THANK God that we know what is exactly the opposite. It is LOVE — love of souls, love of brethren one for another, love of all men. It is a root of all kinds of good, in thought and words, in feeling and action. God is love, and Jesus declared Him, showing divine love in all His life. Even so, His life was like a promise of which His death was the fulfillment. He spent His strength for others in perfect devotion to God during “the days of His flesh,” but when “His hour” came He gave Himself. All that even divine love could give He gave. Love was magnified in His death, when He bore our sins in His own Body on the tree, and provided a ransom for us lost men. Thus He taught us to love Himself, for believing the love He had to us, we can do no other. Having shown love to us, His will is that we should love — love all men, even our enemies, and love with special affection everyone likewise beloved by Him and loving Him. These, being children of God by the same will and grace of God even as we ourselves, are our near relations, our spiritual kinsmen, our brethren.
Christ’s Love, an inexhaustible abundance.
His love is the outflowing of His very nature. What was within His heart only needed to be uncovered and released. The gracious words that proceeded from His mouth made men marvel, yet also His word was with power (Luke 4:22, :32). They were beyond measure astonished, saying, “He hath done all things well” (Mark 7:3737And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak. (Mark 7:37)). All these things were with a profusion beyond men’s power to relate or the world’s capacity to contain (John 21:2525And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. (John 21:25)).
Our poor love, a trickle.
When love springs up within our hearts, how much, alas! there is for it to restrain and repress; what contrary inclinations to be denied, and self-love to be overcome. Instead of an ever-flowing stream, an unrestrained, pure abundance as with our Lord, love with us is only a drip. “Today’s good deed” may seem to us an achievement — a drop a day! Whereas love should prompt every thought, frame every word, as well as determine every action of ours. Are we not very crude Christians needing to be taught out of our old habits? Those at Corinth were “carnal to whom the Spirit of God wrote by Paul words which we might entitle: —
How love behaves.
“Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil; rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (1 Cor. 13:4-7,4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4‑7) R.V).
What is not love.
It is not difficult to see against what evil propensities of our nature these admonitions are directed. Patience soon exhausted or even not shown at all with what we calf the dullness or faults of fellow Christians harshness of manner and speech in consequence. Then we shall be pleased when our brethren are bright, their behavior beyond reproach and their spiritual work prospering? Alas, no! Envy takes a hand and infects us with the poison of hatred — we find our brethren’s good a rebuke to ourselves and are tempted to belittle or besmirch it. If our own star is for the nonce in the ascendant, then we break out in boasting and swell with pride. Sometimes the very love and familiarity of the Christian circle induces in us disrespect of others’ feelings; we are less considerate for them and deem ourselves entitled to little liberties of un seemly behavior. Who knows not the working of that cardinal maxim of fallen man, self first? Where it is, offense is easily taken and grudges stored up; once the injury is felt or imagined, it cannot be for forgotten. When a brother falls, our hearts are half ready to rejoice instead of going swiftly to his help, and those same hearts cannot always, even with effort, work up real joy with the truth. Indeed they may find truth unwelcome, whether it be a matter of every-day, common fact, or the revealed truth of God. Regarding brethren who stumble as they nevertheless persevere in wending their heavenward way, we discuss their miserable failures and magnify them. We allow our prejudices and preconceptions to throw doubt on what should be believed readily concerning others. We despair of those in whom God has begun a good work, as though He would not perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:66Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)). Our reaction to the slightest persecution is indignant as though some strange thing had happened (1 Peter 4:1212Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (1 Peter 4:12)).
The Scripture above quoted teaches that love does none of these things. Its working is quite the contrary. How faithful the mirror is! Let us remove far from us these hideous blemishes it has reflected and adorn ourselves with more love to please the eye of our heavenly Lover, the Lord Jesus. “Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God” (1 John 4:77Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (1 John 4:7)). We wrote last month that
Love is an all-embracing fulfillment
of the whole will and law of Christ. True love of this divine order cannot go against His commandments. There are sickly and easy-going counterfeits; amiability in word that does nothing to relieve need (1 John 3:17, 1817But 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? 18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:17‑18)), for instance; or “uninterfering” unconcern that allows sin upon a brother (1 Peter 4:88And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)). But this love is a conscientious, toing, watchful affection, never out of line with the will of the Lord. “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:1010Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10)). “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:22Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)).
T.D.