A Study in John's Epistles.
(Concluded.)
5. LOVE PROVED BY OBEDIENCE TO GOD.
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ born of God, and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments:for this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous" (i Jno. 5:1-3).
New birth is manifested by faith that Jesus is the Christ. There can be no new birth apart from this, since Christ has come; even as faith could not truly be said to exist apart from the life which ever accompanies it. The question is not raised, which f these precedes. As a matter of fact, it will be found that they are simultaneous:one giving the divine side, and the other its manifestation in man.
To be born of God, means to be a partaker of life from Him and of the divine nature, manifested, as we have already seen, by the twofold characteristics of light and love. To be born of God, then, is to be a member of His family. Instinctively, "We love Him because He first loved us," but with equal instinct, we love every member of the family of God. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." " He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ? "
But here, again, the apostle of love most carefully guards against any imitation of that which is divine. What is love, after all ? Alas, much that passes for that in the world is but selfishness in another form. We love those that love us. It is to our interest to do so. We salute those who salute us, the Publicans doing the same. We associate with those who are congenial, or from whom we hope to get some advantage. Alas, human love, like everything else human, is tainted by the fall. It smells of earth and of the grave; but divine love has been lifted out of all this atmosphere and brought upon another plane. It is known by other tests. We know that we love the children of God, not because they are peculiarly attractive to us, or go on with our failures and weaknesses, leaving them unrebuked; but we know that we love them " when we love God and keep His commandments." Obedience to God is the test, as it is also the sphere of true love to one's brethren.
How this cuts the root of much that passes even for Christian love ! Fear to rebuke, weakly going on with that which we know to be contrary to the mind of God, favoritism amongst the saints, and much else, when tested in this way, shows itself not to be divine love. God and His commands are supreme. Everything else must fall into its place behind these. So far from these being irksome, it is a necessity of the new nature. The commandments of God are not "a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear," but rather give direction and power for a path of joy and love. This obedience, then, proves love. Let no one claim to love his fellow-saints who does not put obedience to God above everything else-that love itself included.
6. REFUSAL OF FALSE TEACHERS.
"And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed:For he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds "(2 Jno. 6-n). We have now reached the point where we are prepared to learn the truth of God .regarding our attitude towards false teachers. The apostle in this second epistle is addressing "the elect lady," a sister; and woman instinctively is more gentle and loving than man. Here it rates to her, as he had done throughout his first epistle, that love is to characterize us; but reminds her that this love is shown by walking after His commandments. This commandment is what we have heard from the beginning, as he says at the close of his first epistle:"We know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." Christ, then, is what we have heard from the beginning. Many deceivers have come in who do not confess this blessed person in all His fulness. He warns us that we are to be careful that we lose not the things that we have wrought in our own souls or in our service. A professor of Christ may not abide in His doctrine. If he does not, he has not God.
The apostle concludes by saying that if any come unto this sister, and, of course, to any one of us, and bring not the doctrine of Christ as it has been revealed to us in the word of God, the blessed fulness of His person and work, which we have already dwelt upon, such a person is not to be received into the house, nor can we bid him Godspeed. Let it be carefully noted that this .last expression in the original does not mean at all what we would think. As a matter of fact, in the Revised Version, it is given as simple greeting or salutation; and this is the evident meaning. We cannot salute a professor who does not bring the doctrine of Christ, still less receive him into our house. Such persons, according to this scripture, should be treated not with courtesy, as it is called, (for courtesy has no place here) but with the most absolute, complete refusal to recognize or to entertain them. How solemn is this ! Does our reader shrink from acknowledging its truth ? Let him dwell upon the scriptures which we have quoted. It is not our word, but the word of God. It has not to do with man, but with the blessed Son of God.
Suppose some one had maligned your mother, your sister or wife; had brought accusations against their character and continued to do so in a subtle and specious way, what would be your attitude toward such an one ? Would you greet him as though nothing were the matter? Would you receive him into your house, invite him to your table? If, then, nature teaches you to resent an insult to one who is dear to you, shall not grace teach us, not to have hatred, but to have most jealous care for the honor of Him who is dearer to us than our lives and all that we have?
Oh, may God, in these closing days, when the honor of His blessed Son is being more subtly and determinedly attacked by Satan than ever before, open the eyes of His beloved people; nay, rather, warm their hearts into such loyalty to Himself that they shall maintain a testimony against every form of false doctrine, which shall be as uncompromising and rigid as that marked down for us in the pages of Inspiration upon which we have been dwelling !