Scripture: "These are the true sayings of God."¡XREV. xix. 9. "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light."¡X1 JOHN ii. 10.
Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another" (iii. 10, 11). "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren" (iii. 14). "Hereby know we love, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (iii. 16). "And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another" (iii. 23). "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God" (iv. 7). "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and His love is perfected in us. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God in him" (iv. 11, 12, 16). "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen. And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also" (iv. 20, 21).
Each of these words is a living seed, and has within it a Divine power, which is able to take root, and grow and bear fruit in our hearts. But just as the seed requires the soil in which it grows to be kept free of all weeds, so the heart must be wholly surrendered to God and His service, that the seed of the Word may bear this heavenly fruit.
Read over again iii. 23. As necessary as faith is for our salvation, so necessary is love of the brethren. And (iv. 21) love to God and love to the brethren are inseparable.