Just what Christ expects of each member differs from one person to another. Jesus will undoubtedly take many things into consideration at the judgement seat; our age, circumstances, state of health, and our talents. The scriptures tell us that unto whom much is given, much is also required. One thing is certain, we must be working out our salvation, not just waiting out our probation. There is one quality without which all our claims of faith, all our supposed works will be totally worthless. This quality is LOVE! A genuine abiding love of God as expressed by our love towards one another! With this love clearly evident, then even with all our other faults and weaknesses, Jesus will smile upon us, forgive us our trespasses, and greet us with these words, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." However if we fail to develop or display this love of GOD towards our fellow workers, we will hear only "Depart from me, I never knew you."
Perhaps the best known chapter in the Bible about love is 1 Corinthians 13. Paul writes:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1Cor 13:8-13
We notice that there are nine different characteristics associated with love. To love God is to demonstrate all of these nine aspects through our actions and emotional responses. Each and every one of these characteristics must become part of our nature, they must all be practised, because they are not found in their completeness in the natural man of the flesh.
There is a parallel between this chapter and that of Matthew 5 which is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. We read:
" Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake." Matt 5:2-11
Once again we notice that there are nine characteristics of the Beatitudes. To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we must exhibit all of these in their completeness. Having seven or eight makes us incomplete. Remember brethren and sisters that all the nine parts of Love and the nine aspects of the Beatitudes, were found in PERFECT COMPLETENESS in our Lord and Master, whom we gather to remember in our Memorial Meeting!
Now the scriptures tell us plainly that we must be prepared throughout these days of our probation to suffer long, to bear our trials and tribulations without complaining. When we are young and enjoy the wonderful health and vigour of youth, this is not hard to practice. As we age we gain more and more responsibilities. For some it is owning a house, raising a family, and paying those ever increasing taxes, and we soon begin to see some of what Paul meant. Perhaps we see this as part of our "suffering". But let some accident occur, one which causes us to lose a little of our health, or our prosperity, then we find it so easy to moan and complain. We ask, "why did God let this happen to me?" We forget what David said about "time and chance happeneth to all men". To "suffer long" involves a calm, unhurried waiting upon God, a complete trust in Him, a trust which will banish all fears. We must display patience, not only when things are good, but especially during adverse conditions, and this brethren and sisters requires a lot of self discipline.
On this matter, David, in Psalm 37 shows us how to cope. Verse 5, "Commit thy ways unto the Lord." The Lord will take care of all our problems, for whatever our trials, we can approach the Father through prayer, in Jesus' name, and He will hear and help. "Commit thy ways unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." Bring what to pass? Jesus himself provides the answer. "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." Surely this is all that matters. Our wealth, our knowledge, our physical condition, count for little compared to our walk before God! As David reminds us in verse 6, "And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement as the noon day. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." This then is the first of those essential virtues or characteristics of Love.
But love for God must also be expressed in or through kindness. Paul tells us that, "Love is kind". This is love in positive action or doing things for others. This involves putting ourselves and our own needs last. Our greatest example in showing kindness was our Elder Brother, Jesus, who when we look at his life and ministry clearly demonstrated just what kindness is. We think of the incident at Jacob's Well. Jesus was tired, he was hungry, and he was thirsty. He was also alone for he had sent the disciples into the city to buy food. Yet Jesus took the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel message to the woman of Samaria. Remember how after preaching all day to the 5000, he took pity on them, or showed kindness, and to the dismay of his disciples, he fed the multitude from the five loaves and two fish? The blind, the lame, the lepers, these were the objects of Christ's kindness. Jesus was kind because he loved!
If a brother or sister is in need, and all we say is, "Its so good to see you," or "I hope everything's OK," but then turn away from them, then our "love" is meaningless. This is a mockery of Christ's example! We must show or display our love by or through our works.
I think we all know how easy it is to put off the doing of a good deed. Perhaps we hear of the illness of one of our members. We know we should, in fact we intend to either write a letter of comfort, or pay a visit just to encourage this person, and let them know that we care.
Unfortunately, the cares of this world delay us, and a few weeks soon pass. One Sunday the presiding brother sadly announces the death of that brother or sister. Suddenly, painfully, we realize that the opportunity of comforting, strengthening, and encouraging that member has passed, and we failed to show him or her our love toward them. Brethren and Sisters, we have only one probation, and it is passing by each day! Let us not delay to show our love, our kindness, one toward another at each opportunity. Tomorrow may be too late!
