I John 3:17 “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? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
The Commandment to help our “brother” in “need” is not and should not be a government mandate or law. But, it is indeed a Commandment from our God. Obedience to this Commandment rises from the indwelling “love of God in” us. One of the great evidences that “the love of God” is in a person, is that they quickly see that their “brother” has a “need” and they have tender “compassion” for their needy “brother”, and they help him. They see that their “brother” has a “need” because they maintain close fellowship with one another. John makes the point by asking the question, “how dwelleth the love of God in him?”; that is, those who show no loving “compassion” for their brethren in “need” are not displaying the key evidence that “the love of God” is in them. This does not give us the liberty to pass Eternal Judgment upon them; but, a cold hearted person is simply not showing that “the love of God” is dwelling “in him”. Neither is this display of “love” to be used to promote ourselves in the eyes of others or to secure some benefit. This “love” is given without any thought for personal reward or advantage. John’s purpose is to exhort us to “love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth”; that is, let us live outwardly “the love of God” that is dwelling “in” us by having “compassion” upon our needy “brother”. I once read that a farmer had become very sick and could not plow his fields, and he wondered how he was going to provide for his family. Then one morning, he looked out his window and saw “the love of God” at work, his neighbors were plowing his fields for him. When “love” is shown in this manner, it binds a Church closer and closer together and helps us to more closely focus our lives upon our Lord, His Word, and His Church.