"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
"And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him." I John 4:8, 16.
IN the beginning when God made man, love was an abiding principle in the heart of man,—man abiding in God and God abiding in man.
But man sinned and came short of the glory of God, his sins caused a separation between him and his Creator, and lust took the place of love. Inspiration speaks thus upon this point: "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear." Isa. 59:2.
Now to save man from his lost and fallen condition the great plan of salvation was instituted, based upon the eternal and unchangeable principle of love, love to God and love to man. The apostle John says: "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. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world thru Him might be saved." John 3:16, 17. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live thru Him." 1 John 4:9.
Jesus offered Himself a sacrifice for a fallen world. And the Father accepted Him. Jesus in offering Himself to die in man's stead did not do it because He was compelled to do so, but the offering was a voluntary act of love for lost humanity. The Father in accepting Jesus as the world's Sacrifice gave Him as a gift of His love. It was purely a voluntary gift of His love.
So the service rendered to God must be of the same nature. It must be the voluntary service of love, obedient and willing, as coercion can not enter into the worship of God for it is no part of the plan of salvation. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." I John 4:16.
The conditions of salvation are, "Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin. The sinner must be sorry that he has sinned against God; sorry that he has grieved the Holy Spirit. He must have a real desire to be reconciled to God, and to fill the place he was created to fill.
"God is love." Therefore His law is a law of love. The plan of salvation is based upon love. Love to God and love to our fellow creature, for "upon these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
T. GODFREY.