The third aspect of love is that we should never envy, for "love envieth not". There is almost nothing quite so destructive as envy! It was envy that drove Cain to slay Abel. It was envy which caused Saul to fear David. Envy drove the Scribes and Pharisees to hate Jesus. These wicked rulers were jealous of his popularity, of his good works. They were so envious that they even condemned him for healing and doing good works on the Sabbath day. Even Pilate knew that "for envy, they had delivered him". Their envy became hate, and hate became murder. Their display of evil characteristics contrasts sharply with the Loving, Kind nature of Christ. When asked about which was the greatest commandment Jesus answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." He then added, "the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Brothers, and Sisters, we must never envy the circumstances of other. In our service of the truth we must work side by side one another, each of us attempting to achieve the same goal. That goal is eternal life. Through the mercy God we are not in a competition where only a few will win! We are in fact commanded to "help each other on the way". This totally excludes envy! In our Father's sight the poorest, the weakest, are equal to the wealthiest and the strongest.
Now the opposite of envy is generosity, and generosity is one characteristic we should always display with abundance. Our talents are only temporal blessings. We are laying up treasure in heaven IF we are using them wisely in the service of our brethren and sisters. All these things are examples of the Love of God in action!
We now tackle what is perhaps the most difficult virtue to display, "Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." In the New King James this becomes, "Love does not parade itself." Clearly then this is simply humility.
In the 11th verse of the Psalm 37 David declares, "But the meek shall inherit the earth." Jesus quoted these words at the Sermon on the Mount. This Psalm tells of two classes of people, the wicked, and the righteous. If we are not the meek or humble, then we are not one of those who will find Life Eternal in the Kingdom. Pride is a natural trait of every man or woman. We can always maintain humility if we compare our own walk and attitudes one toward another, with that of the Lord Jesus. Each and every one of us falls far short of his standard and his stature! Jesus taught his disciples and believers of every age a valuable lesson about pride, when he washed the feet of the twelve. Luke records that after Jesus had instituted the Memorial Supper, the disciples were still concerned about who should be the greatest. Jesus then took a towel and washed the feet of them all. In John 13 v 12-15 Jesus asks the disciples, "Know ye what I have done to you ? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." Brethren and Sisters if we keep this example of our Lord's uppermost in our thoughts, then humility will become part of our nature.
Let us humble ourselves now before God and men, confident that in due time our Father will exalt us. Remember the lesson of the Beatitudes, it is the "poor in spirit" or humble who will inherit the earth.
"Love doth not behave itself unseemly", or "rudely" in the NKJ version. These words have a definite application to the world around us today. Canada and the rest of the world is absolutely full of wicked behaviour. Human rights, equal rights, even animal rights, and the permissive society where almost any evil practise is tolerated, have become the norms of society. All these things have some effect on the children of God. Where these ideas are in conflict with the teachings of Christ, then we must have nothing to do with them! Brethren and Sisters must uphold the Truth above everything else. We must always be prepared to be called before the judgement seat of Christ. Let us not be found indulging in, or partaking of the "pleasures of sin for a season" when our call comes. We have the lesson of Sodom and Gomorrah before us, and surely society around about us is every bit as depraved as was Sodom in Lot's day.
Jesus was never guilty of "unseemly behaviour", yet look just how easy it is for us to fail in this matter. If what I say, or what I do, or how I act, causes distress to even one of my brethren or sisters, then I am guilty of this "unseemly behaviour" no matter how I try to justify myself! If guilty then I am not manifesting the love of God toward my family in Christ! Brethren and Sisters, we must be always on guard, to be sure that at all times we show courtesy and respect one to another.
Sometimes it is not easy for younger members to respect the traditional attitudes of senior members that they see as 'old fashioned'. On the other hand, it is not always possible for elder members to approve the "new" ideas and attitudes of the young. There is no need for conflict if the proper love of God exists. If it does, then the difficulties and differences between the generations will fade away, and disappear altogether. Remember how Jesus declared, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
The sixth characteristic of love is "Love seeketh not her own." This certainly is not self denial, or going without things we would really like. This is far more like working, and helping each other with out expecting any personal gain. Even just a letter, a visit, the encouraging word to a fellow labourer who appears to be in need fulfills much of this aspect of spiritual love. The physical and spiritual welfare of each and every member in the ecclesia, must be a priority to, and the concern of each of us! Let there be none of us guilty of indifference to another's need.
