Studies in the Life of the Christian: His Faith and His ServiceSell, Henry T. (Henry Thorne)
Religion
Studies in the Life of the Christian: His Faith and His Service
Sell, Henry T. (Henry Thorne)
Religious education
3. Interest myself in the well being of my neighbour after the
immediate and acute necessity for aid is past. There are many who are
willing to aid when a pressing call comes, but who are unwilling to
keep up that aid through the convalescing stage; here is where the
summons comes to be not weary in well doing to one's neighbour.
Outside of money help and aid in times of disaster and sickness there
are many who are lonesome for words of cheer and acts of kindness on
the part of those with whom they daily come in contact. There is a
deeper meaning in the parable than that which relates to physical
pain. There is a suffering of the soul and a mental trouble which
beseech the kindness of the Christlike neighbourly touch.
4. There is also the larger work, which is fundamental, of bringing
one's fellow man into the fellowship and communion of Jesus Christ;
this is the greatest benefit which any Christian man can confer upon
his brother-man (John 1:40-42,45).
CHRIST'S LAW OF LOVE
Statement of the Law.--"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"
(Matthew 22:39). A certain lawyer asked Jesus, "Master, which is the
great commandment of the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is
like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The kingdom
of God will come when this commandment is fully obeyed by men.
Exposition of the Law.--It would seem as if a law so plainly stated
would need no explanation or exposition. But before men can rightly
love each other they must have certain principles and a certain
character. It is not desirable that evil men with depraved thoughts
and bad lives love us as they love themselves; for they love that
which, if accepted by men, would lead to deep corruption of character.
Jesus Christ well put it that God must first be loved, with all the
heart, soul and mind, before a man is ready to love his neighbour as
himself. This loving of God, first, implies an acceptance of the
standpoint of God in regard to man and the looking upon one's fellow
man as God looks upon him. This standpoint of God is best seen in the
words and acts of Jesus Christ. A man in order, then, to love his
fellow man aright must be thoroughly imbued with the principles of the
Master. A man must look upon other men as having souls of eternal
value. A man who would do as Jesus would have him do must first have
His spirit of self-sacrificing love (Matthew 23:8-12; John 17:19;
Philippians 2:5-7; Isaiah 53:3; John 13:12-15).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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