Vol.VII No.III Pg.7
May 1970

Queries And Answers

Robert F. Turner

Bro. Turner:

What is the law of love? We have a brother who uses this expression to justify a compromising attitude toward anything he wants to do. W.Va

Reply:

I suggest you read 1 Jn. 4:7-f. with great care. God IS love — the epitome of love, summarizing its very essence — the perfect source, example and motivator of love.

So absolutely true is this principle, that John says, everyone that loveth is begotten of God— i.e., is God—like, figuratively partakes of the genetic makeup of God, has His characteristics. This is the same child of concept seen in Jn. 8:39 -f, where Jews were told, If ye were Abrahams children, ye would do the works of Abraham. (Cf. Matt. 5:45) We thus know God — i.e., grasp the idea of God, perceive God, move on the same wave-length. With God so much the essence of love, how can one claim to be of God who does not love? (It seems to me it is this spirit of love referred to in vs. 13.)

The love under consideration is not mans concept of love, but a reflection of Gods love — hence must be confined to that type of love which God manifested. (Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.) If God SO (in this manner) loved us, we ALSO ought to love one another. Our love, to be of God, must be like that which God demonstrates in His dealings with man, through Christ. We are presumptuous indeed to think we can ignore the examples of Gods love as seen in Christ, and the revealed will of God; and substitute our own shallow, short-sighted, and self-serving concept of love and its fruits.

Gods love did not keep Him from condemning man to death for his sins. But it caused Him to give His Son so that those who obey Him might be forgiven. (Heb. 5:9) (Those evil, on whom God sends material blessings, will go to Hell, except they repent. Isnt it odd that those who use Matt. 5:44-f, to excuse sin, never seem to think of the sinners doom, and make sacrificial efforts to turn them to Christ.)

Did Paul not love those brethren whom he refused to feed? (2 Thes. 3:6-15) I believe he loved them too much to allow their slothfulness to go unnoticed, and uncorrected. He loved them with the kind of love that comes from the heavenly Father.

Did Paul restrict the burden of the church to widows indeed (1 Tim. 5:16) because he had no concern for the younger widow; or because he had more concern for the divinely authorized work of the church, and more concern that the younger widows function in their God-given responsibilities?

The law of love is not an emotionally orientated standard of conduct, originating in the mind of man. It is the result of man imbibing the manifested and demonstrated spirit of God, knowing Gods will, and being moved to act toward his fellow-man as God has acted toward His creatures. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? (Gal. 4:)