“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart.” 1 Peter 1:22
Imagine this scene: A married man gets an invitation in the mail for a black tie event. It reads: ” You are cordially invited to the black tie event of the century! P.S. Please do not bring your wife. We love you, but we are not too fond of her.” You would have to be delusional to think that this man would be excited about this invitation, right?
As Jesus followers, we are the Bride of Christ. A Christianity that says, ” I love God, but I don’t love the church” is as contradictory as the invitation to the black tie event. The Bible doesn’t call us to put up with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible urges us to fervently love one another!
As you head into today, be honest with yourself: do you love God, but simply tolerate His bride? What keeps you from fervently loving your brothers and sisters in Christ? Ask God to remove whatever it is, and help grow that kind of love.
