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TRUE CHRISTIAN LOVE
by A. W. PINK
Love is the Queen of the Christian graces.
It is a holy disposition given to us when we are born again by God.
It is the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
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, human amiability and affability with
true spiritual love.
The love God commands, first to Himself and then to others, is
not human love. It is not the indulgent, self-seeking love which is
in us by nature. 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.
It is a powerful desire to promote their welfare.
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.
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