But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 1Th 4:9 

The Bible speaks of a Christian as a person who has a distinct personality. This person who is saved is somebody who seeks to impose brotherly love on his own life, in that he loves his brethren. This is a change from the carnal life before salvation where “we ourselves were sometimes living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” Tit 3:3.

Why is this important?

1Jn 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Perhaps it is not very obvious why brothers shouldn’t fight, but God hates brethern who fight. First we have to understand that God in his essence is love. Aggression, friction, contentions, and fighting are things that God is against. They are of the Devil. When two brothers take upon themselves to fight, then there is the presence of the Devil. It is not of God. But much more than God doesn’t like it, God says his children have to learn, comprehend, understand, and practice love.

1Jn 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. God proposes that there should be a union and friendship between siblings, and that a brother should help and support his brother in the endeavors of life (Pro 17:17). When two people who are brothers fight, then God says that they walk in darkness and are fallen (sinning or unsaved).

1Jn 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. If a person does not love his brethren, then it is obvious that he is not a Christian, a child of God.

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. The mark of a really saved person is that they love their brethren, and does not enter into fights, conflicts, or contentions. The Christian understands that God commanded that we have brethren to see what kind of relationship we carry on with them. In showing love to our brethren, we announce our faith in Christ. Resistance to fight or contend with our brethren is something that should reveal who is saved or who is not.

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? God proposes love, friendship, ignoring, hating, and murder all are on the same line, just different degrees of your relationship with your neighbor, which in itself is a reflection of your relationship with God. On one extreme is love, in that one would die for the other. On the other extreme is murder. Everything else is degrees between the two. Moreover, brethren share what they have between themselves. We love even our enemies.

Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. When a person understands (1) the love of God, (2) how this is the moral character of God, (3) that God is love, (4) that God disapproves of aggressive, conflictive behavior, then one understands God and salvation. All is based on two key points as Jesus teaches, loving God, and showing that love in loving our neighbors.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Salvation and the whole of the Christian life is based on our relationship with God, and how we show this spiritual relationship, specifically in how we accept and imitate the nature and moral character of God, (Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children), and then how we manifest our acceptance of God’s moral character in our own life by showing that in our relationships with other people, and especially within the family of faith.

Irritating and provoking one another

1Co 13:5 love… is not easily provoked
Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. God commands us to not irritate (provoke or exasperate, to call to conflict and contention.) The Christian is a person who seeks peace, not contention. As Christians, sometimes we have to confront our brethren when they disobey the will of God, but in general we love our neighbors and brethren forgetting and cover their offenses and not seeking conflict and contention with them.

Biting and devouring one another

Gal 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. Among brothers, sometimes they take a plan of action that they literally want to destroy one another. The idea is taken from one animal devouring another (eating him up).

Our relationship amongst ourselves

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. It is essential to see the importance that God put on his children carrying sincerely practicing a love relationship between themselves. This relationship is defined by and revealed in the moral character of God, and one shows God by living in this form. The local church is we know each other, and carry on this fellowship, care, interest, etc with our brethren.

Forbearing and supporting one another

Col 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. If one is saved, he will put up with and endure his brethren. We seek peace, forgiving one another as the children of God, who forgives us.

Forgiveness

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. If you seek and want the forgiveness of God, then He will put you to the test by bringing some problematic brother your way, to see if you really forgive others. To be pardoned by God of your sins, you must equally forgive others, not holding against them their offenses to you, not harboring resentment and envy. God sees the sincerity of your heart toward the salvation of God and towards God by how you forgive others that bother, offend, and irritate you.

Exhorting and teaching one another

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another… When we understand the Bible and the will of God, then we understand our mission from God to “show forth (announce) the praises (virtues) of him who hath called us” (1Pet 2:9). In this we explain and live the Word of God (the will of God) through our lives before the world. We exhort and teach, but we don’t fight nor live with wicked intentions towards others.

Comfort and edify one another

1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. The evidence of a saved person is that effect he has on or towards others, especially his brethren. Is he edifying or fighting with them? This defines his character as a child of God, or a child of the devil.