1 John 4:8 (NIV)
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God
is love.
The distinguishing mark of a Christian is his confidence in
Christ's love for him and in the offering of his love to Christ. First, faith
sets her seal upon the man by enabling the soul to say with the apostle,
"Christ loved me and gave himself for me."1 Then love gives the
countersign and stamps upon the heart gratitude and love to Jesus in return.
"We love because he first loved us."
2 In those grand old ages, which are the heroic period of the
Christian religion, this double mark was clearly seen in all believers in
Jesus; they were men who knew the love of Christ and rested upon it as a man
leans upon a staff whose trustiness he has proved. The love that they felt
toward the Lord was not a quiet emotion that they hid within themselves in the
secret place of their souls and that they only spoke about in private or when
they met on the first day of the week and sang hymns in honor of Christ Jesus
the crucified; it was a passion with them of such a vehement and all-consuming
energy that it was visible in all their actions, evident in their conversation,
and seen in their eyes, even in their casual glances. Love for Jesus was a
flame that fed upon the core and heart of their being and therefore by its own
force burned its way into their demeanor and shone there. Zeal for the glory of
King Jesus was the seal and mark of all genuine Christians.
Because of their dependence upon Christ's love they dared much,
and because of their love for Christ they did much, and it is the
same now. The children of God are ruled in their inmost powers by love. The
love of Christ constrains them; they rejoice that divine love is set upon them,
they feel it shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, who is given to
them, and then by force of gratitude they love the Savior with a pure and
fervent heart.
Thought for today:
does my life reflect love?
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