A Woman Washes Jesus' Feet With Her TearsBible World
4:191 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.
Our love for God does not begin with us, for the unrenewed human heart is cold and unloving and loves Him only because He first loved us. That prior love was shown in sending His only Son to be the sacrifice for sins, that sinners might live through Him and have everlasting life, loving them while they were still sinners and needy rather than good. Beholding that infinite cost and His lovely character awakens answering love, breaks the heart over sin, and draws and binds the soul to Him. Love thus received necessarily flows out in love for one another, so that claiming to love God while hating a brother or acting without courtesy is false and leaves a person guilty before God. This love is not mere human feeling but a divine, abiding principle in the renewed heart that transforms character, leads to delight in keeping His commandments, and reveals itself in earnest labor for the needy and erring.
God Loved First
Our love for God exists only because God loved first, and love for Him does not originate in the unconsecrated human heart, which is by nature cold, dark and unloving. That prior love awakens answering love, and the measure of love received becomes the source and measure of love shown to one another. Without that first love there is no true love to God, and claiming to love God while hating a brother, acting discourteously, drawing apart, or showing no sympathy is false and marks a perilous departing from God unless there is repentance, confession, and reformation.
God manifested that first love by sending His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners, to be the propitiation for sins, that we might live through Him. By giving Christ as Sin-bearer He opened everlasting life to everyone who believes so that none who believes should perish, opening all heaven with priceless treasures to enrich men and women of faith. He bought us with Christ's precious blood and desires those so bought to live in holiness and bear fruit for His glory.
He loved people not because they were attractive in character or good, but because they were needy and needed a Saviour and Redeemer to rescue them from Satan, to whom they were sold through belief of the first parents in his lie. Christ loved and died for them while they were sinners, without treating them according to what they deserved, bearing with weakness, ignorance, ingratitude and waywardness even when His word is neglected and wanderers stray. His grace was already working on hearts and making impressions before anyone loved Him or turned toward Him.
That first love is shown in Christ taking human nature and binding divinity with humanity, becoming man to give assurance of divine favor. Through that union humanity may be made partakers of the divine nature and stand on vantage ground with God. The sinner crushed by guilt is therefore to stop seeking peace by self-punishment and fear of infinite punishment, to look away from self to Jesus as sin-pardoning Saviour, trusting the righteousness of His life and the atonement of His death, and grasping this brings peace to the troubled soul.
Jesus loved, knew, chose, and thought of people before they knew, loved, or thought of Him. Knowing the end from the beginning, He knew everyone who would respond to His drawing and everyone who would turn from Him under popular influences, and He cared for them and their families with divine compassion for all who need encouragement and hope. Souls become His sheep by choosing to receive Him, but that choosing answers His first choosing and drawing, and His love expressed beforehand touches hearts that contemplate it. The whole human family is made over to Christ because God gave His only begotten Son to humiliation, shame and reproach to bear sins and suffer in their stead, fully manifested when He gave His life as a ransom for sinners and died for the lost race.
We Love in Return
Our answering love exists only because He loved first, and that first love is seen in His dying for each person to save sinners at inestimable and infinite cost. The cross awakens love for Him, draws sinners to Him and binds them to Him, breaking the heart over sin, for no heart is good for anything unless it is broken by Calvary. That brokenness turns from sin with loathing, takes His already shed blood by faith to be washed and cleansed to the utmost, refuses to grieve His Spirit or crucify Him anew, and surrenders to God today without delay to become more than an overcomer. These positive tokens of a deep unselfish love greater than father, mother, sister, brother or friend stir gratitude in return, producing earnest devotion that delights to dwell upon His charms, study His life, imitate Him as the sinless Pattern, seek to please Him, and ask what He would have us do.
