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1Jn_4:11
Whom are we to ‘love’? ‘One another.’ St. John is not writing about family affections, or private friendships, parents and children, brothers and sisters, or a few intimacies. He is writing to ‘the Church.’ Whom, then, ought we to love? Who are the ‘one another’? All in the Great Brotherhoood; in the Family of God; ‘the Church.’ All the Baptized; that is practically, with us, all with whom we have to do every day.
‘If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.’ There is our copy.
I. God’s love was an originating love.—He loved us long before we loved Him. He completely took the initiative. We should do the same—not wait to be loved; but look around to some one whom we might love and be kind to, who does not love us, whom we ought to love; and at once do something, say a kind word, do a kind thing, to that person. Do we not all err in this? We expect somebody else to begin. We only think of loving where we are loved. It is a very happy thing for us that God did not act with us on that principle!
II. God’s love is a wise and thoughtful love.—O how wise! how thoughtful! Our love is often very unwise and unthoughtful. We take no pains about it. It is a mere passion. It has no distinct aim. There is no real principle in it. And then it is not appropriate. It does not fit the person we love. There is very little mind in it; no consideration; therefore our love often does harm where it is meant to do good. But that is exactly the contrary of God’s love. His love is so carefully, so exquisitely adjusted. It is so very wise.
III. God’s love is always faithful.—God can give pain. He does give pain. So far as reproof is faithful, God’s love is faithful. Be you faithful in your affections. Do not exaggerate your affections. Do not overstate your affections. See faithfully. Speak of faults. Do it opportunely; very gently, very hopefully, very sympathisingly, very tenderly. But when you do speak, speak uncompromisingly; not beating about the bush. Be faithful. An unfaithful love is worse than hatred; and I may say very unlike God’s!
IV. God’s love is a self-sacrificing love.—What sacrifice, I do not say of life, but what real sacrifice of time, or of money, or of comfort, are we making for any one? Even if we do it in our own families, or for a few friends, are we doing it outside? are we doing it beyond the circle of our relations? are we doing it as fellow-Christians, as fellow-men? are we doing it to ‘one another’? Does not our love just stop short of sacrifice?
V. God’s love is never capricious.—It is never a thing to be taken up and laid down again. It is never light. It is constant. It never changes, except to deepen. ‘Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them to the end.’ He never leaves; He never fails; He is never tired of a friend. Is your love so?
Now these five things must all go to make the copy of the Divine love. And nothing is really love which is not a copy of the love of God.