Does God Expect Us To Actually Love All Christians? (Romans 12:9-10)
Spiritual Questions with Scriptural Answers.
Jesus told His followers, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
The love that God’s people have for one another is proof that they are the children of God. The love that we are to have for our brothers and sisters in Christ ought to be so strong that we would lay down our lives for them (1 John 3:16)!
When we obeyed the Gospel, we purified our souls by obeying the truth in sincere love of the brethren and we are to love one another with a pure heart fervently (1 Pet. 1:22). The Hebrews writer simply says, “Let brotherly love continue” (Heb. 13:1).
There are many more passages to consider, but our goal in the study is to ask and answer the question: Are we to actually love all Christians?
How Do We Demonstrate Our Love?
John wrote, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). This teaches us that it’s one thing to say you love someone (“word and tongue”) and another thing to demonstrate that love (“in deed and in truth”).
God demonstrated His great love for us in sending His Son to die for us (Rom. 5:8). We demonstrate our love for God by obeying Him (John 14:15; 15:14; 1 John 5:3).
How then do we demonstrate our love for fellow Christians?
Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote to the brethren at Rome concerning how Christians are to behave and treat one another:
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another (Rom. 12:9-10).
We want to consider five points from this text.
Love without hypocrisy.
First, Paul says, “Let love be without hypocrisy” (Rom. 12:9).
The word “hypocrisy” means, “claiming one thing and doing another; to be “two-faced,” or to put on a mask.”
The idea is that the love we have for fellow Christians is not to be fake, but real and genuine. It is to be sincerely felt and expressed.
Abhor what’s evil.
Second, Paul says that we are to “abhor what is evil.”
The word “abhor” means, “to find repugnant or repulsive.” The New Revised Standard Version reads, “hate what is evil” and the Christian Standard Bible reads, “Detest evil.”
When it comes to loving our brethren, because we hate evil, we will speak up out of love to our brothers and sisters in Christ when they participate in or promote that which is evil (Rom. 1:32; Gal. 2:11).
It would not be loving to avoid the problem, for true love would motivate one to speak up and speak out!
Cling to what’s good.
Third, in connection to “abhor what is evil,” the Holy Spirit says, “cling to what is good.”
The word “cling” means, “to stick together; to resist separation.”
One of the blessings of being in Christ is the fellowship we enjoy with brothers and sisters in Christ. We are members of God’s family (1 Pet. 2:9) as we experienced the same birth (John 3:3, 5; Tit. 3:5), engage in true worship (John 4:24), encounter physical, emotional, and spiritual trials (1 Cor. 10:13; 1 Pet. 5:8-9), enjoy all spiritual blessings all of which are in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3), and we embrace the same promises (1 Pet. 1:3-5; Tit. 1:2; 1 John 5:13).
It is good to spend time together as God’s people and to “dwell in unity” (Psa. 133:1).
Be a family.
Fourth, we learn that we are to be “kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love.”
The phrase “kindly affectionate” is one word in the original language which carries the idea of family love, i.e loving in a way characteristic of the relationship between husband and wife, mother and child, father and son, etc. Yes, the spiritual family is to be elevated even above one’s physical family (Matt. 6:33; 10:37)!
We are to be kindly affectionate “one to another” meaning we must not show partiality or be fake but demonstrate genuine love to our brethren for this is to be mutual.
Paul then says that we are to be kindly affectionate to one another “with brotherly love.” This takes it to a higher plane for brotherly love is the love shared between siblings in God’s family!
Be selfless.
Fifth and finally, we are to be selfless in that we are to “honor one another by giving preference to one another.”
The English Standard Version reads, “Outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:10).
The word “honor” here carries the concept of having respect for someone. Having respect for another naturally leads one to give preference to others, putting them before yourself as Jesus taught and did (Mark 10:45; 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:5).
The word “preference” means, “to see to the needs of others putting their needs higher than your own.” Several passages come to mind regarding our need to put others before ourselves which brings out the true meaning of JOY (Jesus, others, and yourself last):
"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil. 2:3).
The Proverbs writer states that “before honor is humility” (Prov. 15:33; 18:12).
Does God want us to actually love all Christians?
The answer is unequivocally, YES!
Our love is to be genuine, sincere, real, and pure. Our love is to be so strong that we encourage, forgive, and rebuke when necessary. Our love is to be selfless like the love of our Savior.
When we love like He did and does, then we can be pleasing to God!
Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.
Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.
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