The Love Of God
"We love him, because he first loved us." God has proven his love for man. He gave his Son to suffer, "the just for the unjust." Light and immortality have been given us through the death and life of his Only Begotten. This is the highest, grandest, purest love the world had ever known.
But how are we to know that we love God? Many people sing, "0 how I love Jesus," and at the same time refuse to do what Jesus commands. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15.) "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings." (John 14:24) Another quotes, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." (I John 3:14.) How may we love the brethren? "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments." (I John 5:2) This is how we know that we love God: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." (1 John 5:3) Precious thought: "And his commandments are not grievous!" We may sing, "0 how I love Jesus;" our prayers may be long and loud; but we will never prove to God, Christ, or angels, our love, unless we "keep his commandments."
"And now abideth faith, hope, love these three." (I Cor. 13:13.) Faith, by which our hearts are made pure, by which we are saved, without which it is impossible to please God, will be changed to knowledge in the world to come; hope, that so many times has raised our drooping spirits amid trials here, that is "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast," will end with the realization of the life to be; but love, the greatest of all, will live forever.
Honesty: "John, did you ever write about the love of God?"
John: "Yes; I wrote, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.' (I John 4:7)"
Honesty: "John, there is a man in this community that teaches by love a man can know God without keeping his commandments. What do you say about it?"
John: "I say, 'He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.' (I John 2:4)"
Honesty: "John, do you mean to teach that men must keep the commandments in order to know him?"
John: "Yes. 'And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.' (I John 2:3)"
Honesty: "John, how may we have that perfect love?"
John: "'But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.' (I John 2:5)"
Honesty: "John, are you talking of a practical or a sentimental love?"
John: "'For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.' (I John 5:3)"
Honesty: "John, is it an internal act only?"
John: "'And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is my commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye would walk in it.' (II John 6)"
Gospel Advocate, 1898