There is a crying need for a more lovable and tolerant attitude among brethren in Christ.  So many times nowadays brethren fall out over the slightest difference of opinion or a minute misunderstanding.  My brethren, such ought not to be so!  We should put forth greater efforts to live and work together in peace. If we ever expect to  lead others to Christ we must!

    Paul admonished brethren in the following words of wisdom inspired by the Holy Spirit.  If such was needed then, such is still needed today among us.  "I would they were even cut off which trouble you. For, brethren, you have been called to liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed one of another" (Galatians 5:12-15).

    The very idea of being servants of one another in the kingdom of Christ is seemingly absent from the thinking of all too many brethren.  Have we forgotten that even "the Christ" said that He came not to be served, but to serve? Jesus said, "you know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:42-45).  I am aware that Jesus was speaking to His chosen apostles in saying this, but if these men who "in the regeneration" were (are) seated upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, (Matthew 19:28) which speaks of their apostolic authority, and greatness among them was shown by service to others, certainly such is also to be true among us. Even the passage cited earlier (Galatians 5:13b) says that to each of us. If twentieth century Christians will just begin thinking of ourselves as "servants of one another" in the kingdom, great things will follow!

    Many figures of speech are used to describe God's people, Christ's disciples, His church in the New Testament.  Each of these is meant to give a deeper meaning to this spiritual relationship we enjoy so we may better appreciate our spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.  The church is called The House of God; The Kingdom; God's Temple; The Bride of Christ, etc.  In (1 Peter 2:9) it is referred to as "a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar (special) people:  that you should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."   Christians are "living stones" in this spiritual household.  In this relationship we are allowed to serve Him and to offer up our spiritual sacrifices through Jesus Christ our high priest (1 Peter 2:5-9,25; Hebrews 4:14-16; Ephesians 3:21).   The more one learns of the many wonderful blessings that are his in this great relationship, the church, the more likely one is to be humbled and to become a servant of others, especially his brethren in Christ!

    The above words are found in just one verse of the NASV of the holy Scriptures.  Aren't they nice words?  Think how we would act if we always put the principles found in these words in our daily lives!  That is exactly what is being enjoined upon us by the apostle Peter.  Let us read it together:

    "To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, and humble in spirit;  not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for this very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.  For let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from speaking evil and his lips from speaking guile.  And let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.  For Christ also died for sins, once for all; the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit.."

    Too often brethren will feign (pretend) to love one another but when they go their separate ways often say and do things against one another which show that they were actually being hypocritical: They were only pretending to love one another as brethren. Paul condemns such in the following words. "Let love be without hypocrisy, Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another" (Romans 12:9-10).  I have heard Romans twelve called "The Christians Yard Stick."  There can be no doubt that this great chapter contains principles which would make for great relationships among brethren as well as others in the world about us if put into practice in our daily lives.  It is my job as a Christian to see that such is true of my life.  We often read or quote (James 1:21-15; 2:14-26), in an attempt to teach our denominational friends the need to become Christians.  Have we forgotten to take into account that these passages have a needed application to us of the principles about which we are speaking in this study?

   If we have forgotten, the apostle Paul would say to us as he did to the Jews "You. therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal" (Romans 2:21)? How many bible classes have you attended where these beautiful passages were discussed at length, and just the right things said about them, only to see brethren after the services are over refuse to even speak to or to greet one another?  For shame!  There is much more to being a faithful Christian that just being nice to one another of course, but none can deny that without this characteristic, one cannot be a faithful Christian!  Jesus said: "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

    "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."

 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

    The fourteenth and fifteenth chapters of Romans were written to show Christians how to get along even if or when we differ on matters of indifference.  Why do we not work harder to apply such so we may truly be, "the light of the world, and the salt of the earth?" (Matthew 5;13-16) The fact is, we must if we are to please Him who purchased us with his own precious blood! (1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 5:25; Acts 20:28).

    Let us read the very passages taken directly from the word of Christ which teach the above affirmations. If we accept this as it is indeed the word of God, we must be impressed with its significance to our individual lives!

     "THEREFORE I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2) (NASV).

    The key to applying biblical principles to our lives is the renewed mind! This transformation in our thinking isn't accomplished overnight, it takes time and a lot of conscious efforts as we study the word of Christ and prayerfully desire to be the kind of people with whom the Lord is well pleased.  Paul spoke of this transformation when folks turn to Christ and to His new law in the following words of inspiration found in (2 Corinthians 3:15-18):

 "But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

    In the Ephesian letter Paul admonished them and us as to how Christians must behave ourselves because of our new found relationship to Christ and to others of like precious faith:

    But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. 25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:20-32).

         Paul went on to say "Therefore be followers of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:1-2).

    James adds emphasis to these thoughts when he wrote; "For where envy and self seeking exists, confusion and every evil thing will be there.  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:16-18).  One cannot help but be impressed with the importance God places on man's attitudes and actions toward  all men, especially their brethren.  Peter said that we should "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (1 Peter 2:17).

    Some people just have bad attitudes about life in general, and many times toward their own brethren bought with the same precious blood of Christ as they.  We must work on this problem or be forever separated from all of the faithful brethren, as well as from the Lord  one day.  Paul wrote "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?  But in accordance with your hardness and impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness-indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; For there is no partiality with God" (Romans 2:4-11).

    God is keeping record of our attitudes and of our actions toward Him and toward others as well. When we sin against a brother in Christ, we are said to sin against Christ Himself . (Read 1 Corinthians 8:12).  It seems to me that if we would only keep in mind that to sin against one who belongs to Christ is to sin against Him, we would be more prone to "clean up our acts" toward one another. We were each purchased by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

    In His great "sermon on the mount," Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy" (Matthew 5:7).  Sometimes, in fact often I'm afraid, some brethren in Christ take delight in "kicking a man when he is down."  Rather than showing compassion and mercy and attempting to help someone up who has stumbled and fallen, some tend to add to their misery seemingly glorying in their undone condition. It could be that they feel much better about themselves when compared to the fallen saint! Let me tell you as forcefully as I am capable that such isn't the case as the Lord sees things. No, not at all!  Rather than glorying in someone's fall from grace we should be attempting to "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1-2).  If  I am to expect mercy from my Lord in judging me, I had better show mercy towards my brethren as well as others. I do not mean that we should overlook sin in each other nor that we should tolerate religious error, but have compassion on others knowing as the saying goes, "but for the grace of God, there go I."   James put it thus: "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. And mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).  If I expect God to take circumstances into account as well as my lack of perfect knowledge etc., as he judges me, I had better be one who, rather than holding your spiritual feet to the fire of perfection, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24).

    May the God of all comfort who brought back the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead help each of us to be "kinder and gentler" one with the other. That will be the beginning place for a "kinder and a gentler brotherhood."