The seventh aspect and possibly the most difficult to conform to, is the exercise of a good temper. We are told that "Love is not easily provoked". Often it seems we consider bad temper as a harmless trait, or just a way of "blowing off steam". This is seldom the case. Bad temper can be most destructive, causing strained relationships between members which can last for many years. Brethren and Sisters must learn to control their feelings so that no-one is hurt by things blurted out, which in a more controlled situation, would never be uttered. A perfect example of bad temper is found in the parable of the prodigal son. The elder brother represents the Pharisee class. He was angry, and would not enter the house. He could not, and would not, share his father's pleasure at the safe, repentant return of his wayward brother. Just look at all the ugly traits of character expressed through his exhibition of bad temper. We see jealousy, envy, anger, pride, self-righteousness, stubbornness, and sullenness. Could such a cold, hard, heart ever harbour or exhibit the love of God towards his brethren and sisters? Never. Truly the publicans and sinners go into the kingdom before such a person. Yet by his outward appearance he would seem to be an upright, moral, good living example of a man. Appearance are deceiving, but God knows the heart.
"Love thinketh no evil". Perhaps this the eighth aspect of love which we are considering is the most lovely and the most essential. The scriptures tell us that "perfect love casteth out fear," and certainly this is the opposite state to the suspicious, untrusting, fearful world around us. Love does not impute a wrong motive, thereby putting and end to mistrust and suspicion. This is just what Jesus meant when he said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." Believers who have never met before always exhibit love and peace one toward another when they come together for the first time at ecclesial functions or gatherings. We invite brethren and sisters into our homes and lives without any reservations, secure in our bond of love and truth. The following poem has it's basis from Christ's prayer for his disciples. The poem is entitled 'Peace', the author is unknown.
- "Not as the world will give to you. Not wealth or glamour, false or untrue.
- Not emeralds or diamonds, pomp or pride. Not popularity, so broad and wide.
- Not high positions as men strive for. Not glitter and pleasure-more still more.
- Not drifting along with life as it seems. Not taking for granted what only are dreams.
- My PEACE I offer you-only you. You who have done with false and untrue.
- You who are willing to follow ME now. You who have put your hands to the plough.
- My legacy, PEACE, I leave to the FEW. The world cannot give it or take it from you.
- It will help you to hold on when troubles appear. It will calm you in sickness, in sorrow, in fear.
- {The world's storms and noises will have little effect. Deep down in the heart of the LORD'S ELECT.}
- It will accompany you down to the "shadow of death", and comfort you right to your latest breath.
- This PEACE, this calm, I bequeath to You. Fear not- little flock, it will take you through."
Our ninth and final point really arises out of all the others; "Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." This occurs when we work together to create within our ecclesia the type of atmosphere in which we can all rejoice together. We should interact as a family, because by baptism into the name of Christ we have become one family. The family of God. We now have a responsibility one to another to encourage, to help each other toward our mutual goal, life eternal in His Kingdom.
A healthy ecclesia encourages spiritual growth, which then encourages us to seek after those things which are true, honest, of good report. The ecclesia in which this atmosphere exists and abounds, is a light stand that Christ Jesus will approve when he returns to establish the Kingdom!
Each and every aspect of love that we have highlighted this morning are the qualities we must strive to exhibit in our daily lives. By demonstrating love for our brethren and sisters we show our love for the Father, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Every day of our probation offers opportunity for improvement. Our Father knows our weakness, and our failures, and if we pray earnestly for forgiveness then He will forgive. God also knows our successes; He will not forget them. As a loving Father, God controls our lives and our probation. He allows us to demonstrate by our lives, our love and obedience to His commands. Brethren and Sisters, if after examining ourselves, we fall short in any of the qualities of which we have spoken, let us not be despondent. Take courage, there is still time to put things right. Try to practice each of the nine points of love and those nine aspects of the Beatitudes, until they are part of our character. By so doing we shall reflect the character of Jesus Christ. Then we will have truly put off the old man of the flesh, and clothed ourselves in the robes of righteousness. May the lot of each of us, and all our members be to hear those wonderful words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the JOY of thy Lord."
J.M.,B