In verse 9 it says that
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
1 Thessalonians 4.9
If you go out, our neighbours, some of them are Jewish and we have to say they know what persecution is. Throughout history, whether it is western Europe or in Russia, everywhere they have been persecuted.
In a way, by instinct, they know how to survive. So, they begin to help each other and, if you visit a Jewish institution, they are very good. They contribute, they help either by their time or effort.
They are very good at helping each other and I believe that’s what the Bible points out here when it speaks about brotherly love.
As we can see, when trouble comes (it might have come already), we must know how to care for each other, how to serve each other, how to look after each other, and how to love each other.
So, it says that
you have no need that I should write to you for you yourself are taught by God to love one another.
As we see difficult times coming, we must love each other. But there is another thing.
We know that we are loved by God. You know that unless you are loved by somebody or by God you simply can’t exercise true love.
We must have this love for us to exercise love for others. As we are loved by God, we naturally begin to exercise this love for others.
Another bit of good news is that when you exercise this love repeatedly, it becomes more abundant, it doesn’t dry up inside, it increases as we exercise it.
Therefore, when he speaks of this brotherly love, Paul says that we have no need that he should write to us for we ourselves are taught by God to love one another.
As we are loved by God, and even as we understand how the three Persons in the One God love each other by their existence, this simply show us how we can love each other and that we don’t need to run, we just have to exercise this love we learn from the Lord.
So, Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 33 says,
33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Jeremiah 31.33
In the Old Testament times, they had love but they had to learn, they have to be educated about the law, but as Jesus has come, and simply shown us how abundantly He loved us by his suffering and death, this law has been planted, written in our mind and heart that we may exercise this love for each other.
Verse 10 says, as I mentioned before, you increase more and more.
The Bible is very economic, it doesn’t waste a word. If it says ‘behold’ or ‘watch’, we should watch.
And it doesn’t boast, it just says exactly what it means and it says that ‘we should increase more and more in this brotherly love, as well as in sanctification.
Therefore, we should continue to grow and mature in love as well as in holiness.