His lovely character itself gives further cause to love Him, and seeing His matchless charms awakens a love that holds the beholder continually in His presence, creates hunger for eternal life, and transforms into His image into meekness and lowliness. Loving Him in return means acknowledging Him as Friend and Saviour, finding no comfort or happiness without Him, longing to be with Him through the ceaseless ages of eternity, and wanting a part with Him in His heavenly kingdom. His matchless loveliness draws our love as shown in suffering and dying on Calvary so we should not perish, loving helpless dependent sinners freely, encircling them in arms of mercy, giving purity and saving to the utmost all who come. That love is learned by taking His yoke, ceasing from evil, walking in the light as God is in the light, telling the story of His love with praise and rejoicing, being willing to share His sufferings to share His glory, and cooperating with Him and heavenly intelligences to bring lost sheep back and expel sin from the world unto precious victory, entrance through the gates of the City of God, and hearing well done.
Love received fills the heart so full of thankfulness that it overflows in words of praise and deeds of love, in set seasons of praise and in constant thankfulness, longing for everything that has breath to praise the Lord. It is to be openly declared in cheerful hopeful praise of Him as good and greatly to be praised, answering when asked how one feels with praise instead of complaining, murmuring, seeking sympathy with mournful words, or talking discouragingly about lack of faith, sorrows and sufferings. Speaking faith, hope and courage glorifies God, while speaking gloomy things glorifies the enemy who delights to hear such words. That returned love brings courage instead of cowardice, keeps heaven in view, praises God continually, sings when tempted by the devil, prays earnestly and unitedly to vanquish the enemy, thanks the Father for the gift of His dear Son, brings self-denials and secret heart trials to the compassionate Saviour, leaves burdens at the foot of the cross, and goes on rejoicing in His love so His service appears attractive as it really is instead of misrepresenting God as Father by a gloomy sorrowful orphan-like face.
That prior love at inestimable price for redemption gives assurance of union with Jesus in time of need, when He becomes everything, causing love for His words and following in His footprints. It brings life hid with Christ in God, binding in everlasting unity with Christ and through Christ with the Father as branch with vine, with large hope of appearing with Him in glory when He who is our life appears. It bids the sinner crushed by guilt stop torturing self over sin and fearing infinite punishment for breaking the law, look away from self to Jesus as sin-pardoning Saviour who became man to give assurance of divine favor, and trust the righteousness of His life and the atonement of His death, which brings peace to the troubled soul after struggle with long-cherished error. Contemplating His pardoning love produces a thankful heart and love to Jesus as personal Saviour, with love for His law and desire for the Holy Spirit to implant willing obedience to every precept, securing perfect pardon of all transgressions through faith and carrying believers step by step onward and upward from one degree of conformity to His image to another until the full stature of His likeness, from glory to glory meaning from strength to strength. Because God so loved in sending His only begotten Son that we might live through Him as propitiation for sins, those who love in return love one another, and God dwells in them and perfects His love in them so they have boldness in the day of judgment.
This received love is the connecting link between the human heart and Christ's heart, holding the family in His arms and giving the heart its life-current, and it is to become part of steady daily experience rather than spasmodic impulse, kept steady regardless of circumstances by persevering in receiving His grace and imparting it to others. It grows by meditating on Him and reflecting on the purity and loveliness of His character until becoming like Him, by contemplating Him as pattern and compassionate loving Redeemer in whom dwells all fullness of the Godhead bodily and in whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, so His light, love and work become most precious and satisfying and give peace and joy. Loving Him means keeping eyes fixed on Christ, thinking of His goodness and talking of His power, trying to do as He would do and following His way and footsteps and doing one's best, becoming a light revealing Christ in character and prepared for the mansions prepared for those who love Him. Even at eleven years of age it lifts out of despair to praise His name, moving to follow in His footsteps as fast as possible to have a home with Him in His kingdom, not claiming perfection but pressing on striving every day to know still more of Christ, aiming to hear His approval as good and faithful servant and enter the joy of the Lord. It calls for speaking words in season to the feeblest children, the poor and needy, and the higher classes longing for assurance and hope, repeating the Saviour's lessons to children, teaching loved ones and others to love and appreciate Jesus because they are His by creation and redemption, drawing souls to Christ, laying up treasure beside the throne, and sharing His throne through faithful work.
