Today this organization is known as the Christian witnesses of Jehovah, and they have a worldwide reputation for having love for one another and for their fellowman. What a wonderful thing it is for those who are a part of this organization today to worship and serve Jehovah as united people, with individuals from all races and nationalities bound together in the “perfect bond of union”​—godlike love! Yes, Jehovah’s Christian witnesses today have the distinguishing mark, the reputation of being outstanding in their love for their God Jehovah and for one another. Thus they prove themselves imitators of their loving God and true disciples of his Son, Jesus Christ.​—Eph. 5:1; John 13:34, 35.

Have Intense Love for One Another

“Have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.​—1 Pet. 4:8.

1, 2. How does the Bible writer John confirm the importance of displaying agápē love in our lives?

IN HIS first letter to fellow Christians the apostle John refers to God’s love in sending his Son to deliver mankind and he shows that Christians are to imitate this expression of love. This is not a matter of choice but is really an obligation that we have, to love one another. He says: “Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another.” (1 John 4:11) So here John emphasizes the importance of Jesus’ “new” commandment. (John 13:34, 35) Christians should be exemplary in showing love to one another. Jehovah himself has set the example in showing principled love (agápē) to his earthly children. So, as obedient children, and as God’s servants, we should follow that example and show love, not only for Jehovah God, but for one another.

² John again confirms this obligation and shows the seriousness of the matter, at 1 John 4:20 and 21, where he writes: “If anyone makes the statement: ‘I love God,’ and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him, that the one who loves God should be loving his brother also.” So this matter of showing agápē love, self-sacrificing love, for one’s Christian brother or sister is a very serious thing, because thereby we show that we love Jehovah God himself.

3. Who is our visible brother whom we are to love?

³ Who is our visible brother whom we are to love? Well, we cannot limit him to someone of the same race, the same color or the same nationality, can we? Rather, our brother is our fellow servant of Jehovah in the local Christian congregation, or in any other congregation of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses throughout the earth. He is our brother in the faith. (Gal. 3:26-28) So we are obligated by Jehovah’s love to have intense love for our Christian brothers, thereby proving we are true Christians.