LOVE'S WORK by Seth Smith

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 17, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 29.

LOVE'S WORK.

By Seth Smith

“BEAR ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” Gal. 6:2, 3. We can not bear one another’s burdens, unless we have the love of God. And we can not have the love of God, unless we have faith in Christ—Christ dwelling in us by faith—which will cause us to be something instead of being nothing. I Cor. 13:2. Then, if a man think himself to be something when he has not love, he deceives himself.

But it does not seem right to say that a man is nothing, after that God has created a new heart in him; for that would be saying that God has failed, that He has made nothing, when in fact He has made something out of nothing.

“God is love.” Then surely they that have love are “partakers of the divine nature,” and are something. What they do they do in love, and do not study to be approved of men, but “study to be approved of God.” They that have not the love of God (they who are nothing) can not “bear the burdens of others, and so fulfil the law of Christ,” because they have not Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith. They are always the ones who delight in outward show, in forms, ceremonies, and perhaps think that they must do some wonderful work in order to be saved, not knowing that a wonderful work must be done in them before they can be saved.

“The law of Christ” being the law of love, we must first have love before we can fulfil it. The man without the love of God is the man who will think himself to be something, and will be looking around for some one to bear his burdens, instead of troubling himself about the burdens of others.

We often hear this remark, “There is nothing to him.” “There is nothing to him,” and it is because the man is without the love of God. We never know where to find him, except it is on the wrong side. But the man with the love of God in his heart is sure to make it manifest that there is something to him, tho he may not be considered smart or educated.

SETH SMITH.

Castana, Iowa.