By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples
The social principles of Christianity
(2):--How seldom is this test of true discipleship to Christ appealed to.
We look for orthodoxy of sentiment, moral character, denominational zeal, attention to ordinances, but we are apt to overlook the one great criterion laid down in the text. Quite in harmony with this verse is 1 John 3:14. Consider
I. THE NATURE OF THIS LOVE. It consists mainly of two elements, an admiration of the peculiar spiritual character of God’s saints, and a deep personal sympathy with them in their struggles and temptations. To these elements may sometimes be added a high sense of gratitude to them if they have been made instrumental in conveying light, grace, and comfort to our minds, and a hearty desire of pure benevolence to do them good and be helpers of their joy. It will be borne in mind that the objects of this love are Christian believers, simply as such. Now
II. HOW DOES SUCH AN AFFECTION EVINCE OUR DISCIPLESHIP TO CHRIST?
1. Because He commands it; therefore not to cherish it is to disobey Him, and prove that we do not love Him.
2. Because the character of the saints is the very one which we are striving to acquire if we are followers of Christ; and therefore we cannot help but admire it.
3. As Christians we are called to pass through the same tribulations and trials as they have; therefore we are constrained to sympathy with them according to that fundamental law of human nature--“A fellow feeling makes the whole world kin.”
4. Gratitude for spiritual mercies is only possible to those who have ceased to be carnally-minded: while, again, to receive spiritual mercies through the medium of a fellow believer must attach us specially to him, on the common principle of human gratitude.
5. To love God’s people so as to be willing to go through great sacrifices for them, must surely be impossible to the worldly mind, because it is at enmity with God and cannot honestly seek the good of those who are born of Him. If, therefore, any man loves us as Christian disciples, the inference must be that he is a disciple and has ceased to stand connected with our enemies.
III. CONSIDER THIS AFFECTION AS A STANDING PROOF OF OUR DISCIPLESHIP.
1. Nothing else, without this, can prove a man to be a child of God. He that is destitute of this love, whatever else he possesses, abideth in death.
2. Where this exists, nothing else need be looked for.
Conclusions:
1. As a professed believer test your sincerity by this principle: Do you love the followers of Jesus?
2. Judge of your growth or declension in grace by your waxing or waning love to the brethren.
3. Prepare for greater usefulness by seeking more of this love to the people of God.
4. Appeal to the unconverted and inquiring. We want you amongst us only if you can love us; and we want you to love us only because you and we together have learned to love the Saviour. (T. G. Horton.)
The badge of true Christians
I. CHRIST WOULD HAVE EVERY CHRISTIAN KNOWN TO BE A DISCIPLE. And this cannot be otherwise. The fire of grace will ever show itself both by smoke and light. But wherein must we show ourselves disciples of Christ? In five things.
1. The disciples were called by Christ’s voice, and depended on His mouth for instruction and direction. So must we be made disciples by the word of Christ. But if thou carest not for the preaching of the Word, or canst content thyself in thy ignorance, or with some confused knowledge, thou showest thou art no disciple.
2. The disciples being called, denied themselves, left all for Christ, and acknowledged no master but Him alone (Matthew 4:22; Matthew 23:8; Matthew 23:10). If thou likewise be a disciple thou must renounce all other masters and all employments which will not stand with Christianity.
3. The disciples were called to be near attendants of Christ and perform all His commandments (John 8:31; John 15:14-15).
4. The disciples were glad of Christ’s presence, and when He was absent their hearts were full of sorrow. If thou art a disciple thy soul rejoiceth in the presence of Christ, in His ordinances, in the directions and consolations of His Spirit.
5. The disciples had commission and commandment to make other disciples, accordingly were diligent in their callings, spending themselves in doing good to others. Dost thou gain others to Christ and form thine own course to His?
