CHRISTIAN LOVE
‘The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.’
St. Paul was verily a man of prayer. He began, continued, and ended his Christian life with it. Hence this prayer for the Thessalonians, that they may increase and abound in saintly excellences, especially in one which is the crown of all.
I. The special grace.—But what is love? It is the diamond among the jewels of our breastplate. ‘Now abideth faith, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love.’ Hence love is the believer’s highest and deepest happiness.
II. The Giver of this grace.—Which of the Triune is He? Dean Alford thinks God the Father; others think God the Spirit; but the generality of theologians believe that Jesus Christ is alone referred to, as ‘the Lord’ is the name by which He is specially designated all through the New Testament. If this be so, then the Apostle petitions the Lord Jesus as the fount of all grace and goodness. And He is this. ‘In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily’: not for Himself only, but for His redeemed also.
III. The enlargement and extensiveness of love.—Love is never at a standstill. Like the tide, it will either flow or ebb; but its nature, when duly fostered, is to increase and abound. If all Christians excelled in holy love, the world would speedily be brought to the feet of Jesus.
Illustration
‘The Thessalonians were not deficient in love when St. Paul uttered this prayer on their behalf. They were in this respect already a pattern Church. He is not slow to acknowledge the fact: “Concerning love of the brethren ye have no need that one write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another; for indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia.” But love is a good thing of which we can never have too much. Outside the Church of Christ is the great world with all its bitterness and wrath, its envy and slander, its misrepresentation and suspicion, its malice and uncharitableness. Inside the joys of holy love should flourish. Outside may reign the darkness of hatred, but inside let there be the golden light of love. And so the Apostle has no sooner acknowledged the existing love of the Thessalonian Christians than he adds, “But we exhort you, brethren, that ye abound more and more.” ’
(SECOND OUTLINE)
INCREASING AND ABOUNDING
Love is precious because it comes from the real man. It wells from the very depths of his nature. It is not always so with other graces which are capable of being counterfeited. Many a gift which another possesses may dazzle us with its brilliancy and almost excite our envy, but may after all be exercised from the most worthless.
I. Christian love is the parent of other graces.
(a) It begets confidence.
(b) It inspires patience.
(c) It stimulates courage.
II. The limitlessness of Christian love.—It ‘beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth.’
(a) Love ‘ beareth all things,’ or rather ‘covereth all things,’ for such is the meaning of the original word. With the cloak of love we hide the sins of our fellow-men.
(b) And love ‘ believeth all things.’ We are prone to believe too readily the worst of our fellow-men. Charges are brought against one, and we give them credit for being true. Rumours reach our ears, and we believe them without investigation. We pass them on to one another as if they were the truth, instead of suspecting them to be the base currency of falsehood. This is not the act of love, to believe the worst of our fellow-Christians. Love believes the best of another, rather than the worst.
(c) Love ‘ hopeth all things’ too. When it can no longer believe, it hopes—hopes that new facts will come to light which will explain matters—hopes that after all one may have been misinformed—hopes that a man’s motives were the best even when his errors were the worst; and when there is room for no other hope, love hopes at least that the offender will one day see his fault and retrace his steps.
(d) And love ‘ endureth all things.’ It possesses wonderful strength, endurance, and vitality. Controversy cannot kill it, for it enables men to ‘speak the truth in love.’
Illustrations
(1) ‘The helpless bird that flutters with bristling feathers over her nest, and pecks fiercely at the hand that would rob her of her brood, tells us of love converted into courage. It is recorded that wherever Napoleon appeared he inspired his troops with intense devotion. At the battle of Waterloo one French soldier in the ranks, whose arm had been shattered by a cannon-ball, was seen to wrench it off with the other hand and to throw it into the air, crying, “Long live the Emperor!” Love once more had inspired courage.’
(2) ‘Gilmour, of Mongolia, had been engaged in hot controversy with missionaries, and yet he was able to look back upon them with a happy smile as he left the room, and say, “My brothers, I love you all the same.” Personal injuries cannot kill love. It is far easier to forgive the one who has injured us than to forgive the one whom we have injured. It was said of Archbishop Cranmer, “If you want to make that man your friend, go and do him an injury.” How noble a copy of the love which cried, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do’! That love above all other was able to “endure all things.” ’