The Unfeigned Love of the Brethren

1 Corinthians 13:13
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
2 Peter 1:7
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
Hebrews 13
1 Let brotherly love continue.


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“The spirit of Christianity is a spirit of love. Faith works by love. The true religion is the strongest bond of friendship; if it be not so, it has its name for nothing.”
– Matthew Henry
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Regarding Spiritual Maturity, in the running of this race so as to obtain masteries, the highest order of the Christian is the one who is mastering the sacred art of Love.
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    Saints that have been perfected are those Saints in whom this love has grown to the highest degree and been thoroughly perfected. Love covers a multitude of sins. They wield love as a mighty weapon of grace and are able to melt through the greatest barriers of sin and flesh. Love disarms the devices of Satan, and disposes strongholds, all with a meek disposition. They deflect ungodly thoughts and imaginations with ease, for love thinketh no evil. And because love is not puffed up, nor arrogant, nor proud, then the measure of our love thus becomes the measure of our humility.

    Some have sought to grow in humility as a goal. This is a virtuous and honorable pursuit to which every child of God ought to attend. But, any attempt to grow upward in humility apart from first deepening the wellspring of the love that supplies it is vain. It is like putting a higher structure upon a yet shallow foundation for which it was not suited. It will only appear to stand until the winds of trial and testing bring it down with embarrassment to the builder. Until you first have a genuine and a real love, a sensitive care and thoughtful affection, a sacrificial burden for the brethren who you interact with, how can you even begin to consider others as better than yourself? Deepen the wellspring of the hidden love of the heart first, and where ever you lack, seek out the Helper, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. And we will find that from the heart flow all the issues of life. As Wesley said: “As is the measure of love, so is the measure of humility.”

    One day we will see all the saints perfected in this. One day the meek shall inherit the Earth; and oh what a gentle sphere it shall become when that happens!  Even now, when the bonds of brotherly love are become strong, when Christian affection is real, when the blood of the covenant does indeed flow thicker than the water of the womb, then, even here, we can know something of heaven on Earth ourselves.
    Is this not the blessed fellowship for which we long? Is this not what the Christ, who has made us partakers of the divine nature has equipped us for, and called us to? Didn’t Christ give commandment concerning our love for one another?​

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Pastor Austin

Pastor of CECF