II. CHRIST WOULD HAVE ALL KNOW HIS DISCIPLES BY THIS BADGE OF LOVE 1 John 2:10).
1. What is this true Christian love?
(1) The act--love; it is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). No natural man is capable of it, nor any but such as are entered into God’s school (1 Thessalonians 4:9).
(2) The object of it is good men, and all good men (Ephesians 1:15), even the poorest and meanest, without accepting of persons; it must not offend one of the little ones.
(3) The bond of this love is goodness. Christian love loves not only in the truth, but for the truth (2 John 1:2).
(4) The rule of this love is according to Christ (verse 34). Thus
(a) He loved us first, before we loved Him.
(b) When we were enemies.
(c) Not for His benefit, but ours.
(d) To make us better.
1. Constantly, even to the end.
2. This is a badge of a true Christian man. And that for these reasons
(1) It is a note of God’s child, or one that is born of God (1 John 4:7-8; 1 John 3:14).
(2) It is a note of the Spirit’s presence, who dwells nowhere but in the heart of a sound Christian.
(3) A lively and inseparable fruit of living faith is a badge of a true Christian, but true love of the brethren is such a fruit of living faith Galatians 5:6).
(4) A note of a true member of the Church is a badge of a true Christian, but it is a note of a true member of the Church when the lion and lamb feed together, etc. (Isaiah 11:7-8), that is, when a man brought into the kingdom of Christ putteth off his fierce, lionish, and poisonful affection, and is now become tame and tractable as a lamb of Christ’s fold, or as a child resembles his heavenly Father, who is loving and merciful. (T. Taylor.)
The badge of discipleship
Love was to be the grand distinctive sign which hence on through all the ages was to denote, distinguish, and define the followers of Jesus from all other guilds, schools, creeds, and combinations under heaven. The Pharisee was known by his broad phylactery, the Sadducee was known by his contempt for ritual and his ostentatious contrast to the rival sect. The priests and scribes were marked out by their peculiar robes; the Roman, by his toga, or the eagle on his helmet according as he was citizen or soldier. Today the Brahmin is known by the mystic character cut upon his breast and brow, and the Mahometan by his headgear. The soldier’s red, the sailor’s blue, the cleric’s black--by this, that, and the other sign, classes, creeds, professions, preferences, races, are distinguished the wide world over. Some time ago there was quite a warm burst of indignation from our Scottish fellow countrymen because the distinctive plaids and colours of the tartan, which denote the difference between the Campbell, the Mackintosh, and Macgregor, were in peril. Well, to those who are Israelites indeed, those who are enlisted under the banner of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, those who are faithful followers of Jesus, and bend a loyal knee to Him of the Crown of Thorns--to these Jesus says, “I institute a new order. In it neither star, ribbon,medal, stripe, nor outward garb, mark, or colour shall find place; but you shall wear a token by which all men shall take knowledge of you that you belong to Me, ‘By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.’” (J. Jackson Wray.)
The criterion of discipleship
Love is
I. A SIMPLE TEST. Had it been the adoption of a certain set of beliefs, or conformity to certain rites, it would have been too complicated to be of easy application or practical use; but here how simple--“He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen,” etc.
II. AN INFALLIBLE TEST. Other tests, even the best, are of doubtful accuracy; the application may lead to wrong conclusions. But this is infallible, and will determine the destiny of all men at the last day (Matthew 25:1-46).
III. A SOLEMN TEST. If we apply it to the Christians of this age and country, where men hate, cheat, and fight each other, how few will prove genuine disciples l Could all men stand it the world would be a paradise. (D. Thomas, D. D.)
The proof of discipleship
The marks of a true disciple of any master are
I. BELIEF in his master’s words.
II. ATTACHMENT to his master’s person.
III. OBEDIENCE to his master’s precepts.
IV. IMITATION of his master’s example. Obedience and imitation may be summed up in one word--love. If we love Christ we shall believe, obey, and imitate Him; and we must show that love by loving one another. (J. R. Bailey.)