What Is Love? by Epsilon

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 28, 1886

What Is Love?

By Epsilon

THIS is a most important question to every Bible student; for without love, faith and hope must end in destruction. But what is love? Says one, "Love is an affectionate feeling." But affectionate feeling is only a part of love.

Suppose a young man shows signs of affectionate feeling for his father. He cannot bear to hear the least intimation against his father, and he often talks in highest praise of him. But he has little regard for his father's wishes. He does not exert himself to help his father, and is unwilling to forsake bad company and break off bad habits. Suppose a young lady weeps over the sick-bed of that mother who recovers to again do all the heavy drudgery, while the tender-hearted, affectionate young lady seeks her own pleasure, or chooses light and pleasant work. What is such affection worth? Is it love, or only a part of love?

The apostle exhorts us thus: "My little children, let us not love in word [only], nor in tongue; but in deed [doing] and in truth." 1 John 3:18. But the Bible in various ways defines love. In Rom. 13:10, we have a good definition: "Love is the fulfilling [keeping] of the law." The Bible will bear me out in the idea that the keeping of the law is the proof of perfected love.

If antinomians think that Paul meant to teach that love exempts them from keeping the law, they have only to read other scriptures to find themselves mistaken. Why were the Jews required to abide by the decalogue? Answer: Deut. 6:5: "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Lev. 19:18: "But thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. I am the Lord." Then it was with the Jews as it is with us. They were to love, and to prove their love by endeavoring to keep the law of God.

No one can maintain that the commandments of God do not include the decalogue. "And hereby [by this] we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word [or law], in him verily is the love of God perfected." 1 John 2:3-5. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." 1 John 3:15. John here alludes to the sixth commandment, and to hate is the opposite of to love. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:2, 3. "His commandments are not grievous" to those who truly love God.

Dear reader, are you willing to prove your love by being numbered with the last remnant of the church, "which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 12:17); also "that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus"? Rev. 14:12. EPSILON.