Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1943-12-10
CHRIsT's NEW COMMANDMENT

LESSON TEXT--Mark Il 1884; John
1884. IS: l5:i0-i4
GOLDEN TEXT-A new command.
ment give unto you, That ye love one
another: as have loved you, that ye
also love one another,-John 1884
The new commandment OF love
which Christ gave was not new IN
the sense Of then first being known,
but new in its application SJoha
1880. Only since Christ had come
did men know how to love in truth.
This commandment OF love was
also first in time. being given be-
fore the Ten Commandments (see
Lev. 1919. Then. too. it declared
the fundamental of all spiritual life.
the first thing man needed to know.
that God is love.
1t also must take first place in
mans thinking. for even as the Dec
alogue (Ten Commandments) Is the
heart Of all moral law. so love for
God and our fellow man Is that
which makes the Decalogue effec-
tive in our lives. Love and obedi.
ence 60 together John Is: 100.
Our lesson teaches us four things
!. Love God MARK l2;;28-30.
Because God is love" Il John
AID He desires mans perfect love
toward Him. Because the essence
of His being is love, He loves US,
and enables US to love Him.
There Is more here than a COM
mandment or the performing of
duty. There is the recognition Of
controlling principle of all life. In a
day Of multiplication Of powerful
machines and organizations, when
man is power conscious in an un.
usual way. it is well to recall that
the greatest power in all the world
Ii the power Of love.
Then let us not forget that all
true love should rest upon fellow
ship with God. II has no real foun-
dalton II II does not.
II. Lave Your Neighbor MARK
l2:31-SN. .
Everything about our relationship
to Christ and to God expresses 1t.
self In our living. No spiritual truth
Is simply to be admired. or kept on
q shelf - 4 cherished possession. 1t
is to be put to work in the affairs
Of life.
Love for God means love for our
neighbor. II we do not love our
neighbor (and that means our fellow
man-Luke l0:25-40 how then does
the love Of God abide in our hearts?
u It ID worthy Of note that the rec
Agnition and appreciation Of this
truth on the part Of the scribe
brought him near to the kingdom Of
God. but not into it. He was mot
far FROM" but he was not in it. 1t
is terrifying to think how close men
may come to entering without doing
so. Reader, have you entered into
eternal life through Jesus Christ?
III. Love Your Brethsen John
1884, 35).
Here we come within the circle Of
believers and see that the distnc-
tive thing about their fellowship
should be love for one another.
The old commandment Of love be-
comes new one because Christ
shows that the measure of that love
is to be His great love for US. How
did Christ love as? With perfect,
unselfish and thoughtful devotion,
which so deeply desired the very
most and best for us that He was
willing to lay down His holy life
as our Saviour from sin.
The thing which marked the early
church with glorious distinction was
that in a werld that hated. they
loved one anoth., and in a world
that killed and destroyed. they were
even willing TO die for their breth-
rem. Tertullian Of Carthage (Tu-
nis) said, in the second century, that
the enemies Of Christianity said Of
the Christians, See how they love
one another
Nv. Love is 0bcdient, Joyful and
Sacrificial John l5:l0-l4.
Love is not an impulsive erratic
movement OF mans nature which
tries to make up for neglect and UNI
kindness by occasional displays OF
generosity and thoughtfulness, No
indeed. Love walks the straight and
steady way Of obedience to Gods
commandment .
Keeping Gods law is not accom-.
plished by reading ii, or talking
about Il, or even learning it by
heart, but by definitely practcing
its precepts.
This brings Joy into our lives
the real and perfect Joy OF Christ.
How little we appreciate what this
means. Our fellowship with the Lord
calls for obedience and sacrifice,
but that Is not burdensome, dull,
distressing experience. 1t is a joy
full one. Who counts it trial to do
that which pleases a loved one2 Do
we really love God7 Then we will
rejoice In our response to His will,
yes, In any possible act OF devotion,
Love draws no limiting line be-
yond which IL will not 60, Love
says: II count not my life dear, il
2 4. ~