(Part One)
1 Peter 3:8 KJV
[8] “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:”
When the Lord saves us, He does not leave us where He found us but brings us out of the world and into the family of God. What a wonderful feeling to know that we have a Heavenly Father who cares for us and that we have brothers and sisters in Christ to fellowship with here on earth. We can draw strength from each other as we labor together for Him.
The problem is that the family does not always get along. Sometimes, there is division instead of working out their differences. Even though the brethren have experienced forgiveness, they are not always willing to extend it to others. That grieves the heart of God and hinders the work of the Holy Spirit. We are to treat our brethren the way God expects us to.
Peter tells us how to treat the brethren in this verse, and it begins with a mind of unity. Some people who call themselves Christians try to divide the brethren. They are continually stirring up strife against another brother in Christ. Instead of trying to build unity, they cause division. That is not how the Lord intended for us to treat each other.
He also tells us to have compassion and love for one another. That speaks of showing sympathy toward our brethren. We are not to be so quick to judge and call someone out. We should first pray for our brother because we do not know what he may be going through. We must not allow the bond of love between us and our brethren to be severed easily. I stand amazed at how quickly some professing Christians can just cut the brethren off. I don’t have to agree, accept, or align with everything a brother does, but I don’t have to cut him off!
Finally, we should be pitiful and courteous toward them. The word “pitiful” means to be full of pity or being tender-hearted toward them. God’s people should never mistreat one another. One of the many problems today is that people reveal too much on social media. They post about people and issues that are inappropriate for publication. They will stand before God one day for the things they have posted. It is sad when you see people running down their brother on an open forum for all the world to see. It grieves the Holy Spirit and causes sinners to reject salvation. We should take a firm stand and never lay down our swords, but we must recognize the enemy. The enemy has never been our brothers and sisters in Christ.