His first love remains ready to be found even when ingratitude has been shown and the soul has not been attracted, calling to turn now to become acquainted with God as Redeemer, giving in weakness and helplessness the love not given in strength, searching the Scriptures, finding peace in unfailing promise, refusing to be beguiled or diverted, counting remaining moments as golden too precious to squander, and devoting all remaining strength to securing salvation and learning the songs of Canaan without delay. It calls even a child who feels lost, undone and sinful without a Saviour to come to Jesus, give self unreservedly to Him and serve Him continually, loving Him for His lovely character and for suffering, groaning and dying so His blood might cleanse from sin and make white and clean everyone who sincerely asks forgiveness. His first love means coming just as we are, and He will help, save to the uttermost all who come, and wash from every stain of sin. He loved, knew and chose His people before they loved Him, knowing beforehand everyone who would respond to His drawing and everyone who would turn away under popular influences, so souls become His sheep by choosing to receive Him yet that choosing answers His first choosing and drawing, His love expressed beforehand touches contemplating hearts, and the whole human family is made over to Christ because God gave His only begotten Son to humiliation, shame and reproach to bear sins and suffer in their stead.
The One who loves us loved us first and best, going before us on the road to life and still to fulfil all His love for us. Because He loved first, surrender to His will grows sweet each time it is repeated, darkness feels safer than light, and all unrest and loneliness are calmed and blessed.
Love for One Another
Love received from God necessarily flows out in love for one another, for love to God and love to fellow believers both spring from His prior love in sending His Son to be the propitiation for sins and in binding divinity with humanity in Christ. The more love for Christ fills the heart, the more love, sympathy, courtesy, unity, pity and compassion are shown to others, especially to fellow believers. This received love is the source and measure of brotherly love, so that practical deeds of love prove His love dwells within, while its absence proves the opposite. Through connection with Christ believers are joined to one another, and His pity and compassion become visible in their lives.
To claim love for God while hating a brother is false and a lie, incompatible with the love that comes from God first loving us. Hatred, false assumptions, treasuring grievances, acting uncourteously, drawing apart, and showing no love or sympathy make it impossible to truly love Christ and leave a person guilty before God. Such a spirit must decidedly change from hatred to love in order to stand acquitted, for clinging to hatred brings present and eternal injury. The remedy is repentance of sin, confession of faults to one another, humble prayer together, and exceeding care to do or say nothing that creates ill will, lest without reformation there be a perilous departing from God. Those who are loved in this way ought also to love one another, and God dwells in them and perfects His love in them so they may have boldness in the day of judgment.
Love to God is manifested in love to His children in practical, earnest, untiring labor for all for whom Christ died, counting it the highest honor to work and suffer in His service. It does not wait to be asked but helps the needy and suffering, draws near to the needy and hopeless with tender compassion, sympathy and unselfish interest, and by that spirit provokes one another to love and good works. It refuses to let the soul in greatest peril and need go unwarned, unlabored for and uncared for, refuses to hold off the erring or leave them alone to plunge into further unhappiness and discouragement and to fall on Satan's battleground, but uplifts those who most need uplifting with tender kindness, sympathy and compassion. This includes speaking words in season to the feeblest of God's children, to the poor and needy, and to the higher classes who long for assurance and spiritual hope.
This love is the basis of godliness, keeping the first four commandments by loving God supremely and the last six by loving neighbor as self. No one truly has love to God apart from unselfish love for a brother, and true love for God always produces such love for all for whom Christ died. God will deal with a person as that person deals with brethren and the younger members of the Lord's family, so none who loves God can be critical and exacting toward them.
As love for Christ deepens in response to His prior love in giving His life, love between husband and wife is purified and strengthened. That returned love, grown by meditating on Him and reflecting on the purity and loveliness of His character until the beholder becomes like Him, makes a person a kind, loving, affectionate husband, father, brother and friend. Such a one wins others by influence instead of forcing them.
