Loving Your Brother as Evidence of Genuine Faith

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? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 4:20-5:3)

Loving Others as a Mark of Genuine Faith

John has emphasized the need for sincere, authentic Christianity throughout this first epistle. Claiming to love God while hating your brother is incompatible. We must love our brother to love God; these are two insuperable ideas. As Jesus teaches, these two ideals form the bedrock of the Law and prophets and remain cornerstone commands for His followers. To underscore the importance of loving our brethren, John reminds us that we see our brethren but do not see God. In 1 John 4:12, he observes that no one has seen God at any time.

Why Genuine Faith Requires Obedience

We love God even though we do not see Him, yet we struggle to love our brethren because we see them. We see their behaviors, hear their speech, and grow frustrated with their inconsistencies. It is much easier to say, “I love God,” than to love our brethren with the love of Christ. However, learning how to love our brethren is learning how to love. Our willingness to love separates authentic Christians from pretenders. If I truly love the Father, I will love His Son. We cannot separate Jesus from the Father; they are a package deal.

Genuine Faith and Commandments That Are Not Burdensome

Those who believe Jesus is the Christ are born of God. As Jesus revealed in John 3:5, one must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom. When we believe and are baptized, we become God’s children. We must demonstrate our love for God by obeying His commands. As 1 John 5:3 says, this is the love of God. While the Old Law was a heavy yoke according to Acts 15:10, Christ’s commands are not burdensome. Christ leaves us with principles that challenge us for a lifetime.