Revolutionary Resolutions Series

No one doubts that man has made a great deal of progress in the

physical realm. In 1903 when the Wright Brothers flew their

heavier than air machine, the whole distance of their first flight was

less than the wing spread of a modern B 36. Progress has been

obvious. The progress in medicine has been equally amazing.

Someone has said that if they get wonder drugs any more powerful

you won’t be able to take them unless in you are in perfect health.

William E. Hocking has said, however, “Progress does not carry

with it religious progress. It means rather that men have found new

ways of being lost.” Physical and technological progress does not

bring people closer to God. It often only makes them more efficient

sinners.

Progress is the spiritual realm is the obligation of Christians in

every age. They always have the great responsibility of providing

the world with Christ-like lies. If the church is to be the light of the

world and the salt of the earth it must maintain a constant growth in

spiritual matters. Christians ought to resolve, not just every New

Year, but every day of their lives to be a more Christ-like witness in

our world that is still in the dark ages spiritually. Paul wrote to the

Thessalonians and suggested some vital areas for spiritual progress

that are as relevant today as they were then. In fact, if we resolved

to carry them out, they would revolutionize our Christian witness in

the world. In these 4 verses Paul first deals with our relationship to

believers, and then with our relationship to unbelievers.

I. OUR RELATION TO BELIEVERS.

Concerning brotherly love, says Paul, there is no need to write

to you, for you are taught of God. Love of one another is inherent in

the Christian experience. One cannot become a new creature in

Christ and not recognize that love is the basic foundation for our

fellowship. A non-loving Christian is a contradiction in terms. It is

true that individual Christians can have antagonism for one

another, and thereby place themselves outside of God’s will, but

even such Christians still love other Christian people. It is

impossible to be a Christian and not love other Christian people.

John said, “He that loves not his brother abides in death.” It is

possible to remain on a low level in this area, however. That is why

Paul says that there is no need to write, but then goes on to write

anyway. There is need to tell them about love, but there was a need

to urge them on to greater love.

The Greek word here for brotherly love is philadelphia. The

idea of brotherhood comes from this word. Few ideas have been

more abused than the one of brotherhood. It has been made so

superficial by a loose and broad use of it so that it has lost its biblical

ring. The Bible uses it only to refer to relationships within the

church. It is a relationship among believers in the Bible, but in

liberal circles the concept of the brotherhood of man has been

watered down so that it is made to refer to all people. We need to

beware of throwing away biblical truths just because they are

abused. Brotherhood is a perfectly good word that came into this

world because of Christ. It is even true in some sense that we are

brothers of all men, but the biblical use of brotherhood is limited to

those within the family of God. This is important lest we loose sight

of the distinction between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of

darkness.

Agape is the word used in the Bible for universal love. We are

to agape even our enemies. God so agaped the world that He gave

His only Son. Philadelphia is a more particular love for the

brethren. It is where we start as Christians. We are to love the

brethren, but then go on to broaden that particular philadelphia

love into universal agape love. The New Testament makes a clear

distinction between these two loves, and it shows that growth

upward is from philadelphia to agape. In II Peter 1:5-7 we read,

“Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to

knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience

godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly

kindness charity.” Charity, of course, is agape.

Paul says to them that they are doing fine, for they have given

evidence of their love to all the brothers in Macedonia, but he urges

them to go on and abound more so as to love universally as God

loves. Don’t keep your love just within the realm of Christian

circles. Go beyond this to even love those who are no part of the