Obedient Transformed Living
Love awakened by prior love is not mere human friendship or passing impulse but a divine principle and permanent power, found only where grace has renewed the heart and Jesus reigns as ruler of action. There it guides the life, modifies the character, governs impulses, controls passions, ennobles affections, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around. It is the love of a repentant sinner redeemed by precious blood, returning first love with ardent devotion and counting it highest honor to work and suffer in service.
Good works do not purchase this love but reveal that it is already possessed, for human love is only response to love first given. Those who surrender will and way do not labor to earn love but obey because it is right, with the will brought into harmony with God and set free to love all His commandments in liberty rather than bondage. All that is good in life, words or teaching comes from Christ put within, leaving no glory to self, and everyone alive to Christ is imbued with His Spirit and cannot help serving in His vineyard and doing the works of God.
True conversion and true sanctification cause this love and change views and feelings toward God and toward one another. Knowing and believing the love God has brings dwelling in love and dwelling in God, with God dwelling in the person. This requires increasing faith and knowing the sanctification of the Spirit, sought in earnest prayer for the divine Spirit to work within, so that God is glorified by the life and the believer becomes a worker together with God.
Love so awakened by the cross seeks to please and obey, asking what Christ would have done. Contemplated pardoning love produces a thankful heart and love for Jesus as personal Saviour, with desire for the Holy Spirit to implant willing obedience to every precept of holy law and secure perfect pardon through faith. Broken by Calvary where sin crucified Christ, for no heart is good for anything unless broken, the sinner surrenders without delay, takes the already shed blood by faith to be washed to the utmost, turns from sin with loathing, loves what Christ loved and hates what Christ hated, and becomes more than overcomer. That same love prays and seeks as never before, loves others as never before, walks humbly and deals justly and shows mercy with contrite heart, keeps the soul ravished with Calvary so no place is left for wickedness, and carries believers step by step onward and upward from one degree of conformity to His image to another until the full stature of His likeness, from glory to glory which is from strength to strength.
Christ giving Himself in death for those first loved requires the return gift of self wholly and openly by faith. Self-love excludes His love, and where self is supreme and thoughts, time and money are given to self-gratification while souls perish, His character is misrepresented and blessing is withheld lest false representation be sealed; coming out to be separate from worldly maxims, habits and practices opens the way for Jesus to work, pour out His Spirit in large measure, and make known the Father's love. Imitating Him therefore puts aside pleasure and convenience for the good of others, for profession or even sacrifice without self-giving love is empty and love for fellow beings demonstrates love for God. Means are to rescue souls from the tempter until Christ reshapes character, restores His image and brings living connection with the infinite God, instead of spending a thousand times more for intemperance, refusing every thread of connection with tobacco, liquor and any intemperate scheme. Children are to be taught from the beauties and goodness of nature to connect creation with the Creator and to love and appreciate Jesus because they are His by creation and by redemption, with lessons repeated to them, words in season spoken to the feeblest, the poor and needy, and the higher classes longing for assurance and hope, visits made and mission carried to all, drawing souls to Christ, laying up treasure beside the throne and sharing His throne through faithful work.
Loving Him in return means keeping eyes fixed on Christ, thinking of His goodness, talking of His power, trying to do as He would do, following His way and footsteps and doing one's best, which changes the lover into His image to be meek and lowly and a light revealing Christ in character. His first love is seen in tokens of good, in hearing prayer, in raising the sick toward better health and in abiding blessing, and loving back means appreciating favors, consecrating wholly, letting the heart be drawn out, trusting, keeping abiding peace, glorifying Him in life, becoming a blessing to others, and living for the better life and better world. It joins love for the Saviour with love for the Lord as heavenly Father, committing the keeping of the soul to Him and pleading for physical strength, mental clearness, spiritual grace and health of body and mind in order to honor Him by walking and working in His counsel, since nothing can be done without help from God, and by it believers are prepared for the mansions He has gone to prepare for those who love Him and for a home in His kingdom.
