p. 8 | The Law of Love

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 17, 1909

The Law of Love.

GOD'S law presents no arbitrary requirements to show His authority. Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Justice, Infinite Love, could not give any other law. The commandments of God are the expression of His own character, and He can not deny Himself.

Moreover God's law is the law of His life. It is the law of the perpetual life of all humanity. Through that channel eternal life flows. To pervert that law is sin; to pervert that life is death. God could not, therefore, teach or require any change or perversion of His law. He wishes man to live; how could He give him a law of death? God's law is the law of righteousness. Well does the psalmist sing: "All Thy commandments are righteousness." Ps. 119: 172. And a complement of that is: "In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death." Prov. 12: 28.

The sinner can not get that righteousness and life in the law, but he can secure it by faith in Jesus Christ. But to the righteousness he obtains from Christ, God's law bears witness. Rom. 3: 20-22. And Jesus bestows upon us the righteousness of God and within us the life of God, in order "that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8: 4. "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid, yea, we establish the law." Rom. 3: 31. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5: 3.