So much has been written and said about love by so many different people that it seems irrelevant to add anything more. But since love enters into the smallest details of our lives, and our salvation, according to the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians, seems to hinge upon it, it will do no harm to take it into consideration once more.
A lawyer asked Jesus: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus answered . . .
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” This is an all-encompassing statement, and we are afraid that many of us have not realized its full import. Jesus, as does Paul, makes LOVE the greatest factor in our lives. And, according to Paul, in 1st Corinthians, chapter 13, no matter how good we may be, or what wonderful works we may perform, without love it will profit us nothing. We will examine this remarkable chapter a little later on.
Must possess Love
If, as Jesus says, on these two commandments above quoted all the law and the prophets hang, then it is vitally necessary that we examine ourselves and see if we possess this quality of love. If we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, we are not deliberately going to break any of the Commandments. We do break some of them occasionally, of course, as the flesh is weak, but we must endeavor with all our strength and might not to do so. God forgives the weaknesses of the flesh if we daily struggle in His strength to do the things He would have us do.
Let us examine the Commandments of God for a moment in the light of our love for Him. We will not worship the false gods of money, power, prestige, etc. if we love God with all our hearts and minds. We will not take His name in vain, because we love Him. We will love our parents; we would not think of killing anyone, committing adultery, stealing, bearing false witness or coveting. Love would restrain us from any evil thing, and help us do the things God has instructed us to do. We must be like a “city on a hill”, that our light may shine anywhere and everywhere in the gross darkness about us.
Now as to the second commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. Have we ever seriously thought about what this means? Most of us are inclined to love ourselves above all else. Self crops up even when we are doing something for somebody else. If we help other people merely from a sense of duty, or because we want it known that we are pretty good people and are doing our share for the cause of Christ, then our work is not acceptable to God. We must do it with a deep, abiding love for God and our neighbor. Indeed, we must not let our left hand know what our right hand does. It is very hard to keep still about the good things we are doing, to pray in secret, to work in secret, and never let it be known among men what we are accomplishing. But that is what we must do if we wish to have God’s blessing upon our work.
Our Neighbor
Who is our neighbor? We have the classic example of the man who fell among thieves. The self-righteous Jews had passed by on the other side, but the despised Samaritan rescued him and took care of him even to the point of spending some of his money, which is the point where many people stop. They will do things as long as financial help is not involved. Our neighbors are not merely the people who live next door, across the street or in the same block. Our neighbors are anybody who need our help and love, those in the household first, but others on the outside, too. If, with loving kindness, we do all we can for those with whom we come in contact (and perhaps make some contacts that we can help) then we will be pleasing in God’s sight. This does not always involve the giving of money. It means more than anything else the giving of self. But sometimes it may entail financial help as well, and perhaps a sacrifice on our part in this respect.
Now. let us turn to the 13th chapter of First Corinthians. Paul first lists a number of good things that we might do, which, without love, would profit us nothing. We could speak with the tongues of men and angels; prophesy; have all knowledge and all faith; bestow all our goods to feed the poor, and even give our bodies to be burned, but If we have not Love, it profits us nothing. These things mentioned by Paul cover just about everything that we could do. Even faith, as necessary as it is to our salvation, without love, is nothing. And if we are burned at the stake, and have not love, it will not get us into the kingdom. We have been accustomed to thinking that faith is the main essential. It is VERY essential, indeed, but it just might be possible to have great faith without the necessary ingredient, LOVE. Now that we see how necessary it is for us to possess love, let us go once more to Paul in this wonderful chapter and see what it is.