Our love for God does not begin with us, for the unrenewed human heart is cold and unloving and loves Him only because He first loved us. That prior love was shown in sending His only Son to be the sacrifice for sins, that sinners might live through Him and have everlasting life, loving them while they were still sinners and needy rather than good. Beholding that infinite cost and His lovely character awakens answering love, breaks the heart over sin, and draws and binds the soul to Him. Love thus received necessarily flows out in love for one another, so that claiming to love God while hating a brother or acting without courtesy is false and leaves a person guilty before God. This love is not mere human feeling but a divine, abiding principle in the renewed heart that transforms character, leads to delight in keeping His commandments, and reveals itself in earnest labor for the needy and erring.
God Loved First
Our love for God exists only because God loved first, and love for Him does not originate in the unconsecrated human heart, which is by nature cold, dark and unloving. That prior love awakens answering love, and the measure of love received becomes the source and measure of love shown to one another. Without that first love there is no true love to God, and claiming to love God while hating a brother, acting discourteously, drawing apart, or showing no sympathy is false and marks a perilous departing from God unless there is repentance, confession, and reformation.
God manifested that first love by sending His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners, to be the propitiation for sins, that we might live through Him. By giving Christ as Sin-bearer He opened everlasting life to everyone who believes so that none who believes should perish, opening all heaven with priceless treasures to enrich men and women of faith. He bought us with Christ's precious blood and desires those so bought to live in holiness and bear fruit for His glory.
He loved people not because they were attractive in character or good, but because they were needy and needed a Saviour and Redeemer to rescue them from Satan, to whom they were sold through belief of the first parents in his lie. Christ loved and died for them while they were sinners, without treating them according to what they deserved, bearing with weakness, ignorance, ingratitude and waywardness even when His word is neglected and wanderers stray. His grace was already working on hearts and making impressions before anyone loved Him or turned toward Him.
That first love is shown in Christ taking human nature and binding divinity with humanity, becoming man to give assurance of divine favor. Through that union humanity may be made partakers of the divine nature and stand on vantage ground with God. The sinner crushed by guilt is therefore to stop seeking peace by self-punishment and fear of infinite punishment, to look away from self to Jesus as sin-pardoning Saviour, trusting the righteousness of His life and the atonement of His death, and grasping this brings peace to the troubled soul.
Jesus loved, knew, chose, and thought of people before they knew, loved, or thought of Him. Knowing the end from the beginning, He knew everyone who would respond to His drawing and everyone who would turn from Him under popular influences, and He cared for them and their families with divine compassion for all who need encouragement and hope. Souls become His sheep by choosing to receive Him, but that choosing answers His first choosing and drawing, and His love expressed beforehand touches hearts that contemplate it. The whole human family is made over to Christ because God gave His only begotten Son to humiliation, shame and reproach to bear sins and suffer in their stead, fully manifested when He gave His life as a ransom for sinners and died for the lost race.
We Love in Return
Our answering love exists only because He loved first, and that first love is seen in His dying for each person to save sinners at inestimable and infinite cost. The cross awakens love for Him, draws sinners to Him and binds them to Him, breaking the heart over sin, for no heart is good for anything unless it is broken by Calvary. That brokenness turns from sin with loathing, takes His already shed blood by faith to be washed and cleansed to the utmost, refuses to grieve His Spirit or crucify Him anew, and surrenders to God today without delay to become more than an overcomer. These positive tokens of a deep unselfish love greater than father, mother, sister, brother or friend stir gratitude in return, producing earnest devotion that delights to dwell upon His charms, study His life, imitate Him as the sinless Pattern, seek to please Him, and ask what He would have us do.
