TESTS OF LOVE by Frank Hope

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 21, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 49.

TESTS OF LOVE.

By Frank Hope

PAUL writing to the Romans says, "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts." He is not at all uncertain that such was the case, but speaks with assurance, as if he were positive and had no doubt about it. Paul is but the type of the true Christian, and it is our privilege to be as sure in regard to our condition as he was, and to know that we have the love of God in our hearts. The question is, How did Paul know? and, How can we know that we have that love? Many say we can only tell because we feel it; we know, say they, that we have it by the peculiar emotions it produces in us.

But though the love of God produces happiness, a feeling of happiness cannot be taken as a sign that one is imbued with that love, for sometimes a true servant of God is far from feeling happy. Christ at times said that he was exceeding sorrowful even unto death, and he is called the Man of sorrows, while on the other hand Belshazzar, no doubt, felt very happy during his impious feast, but he was weighed in the balance and found wanting. Paul says, "We walk by faith, not by sight"—nor by hearing, or feeling, or any of the senses. How, then, can we know that we have the love of God? Simply by our lives. Christ says, "By their fruits ye shall know them," or as Paul said in this connection, "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost," and all who have that Holy Spirit will manifest its fruits in their lives. Gal. 5 : 22-25. Besides this the Bible gives us some very simple rules by which we may know if we are imbued with the love of Christ.

1. If we love God we will obey him. We will keep his commandments, for this is the only way we poor fallen creatures have of showing our love and gratitude to him. Said Christ to his disciples, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John, the apostle of love, tells us, "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, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him." 1 John 2 : 4, 5. And again: "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." This is a sure test, and one always to be relied on. When men make great professions of love to God, and yet show a spirit of hatred to his law, it is a sure sign that they are not in the path of love, and Christ says to them as he did to the Jews, "I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you."

2. Those who have the love of God, love one another. On this point John says, "If any 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. Those who feel hard and unforgiving towards any may be sure that they have not the love of God shed abroad in their hearts. Those who have this love will not feel animosity against even those who do them great injury, but will follow the teaching of Jesus, who said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" If we only love those that are good to us, we do no more than the rest of humanity or the brute creation, and thus show that we are actuated by no higher power; but if we love those who are not good to us, we demonstrate to the world that we are controlled by a higher motive than what humanity naturally has; thus we show that we have the love of God.

3. Those who love God think of him. Said Christ, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." We all know that this is true. The one who is most dear to us is the one who is uppermost in our thoughts; so if we love God we will love to meditate on him and his goodness, and to pray to him. This is not natural for us, for man naturally hates to think of God; it is distasteful to him and troubles him, so before we can thus think of God a change must have taken place in us, that is, we must have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts. Reader, what is your main line of thought? If you love God with all your heart, he will be your constant theme of meditation. David, speaking of the godly, said, "His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." FRANK HOPE.