Thoughts for the Week
Mark Roth
http://www.anabaptists.org/clp/youth/
KNOWN BY OUR LOVE
(1 John 2:3-17)
Since the greatest commandment is "Thou shalt love the Lord
thy God will all," one of the greatest questions has simply got to
be "How shall I love God?" After all, just how does one love an
unseen Someone?
One Christian called another "scum." Can you believe that?!
They didn't agree on the issue of eternal security, so the one
became scum to the other. Well, for all that I know, maybe the
feeling was quite mutual. Whatever the case, I have to ask
another question.
What distinguishes the Christian in this generation and in our
communities? No doubt the answer continues to vary from place
to place and from person to person. But we've got to look
beyond such variables to see the ruler established by Christ.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have
love one to another" (John 13:34).
I can readily see that calling another "scum" does not fit at all as
a subpoint of "love one another." I've never called anyone
"scum," and may the Lord preserve my record. Shall I then
indulge my self-satisfaction? Hardly.
How easily I look down on another! How effortlessly I maintain
a low esteem for so-and-so! How automatically I rate myself
better than he/she/they! That reveals that I selected the wrong
ruler in measuring myself and others.
While we want to stand out as those who love God with all, we
stumble in loving our neighbor as ourselves. How tragic to
distinguish oneself for a lack of love!
SO HOW SHALL I LOVE GOD?
"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for
he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20). No wonder
Jesus said the second commandment is like unto the first!
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself" (Galatians 5:14). This ought to
keep any legalist busy. (smile) Then again, this would keep the
one who says the whole law has been fulfilled just as busy!
Incidentally, if you say you don't love yourself enough to love
someone else, I urge two more verses to your meditation.
"And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth
God love his brother also" (1 John 4:21).
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another"
(John 13:34).
God wants my love for another to flow naturally from God's
love to Him...and God's love to me.
My brother may be wrong and my neighbor may wrong me, but
my calling still remains to love. You see, "above all things have
fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the
multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).
:-)
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