Loving My Brother

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: I John 3,4; Lord's Day 40
Psalters: 29, 117, 113, 369
Applicatory to the Lord's Supper
  1. The life given.
    1. Earthly human life is a gift of God (Deut. 32:39) which is a picture/type of real, spiritual life.
    2. Man’s fall into sin brought death as punishment of sin (Rom. 6:23).
  2. To kill is to take a life without having the authority to do so.
    1. We kill when we plot another’s death; when we consent to another’s death; and when we do not stop a killing.
      1. We are guilty of killing even when it is “accidental” (Num. 35; Deut. 19), or through negligence (Ex. 21:29,30).
      2. Also God judges to be murder all that leads to killing: envy, hatred, anger, desire of revenge (Matt. 5:22ff).
      3. This includes killing a soul.
      4. It is not to love, not to do good in as much possible; do not show patience and meekness, mercy.
    2. Murder touches God in three ways.
    3. God commands capital punishment to show the seriousness of this sin (Gen. 9:5,6; Ex. 21:12).
  3. God demands that we love our neighbor, i.e., to do them only good – and thus tough (on us as well as on them) love.
    1. Love for the neighbor and brother is a calling (not an option) arising out of gratitude for His love.
    2. What makes love of neighbor difficult is our thinking more of ourselves and our neighbor than of God. Three things which help.
    3. We love as brothers and sisters those who profess and evidence God’s work of love in them. To all others we are constantly to do good and seek to promote their spiritual good (reflecting God’s love to us).