His lovely character itself gives further cause to love Him, and seeing His matchless charms awakens a love that holds the beholder continually in His presence, creates hunger for eternal life, and transforms into His image into meekness and lowliness. Loving Him in return means acknowledging Him as Friend and Saviour, finding no comfort or happiness without Him, longing to be with Him through the ceaseless ages of eternity, and wanting a part with Him in His heavenly kingdom. His matchless loveliness draws our love as shown in suffering and dying on Calvary so we should not perish, loving helpless dependent sinners freely, encircling them in arms of mercy, giving purity and saving to the utmost all who come. That love is learned by taking His yoke, ceasing from evil, walking in the light as God is in the light, telling the story of His love with praise and rejoicing, being willing to share His sufferings to share His glory, and cooperating with Him and heavenly intelligences to bring lost sheep back and expel sin from the world unto precious victory, entrance through the gates of the City of God, and hearing well done.
Love received fills the heart so full of thankfulness that it overflows in words of praise and deeds of love, in set seasons of praise and in constant thankfulness, longing for everything that has breath to praise the Lord. It is to be openly declared in cheerful hopeful praise of Him as good and greatly to be praised, answering when asked how one feels with praise instead of complaining, murmuring, seeking sympathy with mournful words, or talking discouragingly about lack of faith, sorrows and sufferings. Speaking faith, hope and courage glorifies God, while speaking gloomy things glorifies the enemy who delights to hear such words. That returned love brings courage instead of cowardice, keeps heaven in view, praises God continually, sings when tempted by the devil, prays earnestly and unitedly to vanquish the enemy, thanks the Father for the gift of His dear Son, brings self-denials and secret heart trials to the compassionate Saviour, leaves burdens at the foot of the cross, and goes on rejoicing in His love so His service appears attractive as it really is instead of misrepresenting God as Father by a gloomy sorrowful orphan-like face.
That prior love at inestimable price for redemption gives assurance of union with Jesus in time of need, when He becomes everything, causing love for His words and following in His footprints. It brings life hid with Christ in God, binding in everlasting unity with Christ and through Christ with the Father as branch with vine, with large hope of appearing with Him in glory when He who is our life appears. It bids the sinner crushed by guilt stop torturing self over sin and fearing infinite punishment for breaking the law, look away from self to Jesus as sin-pardoning Saviour who became man to give assurance of divine favor, and trust the righteousness of His life and the atonement of His death, which brings peace to the troubled soul after struggle with long-cherished error. Contemplating His pardoning love produces a thankful heart and love to Jesus as personal Saviour, with love for His law and desire for the Holy Spirit to implant willing obedience to every precept, securing perfect pardon of all transgressions through faith and carrying believers step by step onward and upward from one degree of conformity to His image to another until the full stature of His likeness, from glory to glory meaning from strength to strength. Because God so loved in sending His only begotten Son that we might live through Him as propitiation for sins, those who love in return love one another, and God dwells in them and perfects His love in them so they have boldness in the day of judgment.
This received love is the connecting link between the human heart and Christ's heart, holding the family in His arms and giving the heart its life-current, and it is to become part of steady daily experience rather than spasmodic impulse, kept steady regardless of circumstances by persevering in receiving His grace and imparting it to others. It grows by meditating on Him and reflecting on the purity and loveliness of His character until becoming like Him, by contemplating Him as pattern and compassionate loving Redeemer in whom dwells all fullness of the Godhead bodily and in whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge, so His light, love and work become most precious and satisfying and give peace and joy. Loving Him means keeping eyes fixed on Christ, thinking of His goodness and talking of His power, trying to do as He would do and following His way and footsteps and doing one's best, becoming a light revealing Christ in character and prepared for the mansions prepared for those who love Him. Even at eleven years of age it lifts out of despair to praise His name, moving to follow in His footsteps as fast as possible to have a home with Him in His kingdom, not claiming perfection but pressing on striving every day to know still more of Christ, aiming to hear His approval as good and faithful servant and enter the joy of the Lord. It calls for speaking words in season to the feeblest children, the poor and needy, and the higher classes longing for assurance and hope, repeating the Saviour's lessons to children, teaching loved ones and others to love and appreciate Jesus because they are His by creation and redemption, drawing souls to Christ, laying up treasure beside the throne, and sharing His throne through faithful work.
