Here we get the link between God and the family. When anyone is born of God, he is my brother. If the question is asked, “Who is my brother? How am I to know my brother?” Everyone that is born of God is my brother. I may have to sorrow over him sometimes, but still he is my brother, because I am related to him by the same divine nature. It is of great importance to remember this in the present day, because, where the Holy Spirit really acts, there will be a constant tendency to follow different courses. If we were all subject to the Spirit of God, we would all go one way. There is another thing also to be observed: we are not at the beginning of Christianity, but at the dark end, and escaping as it were by different roads. The very fact of the operation of the Spirit would be to produce perfect unity if we were subject, but we are not so.

The remedy for this is for the heart to be in close fellowship with Christ; and in proportion as this is the case, love for all saints will be there. To the same extent as Christ is valued will the saint be valued. In proportion as Christ’s thoughts about His saints are known to me, will all saints be in my thoughts. I do not know Christ’s love aright if one saint is left out; as it is said in Ephesians 3:17–19, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ.” I can only enter into this in any measure when I embrace all saints. If I should leave one out, I leave out part of Christ’s heart.