It is rather embarrassing to be extolling the glories of a loving, caring church as the ninth point of this study, because such an objective surely deserves a much higher place on our policy agenda. But nearly all the ideals for church life may be said to deserve a higher place. For a fellowship to possess mutual, affectionate and caring love is to honour the ‘new’ commandment of the Lord.
The apostle John declares that it is an ‘old’ commandment, and yet (for the fledgling Christian church) new in its practical achievability and bonding power (1 John 2.7-8). Paul, in Ephesians 4, calls for lowliness and meekness, with long suffering and mutual forbearance in love. This, he says, is the only way to ‘walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called’. How much we should desire for our church an atmosphere of mutual kindness and concern! How glorious it is to know that this can be accomplished! How important it is to preserve and nourish it, once produced!
It is far more likely that a serving church (by contrast with an uninvolved membership) will become a loving church, because fellowship in service produces deep ties, and because the possession of a common, higher objective subdues the possibility of petty hostilities. The quest for brotherly love does not require a programme of fellowship events, church rambles, suppers, and so on. Churches that fight and squabble often have all these activities in abundance. Fellowship in service is the best bonding agent for believers.
Love for our fellow-believers is one of the proofs of conversion, and it is certainly essential for pleasing the Lord. Six times in the Greek New Testament love is described by the word philadelphia, meaning – brotherly love. Internal clashes and divisions must go, and Philadelphia love must be cultivated. Respect for one another is not enough. Nor are consideration and kindness, important though they are. The Lord commands the depth and tenacity of love equal to that seen in a blood tie. We must have ‘brotherly love’, a key ‘policy’ in all the epistles (Romans 12.10; 1 Thessalonians 4.9; Hebrews 13.1; 1 Peter 1.22 and 2 Peter 1.7).
A vital reason for the cultivation of mutual love in a congregation is seen in the Saviour’s great prayer of John 17.21 – ‘That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.’ As a local church we are intended to reflect the character of God, including the sublime love which exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our ‘family’ likeness must be derived from above, and this will bring down witnessing power. Surely this must be an overriding concern of pastors.
Another reason for cultivating congregational love as a priority is that the local church is the dwelling-place of God, through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 3.16), and cannot be blessed if it is not a fit place for God to dwell. The presence of affectionate, caring love is the essential ‘environment’ for the habitation of the Spirit.
We remember, also, that the Lord is training every local church to be a family, not merely a group of individuals, and the greatest quality of a family is love. Dare we frustrate the purpose of Christ by indifference to this grace?
We remember further that love is a ‘parent grace’ in the sanctification process. Without love for other members of our spiritual family, sanctification will falter, and we shall become increasingly self-interested, self-concerned, self-serving and often self-pitying. We may also become jealous of others, critical and hostile. But true sanctification builds love early, taking our minds off ourselves, and bringing us to mind the things of others.
Yet another reason for making love a priority is that without real affection between its members a church can never produce the working efficiency of Ephesians 4.16 – ‘From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.’ Indeed, the level of effective service carried out by a congregation depends upon the depth of this mutual affection (and at times forbearance) arising from Philadelphia love. Such love cannot easily be disrupted or shattered by jealousy, gossip and the other hostilities so often fanned into flames by Satan.