend, or sweetheart. Just as a baby cannot survive without milk, so a human being cannot survive long without love.
Thirteenth-century Roman Emperor Frederick II allegedly experimented with infants, isolating them from the speech of any human being. A historian recounted the experiment thusly:
“He wanted to find out what kind of speech children would have when they grew up if they spoke to no one beforehand. So, he bade foster mothers and nurses to suckle the children, to bathe and wash them, but in no way to prattle with them or speak to them, for he wanted to learn whether they would speak Hebrew, Greek, Latin or Arabic, or perhaps the language of their parents. But he labored in vain, because the children all died. They could not live without the caressing and joyful faces and loving words of their fathers and mothers.”
Just as the children of that inhumane experiment could not long survive without kind words and loving interaction of other human beings, so the church of the living God will not thrive without members who have intentionally added to their faith loving kindness. The word Peter employs here is from a Greek word that is almost identical to the English word Philadelphia, brotherly love. Sometimes it is used almost interchangeably with agapao, the Greek word for the highest kind of love, as in I Thess. 4:9 and I Pet. 1:22. In each of these two verses, both words are used, Philadelphia first (brotherly kindness) and agapao second (God-like love). The word in II Peter 1:7 is translated “brotherly kindness,” and the basis for all brotherly kindness or brotherly love is the love that originates in the heart of God and is inextricably a part of His nature, agapao love.
It is instructive to note the commands, the character, and the consequences of brotherly kindness:
(1) The commands:
⇒“Be ye kindly affectioned one toward another with brotherly love.” (Romans 12:10);
⇒“But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” (I Thess.4:9);
⇒”Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” (I Pet.1:22)
Jesus said that our loving kindness toward the brethren would be like a badge whereby “shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one toward another.” (John 13:35) An unbelieving Greek wrote of Christians in about 120-200 A.D.: “It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that religion help each other in their wants. They spare nothing. Their leader (Jesus) has put it into their heads that they are brethren.”
(2) The character:
⇒It can be costly: As John said that as Christ laid down His life for us, “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (I John 3:16).
⇒It is compassionate: When we see a brother in need, we must not shut up our bowels of compassion from him, for “how dwelleth the love of God in him” (the brother who would not be moved to help another brother in need)? (I John 3:17)
⇒It is constant, through thick or thin. “A friend loveth at all times.” (Provs. 17:17) Jonathan loved David “as he loved his own soul.” (I Sam.20:17) And so we ought to love one another in adversity, through arguments, and in life’s most anguishing moments.
(3) The consequences:
⇒Relating to the world: Jesus said all men would know we belonged to Him because of our love one to another. “It is our care for the helpless, or practice of loving kindness that brands us in the eyes of many of our opponents. ‘Look!’ they say, ‘how they love one another! Look how they are prepared to die for one another!’” (Early Christian author and apologist Tertullian)
⇒Relating to the body of Christ: loving kindness will cover a multitude of sins. “Above all, have fervent charity among yourselves for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (l Pet.4:8) Also, it will produce unity in the body: “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.” (Provs. 15:17) Finally, it will lend itself to growth, for there is nothing more compelling and attracting than brethren dwelling together in the sweetness of unity that is the expression of loving kindness one toward another.
⇒Relating to one’s self: Brotherly kindness will give you a settled assurance that you are one of Christ’s: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.” (I John 3:14)
“Is it worthwhile that we jostle our brother, bearing his load on the rough road of life? Is it worthwhile that we jeer at each other, in blackness of heart that we war to the knife? God pity us all in our pitiful strife; God pardon us all for the triumph we feel when a fellow goes down ‘neath his load on the heather, pierced to the heart: words are keener than steel; and mightier far for woe or for weal.” (Joaquin Miller)
Is it worthwhile? Not at all. Choose brotherly kindness!
“Let brotherly love continue.” (Heb.13:1)
YOU and GOD 