Love Overcomes Barriers

MEMORY SELECTION: “He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? —I John 4:20

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 10:25-27; I John 4:20

WE HAVE been given the most wonderful example of the power of love over obstacles by our Heavenly Father. The Apostle Paul in Romans 5:6-8 states: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

The thought is that the sentence of death that was pronounced upon Adam was a just sentence. God’s justice was satisfied, and therefore he was under no legal or moral obligation to change the condemnation pronounced upon Adam and his offspring. But Jesus states in John 3:16,17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

When we realize that Adam, and all who received life through him, were destined to return to the dust of the earth with no hope except that the love and mercy of God was extended toward them, then and only then can we fully appreciate the magnitude of the gift of his Son and the love that prompted the gift.

This same love was manifested by Jesus, who even after his terrible ordeal at the hands of the Jews and the cruel Roman soldiers was able to endure the cross, despising the shame, looking forward to the joy of bringing blessings and life to the world through the kingdom—yes, blessings even to those who were responsible for his agony. Behind our Lord’s willingness to suffer and die was the full realization of the fallen state of mankind. Having been subject to the prince of this world, Satan, for many centuries, they could not help but reflect much of his character and attitude of mind. But our Lord was able to visualize what these same people will be like in the kingdom, when under very favorable circumstances they will be brought back to a condition of perfection under the kingdom arrangement. It was this vision of humanity in its perfection that motivated Jesus to lay his life down for the now depraved and fallen human race.

It is because of this background of information and knowledge that we are admonished to hate the sin but to love the sinner. This applies to our relationship with our brethren and with the world also.

In the case of our brethren we realize that from God’s standpoint the fallen flesh is covered by the robe of Christ’s righteousness and that God does not hold us responsible for acts that have their roots in the imperfections which came through adamic condemnation. This means that we must, as sincere followers of Christ, endeavor to overlook the frailties of the flesh, especially in our brethren, and see in their stead the purity, the love, and the zeal of the new creature. Thus we can love our brethren in spite of the barrier of the flesh.

In I John 3:10-13 we read: “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”

In this text the Apostle John is showing us that the people of the world are inhabitants of darkness, and darkness is a symbol of Satan’s domain. Therefore we are not to be unaware of the fact that the darkness hateth the light, which is a symbol of the people of God. It is from the inhabitants of darkness that we, as those walking in the light, can expect to receive most of our trials. In spite of this, however, we are admonished, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”—Matt. 5:44

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