Bible League: Living His Word Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;Jesus said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 22:37-38). In our verse for today, the Apostle Paul gets more specific with respect to how we should love our neighbors. With respect to those neighbors who are also fellow members of the Christian community, our love should be "brotherly love." Put more inclusively, our love should be like the love between the siblings of a family. Since members of the Christian community are children of God and members of God's family (I John 3:1-2), the love they express to one another should be like family love. It is not, of course, identical to natural family love, but it should be like it. As a result, this brotherly or sibling love, Paul tells us, should be "kindly affectionate." It should have the same strength, warmth, and tenderheartedness as the love siblings have for one another. It should be a bond that is not easily broken, just as the bond between siblings is not easily broken. Further, the sibling love of the Christian community should be love that is willing to honor the other members of the family. Human beings in general deserve a certain amount of honor, simply because they have been made in the image of God. Human beings who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb deserve even greater honor, on the other hand, because they have also been included in God's family. Since God Himself is willing to honor them in this way, we should also honor them accordingly. One way that siblings can give honor is by giving preference to one another. To give preference is to let others have the best, or let them go first. Paul also said, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself" (Philippians 2:3). This kind of humble preference-giving was exemplified in a profound way by Abraham when he gave Lot the choice of land to settle (Genesis 13:9). Today and every day, then, let us exhibit the kind of Christian family love that honors by giving preference to one another. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 10, 11, 12 Psalm 10 -- Why do you stand far off, O Lord? NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 11 -- In the Lord I take refuge NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 12 -- Help, O Lord; for the godly man ceases NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 17:16-34 Acts 17 -- Paul at Thessalonica, Berea and Athens NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?Insight Nothing material can compensate for the loss of eternal life. Jesus' disciples are not to use their lives on earth for their own pleasure—they should spend their lives serving God and people. Challenge If this present life is most important to you, you will do everything you can to protect it. You will not want to do anything that might endanger your safety, health, or comfort. By contrast, if following Jesus is most important, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy, and uncomfortable places. You will risk death, but you will not fear it because you know that Jesus will raise you to eternal life. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 56:9 When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.It is impossible for any human speech to express the full meaning of this delightful phrase, "God is for me." He was "for us" before the worlds were made; he was "for us," or he would not have given his well-beloved son; he was "for us" when he smote the Only-begotten, and laid the full weight of his wrath upon him--he was "for us," though he was against him; he was "for us," when we were ruined in the fall--he loved us notwithstanding all; he was "for us," when we were rebels against him, and with a high hand were bidding him defiance; he was "for us," or he would not have brought us humbly to seek his face. He has been "for us" in many struggles; we have been summoned to encounter hosts of dangers; we have been assailed by temptations from without and within--how could we have remained unharmed to this hour if he had not been "for us"? He is "for us," with all the infinity of his being; with all the omnipotence of his love; with all the infallibility of his wisdom; arrayed in all his divine attributes, he is "for us,"--eternally and immutably "for us;" "for us" when yon blue skies shall be rolled up like a worn out vesture; "for us" throughout eternity. And because he is "for us," the voice of prayer will always ensure his help. "When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies be turned back." This is no uncertain hope, but a well grounded assurance--"this I know." I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up for the answer, assured that it will come, and that mine enemies shall be defeated, "for God is for me." O believer, how happy art thou with the King of kings on thy side! How safe with such a Protector! How sure thy cause pleaded by such an Advocate! If God be for thee, who can be against thee? Daily Light on the Daily Path Isaiah 34:16 Seek from the book of the LORD, and read: Not one of these will be missing; None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them.Deuteronomy 11:18 "You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. Joshua1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Psalm 37:31 The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. Psalm 17:4 As for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips I have kept from the paths of the violent. Psalm 119:11 Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. 2 Peter 1:19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |