Brotherly Love by William Covert

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 18, 1902

Brotherly Love

By William Covert

WILLIAM COVERT

ALL may know the disciples of Jesus by the love they manifest for one another. John 13:35. Christian love emanates from the Spirit of Christ, which dwells within the soul. The life of Christ makes the willing heart a living channel through which flow kindly deeds and words giving happiness to many souls. All utterances of this love are pleasant and respectful. No rude or offensive word comes from this source. Brotherly love is strong, but always gentle. The gentleness of its author made him great (Ps. 18:35); and this same gentleness is offered to all his disciples, that they also may be great. The wonderful moral strength with which Jesus was girded was constantly manifested in gentle kindness, and by this his way was made perfect. There is in the spirit of divine love that which draws even the sinner to God, and through this attribute alone he is led to repentance.

Were a whole denomination wholly united in the principles of brotherly love, they would soon carry the Saviour to all the world. There would be with them no criticisms to mar their work, no selfishness to impede their progress. Cruelty and oppression are in this world of sin, but who is satisfied with these things? Here we see the rich taking advantage of the poor, and the weak and the unfortunate are crowded and crushed by the strong; but brotherly love reaches out a helping hand, and assists the needy to arise. The observing mind sees that life, where sin abounds, must meet with many a battle. It is during these conflicts that brotherly kindness can render the greatest help. It is then that a word of cheer inspires the fainting heart.

True brotherly love must come from the love of our Elder Brother. The heart must be made new by the Spirit, and filled with the Spirit, before it will yield the fruit of Christian gentleness. The tree must exist before the fruit can be borne upon it. Of course cultivation and co-operation are necessary, but the first essential is to yield the will to God, and keep the heart open to be wrought upon by the divine mind.

The spirit of Christlike gentleness must be possessed before the word of God can be obeyed, which says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Eph. 4:31, 32. What Paul wrote to the Ephesians is written also to us. Shall we heed the admonition?