In the previous issue we looked at some scriptures dealing with the love of God the Father and God the Son. Let us now consider how believers are to show forth the love of God in our own lives. We will first discuss the motivation for love in a believer’s heart. Then we will consider our responsibility to love God and to love one another, and the characteristics of this love.

Our motivation to show love to God and to one another lies first and foremost in God’s love to us. "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Notice that the word "Him" (that is, "We love Him because . . .") has been added by the translators and is not found in the original Greek manuscripts. Thus, because of God’s initiative in showing love to us in sending the Son of His love to die for us, we are moved and motivated to love God in return; and we love not only God Himself but all those whom He loves_which is everybody_as well.

This thought is emphasized in verse 11 of the same chapter:"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." It is also brought out in Eph. 5:2:"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God." In this latter verse we find not only the motivation for our love but also the pattern for our love and the extent to which it should be willing to go. Christ loved us and gave up His life for our sakes. The standard for our love is nothing less than His infinite love for us_a love that is willing to die for another; a love that makes one willing even to lay down his life for his enemies (Rom. 5:7,8).

At this point let us remind ourselves of the definition love given in the previous issue. Love may be defined as an attitude that places such a value on others that it seeks the welfare, the blessing of the other without demand seeking or expecting anything in return. As noted above, love_the love that characterizes God_often has a sacrificial quality. And it is an "in spite of" kind of love, seeking the greatest happiness and highest blessings for another in spite of all the terrible things the other person may have said or done.

In Matt. 22:37 we are given our responsibility to love God:"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." This is a quotation from Deut. 6:5 and seems to be a summation of the first four commandments given to Moses. So if it is asked how can we show love to God, I suggest that it is principally by keeping His commandments, by being obedient to His Word and His will (as Christ was in a perfect way). "If ye love Me, keep My commandments . . . My words . . . My sayings" (John 14:15,21,23,24). We also show our love to God by putting our faith and dependence in Him alone (Exod. 20:3), not using God’s name in an empty, frivolous way (verse 7), and setting aside time each week to worship God while meditating upon His wonderful works of creation (verses 8-11), His wonderful work of redemption (Col. 1:12-14), and the spiritual blessings He has bestowed upon us in Christ (Eph. 1:3-14).

Yet another way we show our love to God is by our love to others. "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20). Let us now turn to a number of scriptures that exhort believers to love others. First we will notice the different classes of people we are to love, and then we will consider some of the characteristics of this love to others.

We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ:"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 (1 Pet. 1:22; also 2:17; 3:8; 4:8).

We are to love our neighbors:"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 22:39). The Lord here quotes from the Old Testament (Lev. 19:18) and this may be considered to be a summation of the last six commandments given to Moses. Thus "neighbor" includes our father and mother (Exod. 20:12), those whom we deal with in our everyday lives (verses 16,17), and even those against whom we might tend to have prejudices or ill will (Luke 10:25-37).

We who are husbands are to love our wives (Eph. 5:25) with that same kind of selfless love that God has for us.

We are even to love our enemies:"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you. . . . For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" (Matt. 5:43-48).

Thus, just as God’s love extends to the entire world (John 3:16), so is our love as God’s children to encompass all people. And as we seek to love God and one another, we are exhorted at the same time to seek to refrain from loving (that is, giving honor to or esteeming or valuing) those things that are opposed to God:a position of honor in this world (Luke 11:43); material wealth ("mammon") (Luke 16:13; 2 Pet. 2:15); "darkness rather than light" (John 3:19); "the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:43); and the "things that are in the world … the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:15,16; 2 Tim. 4:10).

Some of the characteristics of this love that we are to display to one another are brought out in the following scriptures:

"Love works no ill to his neighbor" (Rom. 13:10).

"Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth" (1 Cor. 8:1).

"Love suffereth long, and is kind, love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things" (1 Cor. 13:4-7).

"Whom the Lord loveth He correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth" (Prov. 3:12; Heb. 12:6).

"Have fervent love among yourselves:for love shall cover the multitude of sins" (1 Pet. 4:8).

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18).

Everything we say and do is to be done in love:"Let all your things be done with love" (1 Cor. 16:14). If we speak with tongues, have prophecy, understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have all faith, but do not have love, all these things are worthless (1 Cor. 13:1,2). Our giving to the poor is to be done in love (1 Cor. 13:3). We are to serve one another by love (Gal. 5:13). We are to be meek and lowly, forbearing one another in love (Eph. 4:2). We are to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Our labor for the Lord is to be done in love (1 Thess. 1:3; Heb. 6:10).

Let each of us pray that we may grow in our appreciation of God’s perfect love for us, and that we may thus increase in the manifestation of His love one to another.

FRAGMENT
The principle of all-prevailing intercession lies in the soul entering into the thoughts of God and turning them into prayer. .    E. Dennett

FRAGMENT “Pray for them which despitefully use you" (Matt. 5:44). If a brother treats you coldly, if a sister speaks against you, do you make it your habit to pray for them? Oh, how different we would be if we thus bore one another up before the Lord.

FRAGMENT "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1). We are to wrestle in every kind of prayer for every human being on earth. This ministry is spoken of as the one to which "first of all" every Christian is to give himself. But who thinks of it today as occupying so principal a place, and where are they who are faithfully discharging it?

FRAGMENT Oh, to be men of earnest prayer and simple faith! If there be earnestness with God in the closet, depend upon it, there will be no lack of fervor in preaching. If our Father sees us dealing with Him in secret, be certain that He will reward us openly. Let us think of the quality of our service rather than the quantity.