April 16
Obedience the Test of Love
The Christian's Daily Treasury"If ye love me, keep my commandments." — John 14:15.
So said our Lord to his disciples, when he was about to be parted from them, and sorrow filled their hearts; and so he says to all who make a profession of his name. Observe here
A SUPPOSITION. "If ye love me." Love is one of the strongest passions of the human mind—and four things may be remarked concerning the believer's love to Christ.
Its necessity. We cannot serve God aright without it, engage with pleasure and profit in the ordinances of religion, or have any pretensions whatever to true piety. No services or sacrifices, however costly, can be acceptable to God, if there are not the flames of love ascending from the altar of the heart.
Its qualities. It must be sincere, the love of the heart: it must be strong, not to be quenched by the water of difficulty: it must be supreme, no rival must be suffered to engage your affections.
Its grounds. Our love to Christ is the reflection of his love to us. As the needle is drawn to the loadstone, so the heart of the believer is attracted by the powerful influence of Christ's excellences.
Its evidences. Love is a powerful principle, that operates many ways. It will lead us to desire the presence of the Saviour, to prize his ordinances, to value his word, and openly and unhesitatingly to confess his name before men.
A REQUISITION. "Keep my commandments." Christ is a good Master, and rewards all his servants with unspeakable honors. Note
The commands he has given. There are two great duties which he has enjoined more particularly on us—love to his people, and remembrance of himself: all the other precepts laid down in Scripture for our rule may be here included.
The obedience he requires. Though it cannot be marked by perfection, it must be characterized by sincerity. In order to its acceptance with God, it must spring from right principles and motives. "My burden is light,"—a light burden, indeed, says one, that carries him that bears it. I have looked through all nature for a resemblance of this; and I seem to find a shadow of it in the wings of a bird, which are indeed borne by the creature, and yet support her flight towards heaven.