South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-09-05
SEVEN MINUTE SERMON
ON THE GOLDEN TEXT
BY OUR OWN PREACHER

D1 OOh OWN PhEAOHE4h
Lesson. The Great Command
ments. Mark 12:2S-44.
Golden Text: Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all they heart, and
with all they soul, and with all thy
strength. and with all thy mind; and
thy neighbor as thyseIf. Luke 1927.
THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN.
4. What is love? We speak very
glibly about love, but comparatively
speaking few understand the signifi-
canoe, or meaning. of the word. You
may say that there are different kinds
of love, and il is true, but at the root
all love means one and the same
thing. The love of lovers, of husband
and wife, of parent and child, OF
friends with friend, is the same thing
in essence. although its manifesto
tons is modified by the relationship
OF the loved ones. Then sometimes
another passion is mistaken for love,
but real love not only stands for q
sentiment which is very precious, and
much TO be desired, but it more par
ticularly stands for a life long action
of goodwill. and elf-denying service,
to the object OF our love. Love in
action. or anxious for action. is the
z
another TO ourselves we love him,
when we prefer ourselves TO another,
then we do not love. in a Christian
sense, the other, but manifest a spirit
OF selhshness, which is the contrary
of love. To love God is 10 delight
IN his company, TO enjoy conversation
with, or prayer to him; to think
much about God, TO delight in pro-
Tossing our love for him to our fell
lows and n Listen n nt hrfc rc
with delight when they tell their ex-
perience of Gods precious love. and
We manifest this love by our endeav-
or TO lead others into the same ex-
perience.
,. We must love God supremely.
The text states this very plainly, but
II needs TO be emphasized. that God
expects of US TO love him with all
our heart. and with all our soul and
with all our strength This not only
intimates what God expects of us. but
also indicates that we are able to
yield to the command Of God i'm this
particular. The metes and bounds of
our duty, are also the metes and
bounds of our possibilities. We may
be sure that what God expects OF us
is also what we may render 10 him.
and II also indicates that IL is our
greatest privilege as well as our duty
20 render obedience When, there
fore, we face the commandment of
God TO love him with all our hearts,
we should see in the commandment
our most exalted privilege. 1t also in
dicates that there may be real love
for God which is less i'm its intensity
than the love asked for in our text,
and that real love is capable of an in
crease. The way therefore, to in
crease small light of real love into
a bright flame. is 10 allow the light
TO shine at its fun. and II the light is
kept burning. il will grow by its own
flame into the full orbed light of per-
feet love. We may. by our will power
aided by the grace OF God. so love
him that it will by and by become our
all consuming passion.
3. We must love our neighbOrs as
we love ourselves. This command
ment either looks foolish. or To be
impossible of fulfilment. by those who
are not experienced in the ways Of
God. Such is the selfshness OF hu-
man nature, that men who give them
selves up 10 their natural. selfish con-
ditiOn. see il 10 be impossible for
them to love their neighbors as they
do themselves. That we should do
so however is not only the command
OF the text. but is the very essence Of
Y
an experience where we love God
with all our hearts we. by the same
attainment love our neighbor as we
love ourselves When perfect love
has expelled sin and selfishness from
our hearts. loving our neighbors is
as easy as breathing. IL is sin which
makes rs selfish. but when God has
expelled il. we instinctively love our
neighbors, and when doing business
with them desire that they should
profit by the transaction the same
as We desire our own profit. We then
would no more take advantage OF our
neighbor. 10 his injury. than a loving
mother would make her babe suffer
so that she might enjoy.
4. How we may succeed i'm loving
God and our neighbOr. When God
gives us a commandment no matter
how impossible il may look. IL is al
ways safe for us 20 attempt to obey II.
Hence il there is any charm for you
in this exalted attainment of being
able TO love God with all your heart
and your neighbors as yourself and
II you viii try 20 attain 10 II. God will
surely open the way for you. and YOU
will just as certainly attain 10 your
hearts desire as you make the at
tempt In the first place you must
see TO il that you surrender your life
10 the service of God: this includes
giving MP all known sins. with the
bona hde intention OF devOting your
life 10 Gods service. Then il YOU
viii pray 20 God asking him 10 grant
YOU real penitence for your past sins.
and pledging yourself TO his service
he will. surely meet you more than