0847. We Love Because He Loved

We Love Because He Loved

"We love Him, because He first loved us" (1Jn_4:19).

We have reviewed some of the marks of Christ's love. Let us now observe our response to that love.

Surely "The love of Christ constraineth us, * * that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again" (2Co_5:14-15).

Let us then bring forth from God's storehouse some of those things which Christ's love constrains us to do.

1. A glad service. "I love my master * * I will not go out free" (Exo_21:5). The verse has to do with the statute concerning Jewish servants. When the day for their freedom came, if they wished to remain in servitude, and they said "I love my master, * * I will not go out free;" then they had their ears bored and remained in willing servitude.

It was Christ Who said: "Mine ears hast thou bored," and "I delight to do Thy will, O My God" (Psa_40:6-8).

When love grips our hearts we count no service too great, no sacrifice too hard. We will gladly sign ourselves: "The servants of Jesus Christ."

2. Positive supremacy. "Lovest thou Me more than these" (Joh_21:15). Peter had made his boast, "Although all shall be offended, yet will not I." Peter fell and displayed the weakness of his flesh. After the resurrection, as they sat around the fire, Christ said to Peter: "Lovest thou Me more than these?" Primarily Christ meant to ask Peter if he loved Him more than John and Andrew and Bartholomew and the rest loved Him.

There is, however, another meaning to the words–Lovest thou Me more than thou lovest these: men, fishes, nets and all and all?

This should be our response to Christ's love. We love Him more than all the world besides. In all things He holds the pre-eminence.

3. A love in deed and in truth. 1Jn_3:18 : "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

Herein is a wealth of room for our thoughts.

If we love because He loved, we should also love as He loves. God loved and gave. Christ loved and died. If we love as He loved our love will not dwell in platitudes and high sounding phrases. Our love will be in deed and in truth.

(1) We will love those He loved. The lost world, the Church, the brethren. For "He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love."

(2) We will give as He gave, even to the giving of our lives.

1Jn_3:16 : "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Do we really love in this fashion? Are we willing to go even unto the death for the brethren?

(3) We will have compassion as He had compassion. When Christ saw the multitudes He had compassion on them, and He said, "Give ye them to eat."

Jam_2:15-16 : "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, * * what doth it profit?"

How is it with us?

1Jn_3:17 : "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"

Surely, if we love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all of our soul and with all of our might, we will also love our neighbor as ourself.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR