2 Peter 1, Part 8

  Brotherly affection, love

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-11

We are currently going through 2 Peter 1. We are doing this in-depth study nearly word for word. If you have been with us you know we went through the greetings and the "For this very reason" or the reason we need to listen to what Peter is telling us here. Last time we talked about godliness. If you are following along it looks like this.

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,"

We talked about why, faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, standing firm, and what godliness means. If you missed anything, you can go back to the archives and get caught up if you so choose. Today, we are going to talk about brotherly affection and the easy one to talk about, love.

What does that even mean? The Word says this.

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10

A little bit later, Peter rights this in 1 Peter 3:8

"Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind."

When we dive into this we see that brotherly affection is only capable when you have love. What is a Brother? A loved one. A family member. I have this picture of my son Eli walking hand and hand with his sister in the mall when they were both little. You could see the look on his face, "Ain't nobody messing with my sister." He was walking with her, exploring together, and he was protecting her all for one reason. He loves her. Oh, they are siblings. They fight, argue, yell, and say some bad things to each other sometimes, but if anyone else was to get involved? Family unite.

Why is this? Because of Love.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13 

Love. Did you know that we are commanded to love? As a matter of fact, some say this is the eleventh commandment given to us by Jesus Himself.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34

How did Jesus love us? Yes, He loved us so much that He came and laid down His life for us. We should be willing to do the same if the situation calls for it. Eli would lay down his life for Maya, without a doubt, and without hesitation. Why? Love.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Remember when Jesus called us His friends? He said this.

"No longer do I call you servants, for the servant, does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15

However, if you really want to grasp the importance of showing love, think of it this way, you are more than friends, you are family. Especially with the Family of God, your fellow children of God, you must show brotherly affection.

"If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."1 Corinthians 12:26

Easy to do if you have love. However, that is not all we are called to do. Jesus tells us this.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:43-48

I understand this is all complicated and may seem difficult to achieve. I mean, look at what Peter is saying here.

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love."

First, you cannot accomplish ANY of this without God. You must first have the Spirit of God in you before you even stand a chance at getting any one of these even remotely correct. Second, you need to exercise these in your life. Like going to a gym and working out your physical body, you have to exercise your faith and you need to train yourself in these qualities.

"For if these qualities are yours and are increasing,"

How are they increasing? Practice. Working them out in your life. When I first started going to the gym, I could not do much. When I stopped going following the accident, I was curling 150 pounds, pulling down more weight than that, and I was doing things I only watched when I first went through the door. Why? Because I kept working out. The same thing comes to your faith. Look here.

"for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:8

One of the ways it is of much value is this. The more you do these things, the easier they will become. Then we come to another one of those "For this reason." Or "Therefore"

"they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

If you are following along we have come to this.

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Are you blind? This is what we will be talking about next time. It says this.

"For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins."

Be careful not to forget this child of God. Keep exercising your faith and your spirit and grow stronger and wiser in the spirit. Do not become blind. That will do no good to God, or anyone else, including yourself. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, comment, questions, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen. {2 Corinthians 13}

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus IS the Lord of all!