GOD’S TEST OF OUR LOVE

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, Cal. · Jul 26, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 30.

GOD’S TEST OF OUR LOVE.

THE disobedience of God’s professed people has been the burden of every prophet’s cry. From Moses down to John the Revelator the story has been the same. “Precept upon precept, line upon line, . . . here a little, and there a little”—this has been the unvarying rule of God’s dealings with His people.

God’s promise to one and all is this: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land” (Isa. 1:19); and there are no promises in the Bible to any but the “willing and obedient.” God has told us plainly enough what is the test of our love and loyalty to Him—it is obedience; not obedience to our own desires, to the traditions or commandments of men—but obedience to the law of God. That is His own appointed test of our love and loyalty. Jesus says, “Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” He did not recognize them as His while they refused to follow His commands. As He is “the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever,” we may know, likewise, that He will never recognize us as His while we refuse obedience to His law.

In every age men have professed themselves lovers of God while walking at variance with the precepts of His law; but John, writing with the pen of Inspiration, declares:

“This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.”

Then, as if foreseeing that men would accuse God of having given men a law to keep which was a “yoke of bondage,” he says:

“And His commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3.

There is the test—a divinely-appointed test—and every man and every woman can apply it for themselves to themselves. Do we love God? Look at the law of God and see if we are following out its precepts—not four, or six, or even nine, but all of them. If we have found ourselves declaring that “the law is no longer binding upon men;” that “the law was abolished;” and so have found delight in what the law forbade; then we may know that it is not “the love of God” in our hearts that has been prompting our course. We may know, rather, that it is a spirit at enmity with God that has been directing; for He says:

“The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8:7.

We can not be God’s children—we can not be inhabitants of His kingdom—if we have a mind at enmity with Him. That would bring rebellion the second time into the universe, and that God will not permit. So we can not be His, and Heaven can not be ours, if it can be said of us that we are “not subject to the law of God.” It is an exceedingly serious matter for any professed Christian to declare against God’s law, or to declare himself out from under its obligations in any single precept. It means rebellion, disloyalty to the One we profess to love and serve. It is the very antithesis of the example of Christ. His attitude toward the law is thus expressed:

“Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Ps. 40:7, 8.

One proof that this refers to Christ is in His fulfilment of it in His attitude toward the Law. Concerning this He says:

“If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” John 15:10.

In that perfect submission of Christ to the will of God is our example. He could not have been our Saviour had He assumed any different attitude. It was man’s transgression of God’s law that brought death; it is Christ’s obedience to that law which has purchased back the life man had forfeited. He lived upon this earth, “leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21. “This is the love of God,” says John, “that we keep His commandments.” And Christ says to His followers: “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

Thus over and over is it declared to us that the test of our loyalty and love to God is in our attitude toward the law of God. It is a test to which our Saviour, our great Exemplar, willingly submitted; it is a test which will be brought to bear upon us, each and all, and our eternal destiny hangs upon how we stand the test.

Of His remnant, redeemed people the Lord declares: “Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12. That can not be said of those who are fighting against God’s law; and they who continue so to do can not be among that number. The only safe course is to come to Christ and ask Him to take out of our heart every vestige of the hate we have entertained toward His holy law, and put its principles into our heart, so that we can say with the psalmist: “O how love I thy law.” Then in His strength we will keep it, and be recognized as His.