"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:20-21 NIV).
Love for the unseen God (see 1 John 4:12) can only be concretely expressed by love for ones visible Christian brother. Furthermore, Gods command (v. 21; compare with 2:3; 3:23-24; 5:3) has joined together the two kinds of love - love for God and love for ones brother. Love for God is demonstrated by our unselfish love for fellow Believers. Note that John was addressing Believers in his first general epistle, hence "his brother" is a reference to other Believers. Whether or not a believer exhibits an admirable life, he should be an object of his fellow Christians' love.
Pastor Jack Howell
"Some bring God's curse on them by marking off part of the Bible, calling it erroneous, uninspired, less than the very Word of God." - Dr. John R. Rice
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)
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Proper Principles of Bible Study
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