Do You "Love Your Neighbor as Yourself"?

HAVE LOVE FOR FELLOW WORSHIPPERS

Throughout the earth, there are millions who worship Jehovah and bear witness to his name and purpose.  How should each worshiper of Jehovah view his fellow Witnesses? God's Word answers:  "Let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith." (Galatians 6:10; Read Romans 12:10) The apostle Peter wrote:  "Now that you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth with un-hypocritical brotherly  affection as the result, love one another intensely from the heart."  Peter also told fellow believers:  "Above all things, have intense love for one another." -1 Peter 1:22; 4:8.  

Because we have intense love for our fellow servants of Jehovah, we make up a unique worldwide organization. Moreover, because we love Jehovah and obey his laws, he supports us with the most powerful force in the universe, his holy spirit, or active force. This enables us to enjoy wonderful unity as a truly international brotherhood. -Read 1 John 4:20, 21. 

Highlighting the need for love among Christians, Paul wrote:  "Clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, humility, mildness, and patience. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely even if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Just as Jehovah freely forgave you, you must also do the same. But besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union. (Colossians 3:12-14)  How thankful we are  that love-"a perfect bond of union"-prevails among us regardless of our background or national origin! 

Genuine love and unity identify Jehovah's servants as the ones who practice the true religion, for Jesus said:  "By this all will know that you are my disciples-if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:34,35) And the apostle John wrote: "The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact:  Whoever does not practice righteousness does not  originate with God, nor does the one who does not love his brother.  For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." (1 John 3:10, 11)  Love that results in extraordinary unity marks  Jehovah's Witnesses as Christ's true followers, the ones whom God is using to serve  his purpose to have the good news of the Kingdom preached in all the inhabited earth. -Matthew 24:14. 

Next time: Do You"love Your Neighbor as Yourself"? -GATHERING "A GREAT CROWD"

From The Watchtower magazine