Oh, That 1938 Might be a Year of Revival!
IF, however, we Christians wish to see the Word of God working in power in the unsaved, we must ourselves allow it to dwell in our hearts and rule them. When we consider our ways according to it and let it judge our disobedience, then we may expect others to feel its truth and bow under it, but not before. Revival always begins with the people of God. Let us make this opening of another year of grace an occasion of self-examination in respect of love, which according to the message we have heard of Him takes a pre-eminent place. Will our feelings and conduct looked at in the mirror of God’s Word on the subject bear scrutiny? If not, let us confess our sin to Him according to 1 John 1:9.
Where love is absent the best appearances are misleading. Take, for example, a preacher genuinely endowed by Divine power to address foreigners in their own tongue which he had never learned. It would be very impressive and excite wonder, yet if he had not love, he would become a mere jingle. Indeed, if he gave his message in the angels’ tongue — and what a supernatural bestowal this would be — without love he would be no better than the clapper of an old cracked bell.
So teaches the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. To emphasize it he continues, supposing himself for the moment to be a prodigy of spiritual insight, a favored confidant of omniscience; in his own words, a prophet understanding all Divine secrets and all knowledge. Supposing further, he were a man of power approaching omnipotence, having all faith so that he could remove mountains. If, notwithstanding, he were without love, what would he be? A great one in the Kingdom of Heaven? No, indeed. In such case, he says, I am nothing.
Love is essential as the base of all Christian activities and attainments if the Judge of all is to count these as true gold, built on the only true foundation. So much so, he adds, in order to give triple force to his declaration, that it is nothing to my profit, if I have not love, though my self-sacrifice should be complete in the surrender not only of my goods, but of my life. Not the least lessons of his very words are that the utmost done for the poor may not arise from true love of man, and the extremist zeal may have in it no true love of God.
How indispensable is this love! Ministry without it is like food without vitamins, a chemically prepared substitute without nourishing properties. But it may be objected, might not God over-rule and decree in His sovereignty that souls be blessed through such service of any, seeing it is His Own Word? Yes, truly, but it would also remain true that the servants themselves in His sight would be nothing and profit nothing. Their labor, meantime, would but fatten their self-love, which is no love at all, and hereafter yield them no reward.
Once more, how all-important is this love. First of all, to give the intrinsic value of genuineness to ministry itself, for imposing gifts, profound scriptural knowledge and sacrificial benevolence count for nothing where love does not constrain. Then, for the nourishment, growth and gathering in one of the sheep of Christ, for without love, they are untended and scatter and starve. What must this mean to Him Who counts what His redeemed suffer as done to Himself (Acts 9:4)?
Here let us add some further considerations which, God willing, we may stress in coming months with more detail.
Love actively serving those who are Christ’s is the true test of love to Christ Himself (John 21:15 to 17). To us He is unseen and intangible. He is in no need. Those who love Him in the world we see, and come in contact with; they are in need. If we are found wanting in respect of those, who will bear witness of our love to Him? Even He will disown it (1 John 4:20).
Love to those of like precious faith fulfils Christ’s new commandment (John 13:34). There never had been a time before He died when men of all races could love one another, knowing their common privilege as children of God (John 1:12) and their common debt to their Redeemer. Through the ransom He was about to pay in giving His life, the time had now come. Nor is it yet past. It is still a new commandment, outside every earthly relationship, over and above every worldly code of morality, and peculiarly Christ’s commandment, as though He had but one (John 15:12.)
In the life of His assembly, His Church, in the practical working out of His power in its midst by His abiding Spirit, love is the bond of perfectness, the practical uniting force among believers till He comes. (Col. 2:2, 3:14.)
Love to one another shows the world that we are His, and is the most powerful public witness we can reader to our unseen Lord (John 13:34, 35). But if we bite and devour one another, find fault and condemn, what then? Not that. Christians are faultless, but they should by love so help one another to be holy, that the world’s criticism would be disarmed and silenced.
Moreover, from Galatians 5:13, 14, we conclude that in the loving of our brethren according to Christ’s commandment there is an all-embracing fulfillment of the whole will and law of Christ. Without love, “godliness” becomes a weary law-keeping, or, what is worse, a self-satisfied and conventional morality.
“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.” (1 John 3:16.) His giving Himself for us, lays upon us the debt to love our brethren as a measure less obligation.
Finally, “he that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:8.)
Love is sweet to be enjoyed, but if you believe in Jesus, way you, dear reader, with us all bow under the weight of our infinite indebtedness to the love of God in Christ, and gratefully responding, chew our love to Him in loving fervently all those for whom He died.
OH, pardon us, Lord, that our love to Thy Name
Is so faint, with so much our affections to move;
Our coldness might fill us with grief and with shame,
So much to be loved, and so little we love.
T. D.