THE QUALITY AND ORDER OF DIVINE LOVE
THE QUALITY AND ORDER OF DIVINE LOVE
I have been much edified lately by John 13 and 15. When the whole character of the ruin and evil was disclosed, the apostasy of Judas, the flesh of Peter, the crucifixion of our Lord, He, when leaving His own in such a scene, says, “Love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13: 34). I believe all turns on the little word “as”. Washing one another’s feet as He has washed ours. No word is more debased in christendom than the word, charity - love. The more beautiful and excellent any divine thing is in itself, the more marred and mispresented it is in the imitation of it by the mind of man, because he reduces it down to his own level and desires.
[p. 424] Charity among men means simply doing everything for me which would please me; whereas Christ’s love has regard distinctly to one thing, even our perfection. He washes our feet and wipes them. Any love in me for my brethren less than, or of a different order to this, is not His love; and therefore one often feels no word so hard practically to follow out as that little word “as”; and yet, according as it is carried out, what remarkable effects follow!
In this love you seek to remove every spot from me, and I from you; and thus together we are seen to be His disciples. In chapter 15 this love goes on to death. He lays down His life for us. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15: 13, 12); the same order of love, that goes on to death!
I trust the Lord is helping you on. He delights to unfold Himself to us, but the greater the love, the less will it disclose itself unless we are in a condition to receive it. Melchisedec meets Abraham and discloses the heart of God to him; but Lot never (as far as we know) saw him, nor did he, as to his own felt condition of soul, need him. He sought his goods, and he got them. If he had been simply walking with God, how differently he would have been met!
The present gain of living Christ is, I trust and pray, coming more definitely before our souls. It is a cheer to the heart to know that nothing can be done against the truth, but for the truth. The Lord keep us, dear brother, strong and glad of heart in maintaining His truth and name, and serving Him. He would like to employ us to His own praise, and to lead us into fuller knowledge of Himself.