Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8 NAS95)[Empasis Added].
Oh that we might be able to echo David’s words: As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight (Psalms 16:3 NAS95). Brotherly kindness is a virtue of great importance as it aligns with the second greatest commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself.
If we are commanded to love our neighbors, how much more should we love our brothers and sisters in Christ? Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35 NAS95).
The question that comes to mind is this; How does brotherly kindness help us to gain a fruitful knowledge of our Lord? It should be remembered that all of these virtues are the fruits of justification. We don’t merit salvation through works. However, we grow in our knowledge of Christ as we walk in obedience to Him. We gain experiential knowledge by learning to love our brothers and sisters as Christ loved us.
Considering what the Bible says about love, it is clear that loving requires the help of the Holy Spirit. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NAS95). These loving qualities are opposite the ills of the flesh. We all have our faults, and others can see many of them. So, we have a proving ground. The more we learn to love each other, the more we learn about Christ's love for us.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2 NAS95). How do we prove what God’s will is? We walk in it as living sacrifices. Matthew Henry comments; Christians to prove what is that will of God which is good, and acceptable, and perfect; that is, to know it with judgment and approbation, to know it experimentally, to know the excellency of the will of God by the experience of a conformity to it.
Therefore, as we practice brotherly kindness, we will understand Christ's love for us better. This will make us fruitful Christians.
Father, help us to walk by faith. We are not very lovely at times. Please forgive our failures and lead us in love. We need Your grace Lord. Guide us by Your Holy Spirit so that You will receive the glory due Your name. Amen.
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