Word for Wednesday
He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8
If there is one word that marks the difference between true Christianity and everything else, it is love. Nowhere in the teaching of Jesus Christ, or in the doctrine and practice of the apostles in the book of Acts, nor in writings of the epistles, do we find one word of any vengeance, or anger against enemies or unbelievers. Jesus instructed His followers to love one another, and to love their enemies (Luke 6:27). His great commission as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-16 makes no mention of the use of force or anger or hatred in spreading the Gospel. Love was to be the motivating force behind every believer’s devotion and service to their Lord. Love was also to motivate the believer to serve other Christians and to witness to the world. This stands in stark contrast to the teachings of Islam’s false prophet Mohammed, who taught his followers to hate and subjugate and slaughter their enemies. It proves that the romish religion that dominated the Middle Ages and brutally slaughtered all who opposed or disagreed was not Christianity at all, and the popes who ordered and oversaw such carnage and persecution were opponents – not vicars – of Christ and His Gospel. What is not of love is not of God.
If we are of God, we will be guided by love. Love for God will determine our behaviour today, because we will want to display that love in obedience and Christ-like character. Love to our families will cause us to put their interests before our own, and to devote ourselves to their happiness and their best interests. Love for the Word of God will keep us from compromising any of its great truths for any reason. Love to God’s Assembly will cause us to treasure and promote the holy truths of gathering to our Lord’s Name, and to devote ourselves to support every effort of the Assembly. Love for the Lord’s people will see us seek every opportunity to serve and support them, and to spend as much time as possible in their company. Love for the Gospel will make sure that our witness for Christ is uncluttered by our own personal agendas and that our support of those who carry the Gospel message is faithful and generous. Love for the lost souls around us will drive us to our knees to entreat the Lord for their deliverance.
We are God’s people. We will display that by our love, because He is love. – Jim MacIntosh