LOVE ONE ANOTHER by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 6, 1861

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

The Bible everywhere abounds with lessons of instruction on this subject. It seems to have held a very prominent place in the mind of the apostle Peter. "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." To my mind there are three important features to this text: 1. We are required to purify our souls in obeying the truth. 2. This cannot be done without the aid of the Spirit. 3. Our love for each other must be unfeigned and fervent. Among all the evidences that could be gathered from the Scriptures that they had passed from death unto life the beloved disciple chose this: "We know," said he, "that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." And there was never seen a truly converted soul but gave evidence of this fact.

Again he says, For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? Here is the test. Our love to God is evinced by our love to each other. O, for the love of God shed abroad in the heart that it may flow forth in all our words, and tender compassion accompany every act of life. What are we doing? We are talking about the coming of the Lord; talking about overcoming, and getting ready for translation; but what are the evidences in our lives that we are making any progress in this work? What have we added to our faith in the third angel's message? Is it patience? godliness? brotherly kindness and charity? In short, may all men know that we are the disciples of Jesus because we have love one for another? If not, we have nothing but the theory of the truth; and it can no more save us than it could the Jews who were once the favored people of God, but the Saviour plainly taught the disciples that unless their righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they could in no case enter the kingdom of heaven.

I do believe there is power enough in the present truth to purify our souls and cause the fruit of the Spirit to appear in our lives; which is, love, joy, peace, long-suffering and kindness; that is, if we obey it through the aid of the Spirit. Vain is the attempt to keep the commandments while the heart is yet carnal. Here is the grand difficulty. We have tried to bend the law of God to the carnal mind, when we are plainly taught that it "is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." First cleanse the fountain, then the streams will be pure, no matter in which direction they may flow, whether toward God or man.

Blessed privilege! to have Jesus come into the heart and take up his abode there, and daily cheer us with the blessed hope of immortality in a little while without tasting death. Who does not crave such a privilege? Nothing short will satisfy the longing desires of my heart. I call to remembrance former days, and I am humbled before the Lord, because of the little progress that I have made, and the language of my heart is, Thy face, O God, will I seek.

E. J. WAGGONER.

Battle Creek, Mich.