Love One Another by T. E. Bowen

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · May 12, 1903

Love One Another

By T. E. Bowen

T. E. BOWEN

No better testimony can be given the world by the church than the manifestation of true love among its members. First there is to be unswerving love for one another. And then this genuine love should make a wider circle out into the world. Those who for twenty-five or thirty years have been familiar with the message we all love, know there is not now that manifestation of love among brethren that there was in the earlier years of the message. Surely this should be exactly the reverse, but somehow the love of many is waxing cold. That tender consideration for one another which should exist is lacking.

There are those in the same church, those whose names are enrolled upon the same record book, who actually do not love one another. Some one's feelings have been hurt, perhaps unintentionally, and the offense is taken, harbored, as some precious treasure, and instead of union, which should exist, souls are drawn apart. This is as the enemy hoped, so he rejoices to see the breach widen.

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” Any brother that hateth any other brother, is a sinner. It makes no difference what this other brother has done. This has nothing to do with the matter. He is to love him. If he does not, this text says he should not profess (say) to love God; for all such profession is a lie.

But, you say, this special brother, or this one sister, has said something terribly mean about me, and I can't love this one. Of course I love the brethren generally, but this one—well, really, I believe he ought not to belong to the church anyhow. I have—

But stop. When did you pray last?

Why, this morning.

Did you really pray?

I suppose so. Y-e-s; I prayed.

Are you sure?

What do you mean?

I mean did you pray as Jesus told you to pray. Let us turn and read what he said: “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Well, I never saw this text in just that light before, and I have read it many times.

Notice it says, “When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any.” This certainly means that we are to pray for that one whom it seems so hard to love. If we do not, and from our hearts forgive, we need expect no forgiveness from God. If all would thus pray, if all would thus forgive, it would be but a short time until the first love, so warm, tender, and true, would be seen in the church.

Would you like to have this brother shut out of the golden city for anything he may have done out of the way to you? Now think. Surely not. Then can't you, for Christ's sake, forgive him, and do it once and for always?

That there is no long-drawn conclusion between the act of loving and the act of forgiving, notice how the Saviour connects the two in his talk with Simon the leper, while sitting at meat with him. During the meal a woman, Mary Magdalene, who was a great sinner, came in and wiped his feet, which she had bathed with her tears of repentance, without saying one word. She had not audibly asked to be forgiven. In his heart Simon rebuked her and her Lord. Jesus, knowing his thoughts, as well as hers, told him a story. In it one man owed much, another little. Both were freely forgiven. Then followed the pointed question: “Tell me therefore, which of them will love . . . most?”

Ah! here is the secret. He who is forgiven most will love most. It is the forgiveness that begets the love. And love only can forgive. The two are inseparable, and Jesus here brings them together in an impressive and beautiful manner.

“If ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.” We have no assurance above the sinner if from our hearts we can not forgive and love the one who we know does not love us. It is noble to forgive. It is elevating. It is Christlike. It is the perfect way. Remember the Bible says you are to forgive and love that special erring one when you pray in secret. Don't wait for him to come to you and ask to be forgiven. That is late. It should all be over before then.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth [a continual state of living] is born of God, and knoweth God.” “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” Such who thus do will be welcomed into the everlasting kingdom prepared for those who love the Lord and his appearing in glory.