The next-to-last characteristic we are looking at in this study is Brotherly Affection. Remember that each of the characteristics build on one another…we are to supplement godliness with brotherly affection.
The Strong’s Concordance definition for brotherly affection (philadelphia) is:
philadelphia
- love of brothers or sisters, the love which Christians cherish for each other as brethren
This is NOT an obligatory love. It is not an “I love you but don’t like you” kind of love. It is a cherishing love. It involves genuine, heartfelt, warm, affectionate feelings for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
While it is not an obligatory love, it’s not an optional love, either. Consider I John 4:20:
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God Whom he has not seen.”So how do we reconcile this with reality when there are individuals (even Christians) in our lives we do not like? One way is to ask God to show us how HE sees that person. Learn how to see others through Jesus’s eyes - we are each precious to Him, and when we see others the way He does, they will also become precious to us!
What are some other ways to strengthen the brotherly affection “muscle” in every day life?
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