'It requires grace
It requires grace to love all Christians
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples — if you love one another." John 13:35
It is easy enough to love some people —
people with tastes like ours,
people who belong to our social group,
people who are particularly kind to us.
But that is not the way that Christ wants us to live and to love.
True Christian fellowship receives all the followers of our Lord — all who bear His name. We will be known as His disciples, by our love for one another.
It requires grace to love all Christians . We must have the love of God in our hearts — before we can love others.
We must be close to Christ — before we can be close to one another.
We must cultivate the thoughts and feelings appropriate for disciples of Christ.
The humblest believer is our brother or our sister in Christ — whom we should sincerely love.
"My command is this: Love each other — as I have loved you." John 15:12
"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart!" 1 Peter 1:22