V. 4. “Love suffers long and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up.”
Love Forgives
Love suffers a long time. But so many of us get angry about something that doesn’t please us and criticize our brethren and others. How many times did Christ tell us we must forgive? Seventy times seven (Matthew 18: 21, 22). By the time we have forgiven somebody 490 times, we will long since have ceased to be hurt or angry. Yes, we must suffer a long, long time. Love is kind. Just what is being kind? It is not merely refraining from doing something unkind. It is positive action. Do we send a card to or telephone somebody who is sick or having a hard struggle of some kind? Do we visit him if we are able to do so? Do we let others in the market or store get the article we coveted if obtaining it means pushing rudely ahead of them? If we are waiting for a bus do we take our turn getting on without crowding others who are ahead of us? Yes, we are tired and would like to have a seat. But most likely some others are tired, too, and perhaps even more so. If we have been fortunate enough to obtain a seat, will we give it to an old lady, a cripple, or a woman with a baby if it seems to us necessary to do so? Do we listen with patience to someone while he tells us about his trials and ailments? Yes, we have trials and ailments, too, but we have the Lord Jesus who has told us to lean on Him, and He will help us bear our burdens. The person relating his troubles to us might be a hypochondriac, or a chronic complainer against life, but if we don’t know this, do we dare take a chance in turning away from him? It might be that the mere recital of his woes will keep his pentup emotions from driving him to the brink of despair. Do we assist a brother with a fault, or do we self-righteously condemn him? These things do indeed seem trivial, as against the very real sorrows and troubles of this life, but it is the small things that go to make up the sum total of our existence. To be really kind it must become so much a part of us that is is second nature.
Love doesn’t Envy
Love Does Not Envy. Perhaps we cannot understand why some have so much more of this world’s goods than we have, or why we must suffer physically so much more than they do. But can we not believe that God has given us that which is best for us to have, or that He withholds that which would be injurious to us? Let us not be envious, for it portrays a lack of faith in God, as well as a lack of love. Love does not vaunt itself, and is not puffed up. What really do any of us have to be puffed up about? All good and all perfect gifts come from the Lord (James 1:17). So if we should be fortunate enough to possess some small talent, can we not use it to the glory of God without taking the glory to ourselves? Proverbs 16:18 tells us the punishment that will come upon those who are proud and vainglorious. We don’t want to be in that class.
V. 5. “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.”
Must be careful
The follower of Christ will not wittingly do or say anything that will bring reproach upon the Truth. How careful we must be in our daily walk! One angry, impatient word might undo months of patient work with someone outside who is seeking for the Truth. And this means at home, as well as abroad. It never gets us anywhere to return angry word or deed for angry word or deed.” A soft answer turneth away wrath.” Let us try it next time we get angry and see if it doesn’t work. Love seeks not her own. She seeks the good of others, and puts herself in the background. This is very hard to do, as self has a way of putting itself forward on all occasions. Love is not easily provoked and thinks no evil. We must not think evil thoughts.
V. 6 “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.”
Real Christians never rejoice in iniquity. But we might be guilty of being just a little bit happy if somebody who has hurt us gets into a little trouble of some kind. We must keep our minds so filled with truth that there is no room for rejoicing over evil.
V. 7 “Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
What must we bear in the cause of Truth? All things. And it means all things. Trouble within, trouble without, sickness, betrayal by loved ones, loss of friends, loss of money, loss of prestige, loss of everything we own if God finds it necessary to place us in that position. What does it mean that we must believe all things? It does not mean that we must believe everything anybody tell us. But we must believe everything that is true, that is honest, that is of good report (Philippians 4:8), and put all other things from our minds. We must hope for all things. We must not become discouraged, but always look on the world and world conditions with hope, knowing that they will soon end, and, if faithful, we will be forever with the Lord. We must endure all things, too. That is a pretty hard thing to do. Sometimes we feel that we are at the end of our endurance, that we have suffered so much that it is impossible to endure another thing. But if we cry to God, and ask Him for strength to bear it, it will be forthcoming (1st Corinthians 10:13).
Do we possess love in the measure that we should? Once again let us examine ourselves prayerfully, and if we are lacking, ask God to fill us to overflowing with His love, that we may some day reign with Him in His glorious kingdom to come. For we MUST have love, the kind that Paul tells us about, if we are to be with Him.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One