Love is the Queen of the Christian
graces. It is a holy disposition given to us when we are born again by God.
True spiritual love is characterized by meekness and gentleness, yet it is
vastly superior to the courtesies and kindnesses of the flesh.
We must be careful not to confuse
human sentimentality, carnal pleasantries, and human amiability with true
spiritual love. The love God commands, first to Himself and then to others, is
not human love. If we indulgently allow our children to grow up with little or,
no Scriptural discipline, Proverbs plainly says we do not love them, regardless
of the human sentimentality and affection we may feel for them. Love is not a
sentimental pampering of one another with a loose indifference as to our walk
and obedience before the Lord. Glossing over one another’s faults to ingratiate
ourselves in their esteem is not spiritual love.
The true nature of Christian love is a
righteous principle which seeks the highest good of others. The exercise of
love is to be in strict conformity to the revealed will of God. We must love in
the truth. Love among the brethren is far more than an agreeable society where
views are the same. It is loving them for what we see of Christ in them, loving
them for Christ’s sake.
The Lord Jesus Himself is our example.
He was not only thoughtful, gentle, self-sacrificing and patient, but He also
corrected His mother, used a whip in the Temple, severely scolded His doubting
disciples, and denounced hypocrites. True spiritual love is above all faithful
to God and uncompromising towards all that is evil. We cannot declare, ‘Peace
and Safety’ when in reality there is spiritual decay and ruin!
True spiritual love is very difficult
to exercise because it is not our natural love. By nature we would rather love
sentimentally and engender good feelings. Also many times true spiritual love
is not received in love, but is hated as the Pharisees hated it. We must pray
that God will fill us with His love and enable us to exercise it without
dissimulation toward all.
Arthur Pink
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