Basic HTML Version
Motivated by Love, April 3
And this commandment we have from him, That he who loveth God
love his brother also.
1 John 4:21
.
Love is the basis of godliness. Whatever the profession, no man has
pure love to God unless he has unselfish love for his brother.... When self is
merged in Christ, love springs forth spontaneously. The completeness of
Christian character is attained when the impulse to help and bless others
springs constantly from within—when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart
and is revealed in the countenance....
Connected with Christ, we are connected with our fellow men by the
golden links of the chain of love. Then the pity and compassion of Christ
will be manifest in our life. We shall not wait to have the needy and
unfortunate brought to us. We shall not need to be entreated to feel for the
woes of others. It will be as natural for us to minister to the needy and
suffering as it was for Christ to go about doing good....
The glory of heaven is in lifting up the fallen, comforting the dis-
tressed.... No distinction on account of nationality, race, or caste is rec-
ognized by God.... All men are of one family by creation, and all are one
through redemption. Christ came to demolish every wall of partition, to
throw open every compartment of the temple, that every soul may have
free access to God. His love is so broad, so deep, so full, that it penetrates
everywhere. It lifts out of Satan’s circle the poor souls who have been
deluded by his deceptions. It places them within reach of the throne of God,
the throne encircled by the rainbow of promise....
Christ is seeking to uplift all who will be lifted to companionship with
Himself, that we may be one with Him as He is one with the Father. He
permits us to come in contact with suffering and calamity in order to call
us out of our selfishness; He seeks to develop in us the attributes of His
character—compassion, tenderness, and love....
“If thou wilt keep my charge,” the Lord declares, “I will give thee places
to walk among these that stand by”—even among the angels that surround
His throne. (
Zechariah 3:7
.) By cooperating with heavenly beings in their
work on earth, we are preparing for their companionship in heaven.
[102]
102