His first love remains ready to be found even when ingratitude has been shown and the soul has not been attracted, calling to turn now to become acquainted with God as Redeemer, giving in weakness and helplessness the love not given in strength, searching the Scriptures, finding peace in unfailing promise, refusing to be beguiled or diverted, counting remaining moments as golden too precious to squander, and devoting all remaining strength to securing salvation and learning the songs of Canaan without delay. It calls even a child who feels lost, undone and sinful without a Saviour to come to Jesus, give self unreservedly to Him and serve Him continually, loving Him for His lovely character and for suffering, groaning and dying so His blood might cleanse from sin and make white and clean everyone who sincerely asks forgiveness. His first love means coming just as we are, and He will help, save to the uttermost all who come, and wash from every stain of sin. He loved, knew and chose His people before they loved Him, knowing beforehand everyone who would respond to His drawing and everyone who would turn away under popular influences, so souls become His sheep by choosing to receive Him yet that choosing answers His first choosing and drawing, His love expressed beforehand touches contemplating hearts, and the whole human family is made over to Christ because God gave His only begotten Son to humiliation, shame and reproach to bear sins and suffer in their stead.
The One who loves us loved us first and best, going before us on the road to life and still to fulfil all His love for us. Because He loved first, surrender to His will grows sweet each time it is repeated, darkness feels safer than light, and all unrest and loneliness are calmed and blessed.
Love for One Another
Love received from God necessarily flows out in love for one another, for love to God and love to fellow believers both spring from His prior love in sending His Son to be the propitiation for sins and in binding divinity with humanity in Christ. The more love for Christ fills the heart, the more love, sympathy, courtesy, unity, pity and compassion are shown to others, especially to fellow believers. This received love is the source and measure of brotherly love, so that practical deeds of love prove His love dwells within, while its absence proves the opposite. Through connection with Christ believers are joined to one another, and His pity and compassion become visible in their lives.
To claim love for God while hating a brother is false and a lie, incompatible with the love that comes from God first loving us. Hatred, false assumptions, treasuring grievances, acting uncourteously, drawing apart, and showing no love or sympathy make it impossible to truly love Christ and leave a person guilty before God. Such a spirit must decidedly change from hatred to love in order to stand acquitted, for clinging to hatred brings present and eternal injury. The remedy is repentance of sin, confession of faults to one another, humble prayer together, and exceeding care to do or say nothing that creates ill will, lest without reformation there be a perilous departing from God. Those who are loved in this way ought also to love one another, and God dwells in them and perfects His love in them so they may have boldness in the day of judgment.
Love to God is manifested in love to His children in practical, earnest, untiring labor for all for whom Christ died, counting it the highest honor to work and suffer in His service. It does not wait to be asked but helps the needy and suffering, draws near to the needy and hopeless with tender compassion, sympathy and unselfish interest, and by that spirit provokes one another to love and good works. It refuses to let the soul in greatest peril and need go unwarned, unlabored for and uncared for, refuses to hold off the erring or leave them alone to plunge into further unhappiness and discouragement and to fall on Satan's battleground, but uplifts those who most need uplifting with tender kindness, sympathy and compassion. This includes speaking words in season to the feeblest of God's children, to the poor and needy, and to the higher classes who long for assurance and spiritual hope.
This love is the basis of godliness, keeping the first four commandments by loving God supremely and the last six by loving neighbor as self. No one truly has love to God apart from unselfish love for a brother, and true love for God always produces such love for all for whom Christ died. God will deal with a person as that person deals with brethren and the younger members of the Lord's family, so none who loves God can be critical and exacting toward them.
As love for Christ deepens in response to His prior love in giving His life, love between husband and wife is purified and strengthened. That returned love, grown by meditating on Him and reflecting on the purity and loveliness of His character until the beholder becomes like Him, makes a person a kind, loving, affectionate husband, father, brother and friend. Such a one wins others by influence instead of forcing them.
