The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-12-10
Lesson for December IL

Lesson subjects and Scripture texts De.
lected and copyrighted BY International
Council q Religious Education: used BY
CHRIST'S NEW COMMANDMENT
LESSON TExT-Mark ia:zs.s4; John u:
GOLDEN TExT-A new commandment I
give unto you. That ye love one another;
az ] have loved you, that 20 also love ono
another.-John 1884
FER The. NEW commandment" Of love
which Christ gave was not new in
the sense Of then first being known,
but new in its application (John
1884. 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.
II 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 15:10).
Our lesson teaches us four things,
/. Love God mark 12:28-30). 4
Because "God is love- Il John
4:8) 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
nandment or the performing Of a
duty. There is the recognition of a
controlling principle of all life. In a
day Of multiplication of powerful
machines and organizations, when
man is "power conscious" in an UNI
usual way, it is well to recall that
the greatest power in all the world
is the power of love.
Then let us not forget that all
true love should rest upon fellow
ship with God. It has no real foun-
dalton if it does not.
II. Love Your Neighbor mark
12:31-34).
Everything about our relationship
to Christ and to God expresses it.
self in our living. No spiritual truth
is simply to be admired, or kept on
shelf as cherished possession. It
is to be put to work in the affairs
of life. ..s
Love for God means love for our
neighbor. If we do not love our
neighbor (and that means our fellow
man-Luke 10:25-42) how then does
the love of God abide in our hearts?
1t is worthy of note that the rec
ignition 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. It
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 Brethren (John
1884, 35).
Here we come within the circle Of
believers and see that the distinc-
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 us? With a perfect,
unselfsh 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 world that hated, they
loved one another, and in 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 Obedient, Joyful and
Sacrificial John 15:10-14).
Love is not an impulsive, erratic
movement of mans nature which
tries to make up for neglect and I'M
kindness by occasional displays Of
generosity and thoughtfulness. No
indeed. Love walks the straight and
steady way Of obedience to Gods
commandments.
Keeping Gods law is not accom-
plished by reading it, or talking
about it, or even learning it by
heart, but by definitely practicing
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 a burdensone, dull,
distressing experience. It is a joy
full one. Who counts it trial to do
that which pleases loved one? Do
we really love God2 Then we will