LOVE by J. M. Gallemore

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 8, 1877

LOVE

By J. M. Gallemore

“God is love.” He “so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” We see from the above Scripture texts that God is a being of love. His love, mercy, and tender compassion, toward his trusting and faithful children is beyond our conception. “No good thing will he withhold from them.” “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that love him.” “Like as a Father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” Truly, then, “God is love.”

Does he require love at our hands? The essence of his commandments is love to God and love to man. Upon these two principles hang all the law and the prophets. “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” Love to God and man insures the fulfillment of God’s law. God’s commandments enjoin love—love to God and man. Do we love God? And do we love the children of God? “We know we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren.” “He that loveth not, knoweth not God.” God’s people must possess love. No man can keep the commandments of God in the spirit without love.

Love for the people of God is a test of our love to God. Proof: “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? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20, 21. Do we then love the people of God? There is a test. “By this we know we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.” 1 John 5:2.

“The commandments of God are exceeding broad.” They cover a great deal. And whenever we become possessed of that love to God and man which they enjoin, we shall have reached the full stature of men and women in our Lord and Saviour. Let the people of God remember that new commandment (and not a new one either, for we had it from the beginning, and it came from God); let them never lose sight of its teachings. Says the apostle Peter, “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” Says the apostle Paul, in 1 Cor. 13:1, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (or love, properly), I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal,” etc.

We cannot be the children of God, and not love. Let us think of this, and if we find ourselves lacking in love, pray God for a spirit of love. While we are without it, we have neither the Spirit of God nor of our Lord and Saviour. We want more love for God and his cause, more love for the children of God, more love for perishing souls. Let us pray for it.

J. M. GALLEMORE.