Obedient Transformed Living
Love awakened by prior love is not mere human friendship or passing impulse but a divine principle and permanent power, found only where grace has renewed the heart and Jesus reigns as ruler of action. There it guides the life, modifies the character, governs impulses, controls passions, ennobles affections, sweetens the life and sheds a refining influence on all around. It is the love of a repentant sinner redeemed by precious blood, returning first love with ardent devotion and counting it highest honor to work and suffer in service.
Good works do not purchase this love but reveal that it is already possessed, for human love is only response to love first given. Those who surrender will and way do not labor to earn love but obey because it is right, with the will brought into harmony with God and set free to love all His commandments in liberty rather than bondage. All that is good in life, words or teaching comes from Christ put within, leaving no glory to self, and everyone alive to Christ is imbued with His Spirit and cannot help serving in His vineyard and doing the works of God.
True conversion and true sanctification cause this love and change views and feelings toward God and toward one another. Knowing and believing the love God has brings dwelling in love and dwelling in God, with God dwelling in the person. This requires increasing faith and knowing the sanctification of the Spirit, sought in earnest prayer for the divine Spirit to work within, so that God is glorified by the life and the believer becomes a worker together with God.
Love so awakened by the cross seeks to please and obey, asking what Christ would have done. Contemplated pardoning love produces a thankful heart and love for Jesus as personal Saviour, with desire for the Holy Spirit to implant willing obedience to every precept of holy law and secure perfect pardon through faith. Broken by Calvary where sin crucified Christ, for no heart is good for anything unless broken, the sinner surrenders without delay, takes the already shed blood by faith to be washed to the utmost, turns from sin with loathing, loves what Christ loved and hates what Christ hated, and becomes more than overcomer. That same love prays and seeks as never before, loves others as never before, walks humbly and deals justly and shows mercy with contrite heart, keeps the soul ravished with Calvary so no place is left for wickedness, and carries believers step by step onward and upward from one degree of conformity to His image to another until the full stature of His likeness, from glory to glory which is from strength to strength.
Christ giving Himself in death for those first loved requires the return gift of self wholly and openly by faith. Self-love excludes His love, and where self is supreme and thoughts, time and money are given to self-gratification while souls perish, His character is misrepresented and blessing is withheld lest false representation be sealed; coming out to be separate from worldly maxims, habits and practices opens the way for Jesus to work, pour out His Spirit in large measure, and make known the Father's love. Imitating Him therefore puts aside pleasure and convenience for the good of others, for profession or even sacrifice without self-giving love is empty and love for fellow beings demonstrates love for God. Means are to rescue souls from the tempter until Christ reshapes character, restores His image and brings living connection with the infinite God, instead of spending a thousand times more for intemperance, refusing every thread of connection with tobacco, liquor and any intemperate scheme. Children are to be taught from the beauties and goodness of nature to connect creation with the Creator and to love and appreciate Jesus because they are His by creation and by redemption, with lessons repeated to them, words in season spoken to the feeblest, the poor and needy, and the higher classes longing for assurance and hope, visits made and mission carried to all, drawing souls to Christ, laying up treasure beside the throne and sharing His throne through faithful work.
Loving Him in return means keeping eyes fixed on Christ, thinking of His goodness, talking of His power, trying to do as He would do, following His way and footsteps and doing one's best, which changes the lover into His image to be meek and lowly and a light revealing Christ in character. His first love is seen in tokens of good, in hearing prayer, in raising the sick toward better health and in abiding blessing, and loving back means appreciating favors, consecrating wholly, letting the heart be drawn out, trusting, keeping abiding peace, glorifying Him in life, becoming a blessing to others, and living for the better life and better world. It joins love for the Saviour with love for the Lord as heavenly Father, committing the keeping of the soul to Him and pleading for physical strength, mental clearness, spiritual grace and health of body and mind in order to honor Him by walking and working in His counsel, since nothing can be done without help from God, and by it believers are prepared for the mansions He has gone to prepare for those who love Him and for a home in His kingdom.