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Love Was That Of A Repentant Sinner, March 19
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that
loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:7
.
The apostle John was distinguished above his brethren as “the disciple whom
Jesus loved.” While not in the slightest degree cowardly, weak, or vacillating in
character, he possessed an amiable disposition and a warm, loving heart. He
seemed to have enjoyed, in a preeminent sense, the friendship of Christ, and he
received many tokens of the Saviour’s confidence and love. He was one of the
three permitted to witness Christ’s glory upon the mount of transfiguration and
His agony in Gethsemane; and to the care of John our Lord confided His mother
in those last hours of anguish upon the cross.
The Saviour’s affection for the beloved disciple was returned with all the
strength of ardent devotion. John clung to Christ as the vine clings to the stately
pillar. For his Master’s sake he braved the dangers of the judgment hall and
lingered about the cross; and at the tidings that Christ had risen, he hastened to
the sepulcher, in his zeal outstripping even the impetuous Peter.
John’s love for his Master was not a mere human friendship, but it was the love
of a repentant sinner, who felt that he had been redeemed by the precious blood of
Christ. He esteemed it the highest honor to work and suffer in the service of his
Lord. His love for Jesus led him to love all for whom Christ died. His religion
was of a practical character. He reasoned that love to God would be manifested in
love to His children. “We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love
God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom
he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (
1 John 4:19, 20
).
The apostle’s life was in harmony with his teachings.
The love which glowed in his heart for Christ, led him to put forth the most
earnest, untiring labor for his fellow men, especially for his brethren in the Chris-
tian church....
John desired to become like Jesus, and under the transforming influence of
the love of Christ, he became meek and lowly of heart. Self was hid in Jesus.
He was closely united to the Living Vine, and thus became a partaker of the
divine nature. Such will ever be the result of communion with Christ. This is true
sanctification.—
The Sanctified Life, 53-55
.
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