p. 45 | A Test of Discipleship by R. F. Andrews

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 1, 1870

A Test of Discipleship.

By R. F. Andrews

OUR Saviour has given us positive evidence, whereby we may know we are his disciples. A single test, we propose to consider at present.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13: 35. Just as certainly as this language proves that those who practically obey it are the disciples of Christ, so surely it demonstrates that those who disregard it, are not his disciples. For if our loving “one another” evinces to all men that we are the disciples of Jesus, our lacking this love, or neglecting to demonstrate it in our lives, is also evidence that we are not his disciples. The extent of this love may be ascertained from the previous verse: “That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” This is a very short sentence; yet it brings to view a requirement as searching as any to be found in the book of God. It is called “a new commandment”; and is such in the strictest sense. Not that the commandment “to love one another,” or to “love thy neighbor as thyself,” is new; this had always been enjoined. 1 John 3: 11. “For this is the message” (margin, commandment) “that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” It would be a perversion of the text to make the “beginning” mentioned, mean the commencement of Christ’s ministry; for John places it at the creation, and introduces Cain as a transgressor of said commandment. 1 John 3: 12.

But to love one another, as Christ has loved us, is, indeed, a new commandment, such a requirement had not been previously made, and it is, therefore, a new commandment. Not that it is any higher in point of morality, than the law of God; for we believe, with Solomon, Eccl. 12: 13, that to “fear God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man”; and this very principle grows out of the first commandment.

Let us see, now, whether we are obeying it or not. How much did Jesus love us? Enough to lay aside the glory that he had with his Father before the world was, John 17: 5; to be made lower than the angels, Heb. 2: 9; to take upon him man’s nature, Heb. 2: 14; to wander in this world a homeless stranger, Matt. 8: 20; to be reviled, mocked, and spit upon; to have his holy brow pierced with cruel thorns; to have his lovely hands and tender feet mangled with nails driven by cruel men; to have our sins rolled upon him, and to bear them in his own body on the tree; to submit to the excruciating suffering and shameful death of the cross; to endure the withdrawal of his Father’s smiles; and instead, suffer the wrath of an offended God, against the violators of his holy law, until there was wrung from his anguished heart, the heart-rending exclamation: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matt. 27: 27–50. Such is the love wherewith Christ has loved us. Oh, the height and depth, the incomprehensibility of this love!

“Come, O my soul, to Calvary, And see the man who died for thee, Upon th’ accursed tree.”

He now requires that we “love one another, as he has loved us”; and promises that we shall become his friends if we obey his commands. The same principle is taught by the apostles Paul and John, Phil. 2: 3, “But in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” 1 John 3: 16; “And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

My dear brethren and sisters in Christ, I fear, yea, I know, we come very far short of coming up to this sacred principle as laid down by our divine Lord. When we allow ourselves to surmise and speak evil of each other; to be envious, jealous, selfish, and covetous; and to actually overreach, and defraud one another; we not only fall short of fulfilling this command of our blessed Lord, but we trample underfoot the express declarations of the word of God; identify ourselves as the loyal servants of Satan; and will be reckoned at last (unless we thoroughly repent) among those who shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Some seem to think that when a brother or sister errs, or gets out of the way, they then have full liberty to speak of them, and act toward them just as they please. This is all a mistake. Forbearance can be manifested only toward the erring; for those who do their whole duty, and walk in the counsel of God, will be no source of trial to their brethren; and consequently, there will be nothing to bear from such. But forbearance is taught in the Scriptures. Col. 3: 13: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man (or woman) have a quarrel (margin, complaint) against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” The apostle does not say, Brethren, if a man be found walking in the counsel and light of Heaven, ye which are spiritual restore such a one, but, “If a man be overtaken in a fault.” Forbearance becomes necessary then, and the motive presented by the apostle certainly ought to touch our hearts: “Considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Gal. 6: 1. Let us remember that it is the spiritual that are to restore such. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. 10: 12. Oh! for more of the Spirit and mind of our Master! that gentle, loving, forgiving, forbearing, and tender Spirit of Jesus—let us labor to become more and more assimilated into his lovely image, and instead of looking into, and magnifying, the faults of our brethren, let us look into our own. I cannot help believing that if one-tenth of the time which is worse than squandered in revolving and magnifying each other’s faults, were spent by us in self-examination, and earnest prayer to God to show us our own sins, this terrible evil would be overcome. Many of us do things ourselves that are a great deal worse than what our brethren do, and yet we hardly ever think of censuring ourselves. Oh! how easy to see the mote in our brother’s eye, and how difficult to see the beam in our own! Think you, my brethren, that because we pass over our own sins lightly and look upon our cases so favorably, that the God of Heaven will thus do? and because we speak disparagingly of our brethren, and magnify their faults, therefore, they are more heinous in the sight of God? May the Lord help us to look within; and if we must look at our brethren, may we not forget the admonition of the apostle, “If there be any virtue, if there be any praise,” let us “think on these things.”

We cannot entertain bitter, angry feelings against one another, and expect the favor of God. We are commanded to look diligently lest any root of bitterness springing up, trouble you, and thereby many be defiled. Heb. 12: 15. Also, to let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Eph. 4: 31, 32.

May the Lord help us to heed this good counsel; and may we try to cultivate love in our hearts, and forgiveness towards each other. Paul says, “Above all these things put on charity [love] which is the bond of perfectness.” Col. 3: 14. And John says that “he that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” 1 John 3: 14. Awful condition, terrible state! Dear reader, is this your condition while professing to be a disciple of Jesus, and also believing that his second advent is nigh at hand? Arouse! I entreat of you, arouse; for you are on forbidden ground. The enemy has well nigh taken you captive at his will; and unless you, in the strength of God, extricate yourself speedily, your case will be hopeless.

Oh! come, let us set about the work of evincing to all men, that we are the disciples of Jesus, by loving our brethren even as Jesus has loved us. May the Lord aid us by his grace. Amen.

R. F. ANDREWS.