CHRISTIAN LOVE by C. A. Osgood

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 31, 1878

CHRISTIAN LOVE.

By C. A. Osgood

THE true disciples of Christ are "taught of God to love one another." This love is of such a peculiar character that it attracts the attention of unbelievers. Said our Lord, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples because ye have love one to another." By this love, we know ourselves that we belong to Christ, "We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren." The nature of this love is described by Paul in 1 Cor. 13. Let us give attention to some things that he says concerning it. He says charity, or love, suffereth long. Fathers and mothers will labor hard and long for the good of their children because they dearly love them. When they are sick, they will watch over them and attend to their wants with untiring diligence, night and day, until they recover, though the time may be very long. They will deprive themselves of rest and many comforts for the good of the sick one. Love moves them to do and suffer these things. The child may not appreciate what is done and suffered for his good. The child may be peevish and appear ungrateful, yet the parental love, which is deeply rooted in the heart, does not grow cold, so the parents keep on laboring and suffering for the beloved one.

So, true Christian love, deep-rooted in the heart, suffers long. Although our brethren and sisters are imperfect, though some of their ways are not pleasing to us, still love will make us bear with them a long time; it will lead us to labor long and hard to do them good, and to pray most earnestly for their growth in grace, and their eternal salvation. Though they should wander far away from God, love will move us to go after the lost sheep and bring it back.

Love is kind. It does not exhibit itself in harsh and unkind words, uttered in unkind tones of voice, attended with forbidding features of the countenance. No; but in kind words, uttered in tones of gentleness, and in deeds of kindness. Though duty calls us to reprove the erring brother, the reproof is given in love, not to reproach or abuse the erring one, but to do him good; to reclaim and save him. Love envies not. Love rejoices when others prosper. Love cannot hate. We wish those we love to prosper. We want them to excel in every good work. When pure love reigns in our hearts we are not troubled because others become richer than ourselves. We are not troubled because our brethren are more honored than we, or because they can sing, or pray, or preach, or write, better than we, or exert a more extensive influence, and so are able to do more good.

Love is not puffed up. True love does not make any one proud or haughty. It does not make even the best feel that everybody should honor and serve them; but leads them to imitate the Saviour, who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister to others.

Love never faileth. Faith will, by-and-by, be lost in sight, and hope in glad fruition, but love, deep and pure, will swell the bosoms of the redeemed through the everlasting age. In the renewed earth, this love will pervade every heart, appear in every feature, move every lip and appear in every action. Love will be the glory of the world to come. Let us then labor to cultivate and perfect this grace now. Let us love one another with pure hearts fervently. C. A. OsGOOD.