Would you turn, please, in the scriptures this morning to 1st Thessalonians, 4th chapter, 1st

Thessalonians 4 and 9, as touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia, but we beseech you, brethren, that you increase more and more.

You increase more and more in what?

In this brotherly love.

Now, I think brotherly love has a religious connotation to folks, but why does he keep using

that qualifier?

Well, you know, in the Old Testament, they were told, love your neighbor as yourself.

But in the new covenant, what did Jesus tell us?

In fact, just turn back there and look at it.

John 13, just turn and look at it.

John 13, let's look at the New Testament commandment.

John 13, 34. John 1334. Jesus said, a new commandment I give to you that you look now let's just stop right here

had they been told to love each other in the Old Testament well then why is this new

so that's why John says in the epistle of John a new commandment I give to you then he said

it's the old commandment that you heard from the beginning, and yet it's new.

Well, so, well, loving each other's loving each other.

No, no.

Once you've been born again, you've got the love of God shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost,

and you can go beyond just loving somebody as yourself,

you can actually love them to the point that you're willing to sacrifice yourself.

That was two nods and a yes

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