2Peter 1:7 Brotherly Kindness © 4/2003/2021 WF Cobb Truthbase.net DailyTruthbase.blogspot

2Pt 1:7 (add to your faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance) godliness brotherly kindness cf Rm 12:10 philostorgos love/agape

Brotherly kindness – an other-centered affectionate love that arises from purified lives sharing and pursuing the life of Christ in unity;

purchased by loyally and like-mindedly submitting to one another in pursuing true Biblical fellowship that reflects God. [cf Phil 2]

I. Our priority should be to Love one another  Gal 6: 10 let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Rm 12:10  Be kindly affectionate/devoted to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

2Th 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,  Col 1:4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints

1Jn 4:20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also

Nietzsche: ressentiment is a major obstacle to loving the Other as thyself (ego creates enemy to insulate self from culpability/guilt)

Wiki: dvlpd & sustained by focusing on perception of “unfair” grievance to justify our emotions (and deny our guilt); resent reveals what we value; Chronic resentment...constriction of nerve endings...destruction of T cell/immune system), hypertension, cancer, addictions, depression, shortened life span; death spiral: cut off talk...future miscommunications..harm self psychologically and morally (conscience)

AA #1 threat to alcoholics; U by acknowledging it, and one's own role ; one must ask self: what is my own part in this play?

[From Bitterness Sermon Truthbase.net]   III. Remove the Roots of Bitterness (unresolved anger) thru Submission and Realization

A. We get bitter at God when He a) doesn’t do what we want, when we want, or b) does what we don’t want. God allows irritations/trials into our lives to deepen our dependence on Him  1) Submit to the goodness, wisdom and sovereignty of God;  (Gen 50:20  you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good)   2) Be holy and wholly blessable (Ps 84: No good thing will He withhold, from those who walk uprightly)

B. We get bitter at others when they: do or don’t do what we want or don’t want; say untrue things about us (which shouldn’t bother a true disciple); or say true things about us in a way we don’t like (which shouldn’t bother a humble disciple walking in the light)

1) Rejoice that when you’re pleasing God, and only caring what He thinks of you, Satan will attack by the words and works of the ungodly

Mt 5:11 Lk 6:22 Blessed are you when they revile/hate/exclude/persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

2) Remember the truth only hurts the proud when they’re hiding in the dark. 1Jn 1:5-7 walk in the light…have fellowship with one another

II. Our Love for each other should mirror that of God’s love for us [cf Phil 2]

1Jn 3:16  By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

1Th 4:9 concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  Jn 15:17  "These things I command you, that you love one another.

Eph 4:2 all lowliness/humility & meekness w/ longsuffering, bearing w/ one another in love, 3 Endeavoring..23 off..renewed 25 no lying - speak truth 26 no unresolved anger 29 no non-edifying speech 30 no grieve HS 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, w/ all malice (Gal 5;20 1Cor 3:3 envy strife divisions=carnal) kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you foundationsforfreedom.net/Topics/Marriage/Great_Marriage/GM07_Bitterness.html

III. Our Love should express itself in serving the needs of the saints  (Learn the Truth..Live the Truth..Love w/ Truth)

Heb 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers 16 do good and share...with such sacrifices God is well pleased

1Pt 4:9  Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. Rm 12:13  sharing/koinoneo to the needs of the saints, given/persecute to hospitality.

Gal 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but thru love serve one another.

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any fault/flaw, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Ps 139:23-24 search me; test; lead 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

1Jn 3:17  But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

IV. Our Love is hindered by lack of holiness… Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord

   15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled

A. …because our motives will be impure and self-centered, hiding from, using and damaging others [cf TOYL Rlshp Objective]

1Pt 1:22  Since you have purified your souls (mind/will/emotions-values) in/by obeying the truth thru the Spirit to/for/eis a

sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart (decisions/motives are not for ego enhancement)

1Jn 1: 7 if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, & the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin

1Jn 2:9 He who says he is in the light, hates his brother, is in darkness until now 10  He who loves his brother abides in the light, there is no offense/stumbling in him.11 he who hates his brother is in darkness & walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12  not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13  Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

B. …because our prideful self-will will prevent submissive, God glorifying unity Eph 4:3 keep unity of HS in/by bond of peace.

Jn 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me  

1Cor 1:10 plead...all speak the same thing, no divisions, perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

1Cor 12: 25  that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.

Eph 4: 15  but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. How does your love for other believers mirror that of Christ’s love for His disciples? Paul’s love for believers? God’s love for you?

2. How does someone “doing their own thing” or “doing what they believe is best for themselves” contrast with Biblical brotherly love?

3. How does socializing differ from fellowship? How does a mutual sharing of one’s life in Christ differ from brotherly love?

4. How have you been the recipient of brotherly love? How can you pass that love along to someone else?

5. How do envy, greed, sloth, lust, gluttony, pride or anger, prevent us from giving and receiving brotherly love?

6. What other barriers prevent brotherly love from being given or accepted?  Is one loved if they don’t feel loved? How so?

 Wiki: Cf ANGER acrostic  in Bitterness Sermon & “Ain't Gonna Reign No More” on Truthbase.net  (1) Identify the source of the resentful feelings and what it is the person did to evoke these feelings; (2) develop a new way of looking at past, present and future life, including how resentment has affected life and how letting go of resentment can improve the future; (3) write a letter to the source of the resentment, listing offenses and explaining the circumstances, then forgive and let go of the offenses (but do not send the letter); (4) visualize a future w/o the negative impact of resentment; and (5) if resentful feelings still linger, return to Step 1 and begin again.