Love's Law and Life
iy Teer “Jf ye love Me, keep My RSS eee = ae: Fohn 14:15. 5k
CHAPTER FULL OF IFS. — UNCERTAINTY ABOUT OUR PRAYERS. — A SERIOUS IF. — LOVE PROMPTS THE DEED. — LOVE THE CHIEF JEWEL. — SEE TO YOUR OWN HEART. — A JUDICIOUS TEST.NO FANATICAL CHALLENGE. — JESUS GLORIFIED BY CONSISTENT
- OBEDIENCE. — TRUE LOVE WILL ENDURE THIS TEST. — “I DO NOT LOVE THE LORD JESUS.”.
Tuts is a chapter singularly full of certainties, and remarkably studded with zfs. SapeePing: Te OL ee
2 the great things in it there never can be an “if”; and yet “if” comes up, I think, no less than seven times BP in the chapter: and “if,” too, not about trifles, but 4 4 about the most solemn subjects. It is, perhaps, g worthy of mention that with each of these “‘ifs” there
‘is something connected, as following out of it, or appearing to be involved in it, or connected with it. v
Look at the second verse. ‘In my father’s house are many mansions: zfit were not so, I would have told you.” If there had been no place for us in the glory land Jesus would have told us. If any truth which Pisa not been revealed would have made our hope a - folly, our Lord Jesus would have warned us of it; for Ee He has not come to lure us into a fool’s paradise, and at last deceive us. He will tell us all that it is neces- “sary for us to know in order to a wise faith and a is PonKe our confidence or ites our expectation, it were not so, I would have told you.’ 2 Notice the third verse. Again we meet witht “ify + and its consequence. “Jf I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto My. Gy self.” If the Lord Jesus should go away (and this a supposition no longer, for He has gone), then H would return again in due time. Since He has gone, He will come again; for He has made the one to depend on the other. We make no question that He; went up into heaven, for He rose from out the circle of His followers, and they saw Him as He went ope ° into heaven. The next “if” comes at the beginning of the seventh — verse: - — Jf ye had known Me, ye should have known — My Father also.” If we really do know the Lord Christ, we know God. In fact, there is no knowing a God aright except through His Son Jesus. It is evidently true that men do not long hold to theism pure and simple. If our scientific men get away from the — Christ, the incarnate God, before long they drift away from God altogether. They begin to slide down the — mountain ess they quit the incarnate Deity, and there is no more foothold to stay them. No man comes to the Father but by the Son, and no man et long keeps to the Father who does not keep to his ae faith in the Son. Those who know Christ know God:* ye shall ask anything in My name I will do it.” The “if” in this case involves an UNCERTAINTY ABOUT OUR PRAYERS,
oie an uncertainty at all. Taking it for granted that we ask for mercies in the name of Jesus, a glorious cerainty is linked thereto. Jesus saith, “I will do it.” ere our Lord speaks after a sovereign style. We ‘may not say, “I will;” but the “I wills” pertain to
answer, and therefore He says without reservation, “I ms will.” “If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” Oh that we might put the first “if” out of ae court by continually petitioning the Lord, and signing our petitions with the name of Jesus. ee Now comes the “tf” of our text, of which I will say nothing for the moment. “If ye love Me, keep My: commandments.” Something, you see, is to come of out of this “if” as out of all the others. //something, then something — “/f ye love Me,” then carry it out to the legitimate result: — “keep My commandments.”
swered and said to him, zf a man love Me, he will g ae My words.” Respect to His wisdom, and obedience to His authority, will grow out of love. q “If a man love Me he will keep My words.” He
will believe in the verbal inspiration of his Lord; he 22
wn in 1 the Chanter fe sie in the esadoadh verse:
‘Christ. He can answer, and He has the right to.
You have the next “if” in verse 23: — ‘Jesus an- — Pe adince carry out the aed a his Lend a so them in the best: possible manner by euehe ian in his daily life. The chapter almost closes at the twenty eighth v ve: by saying, “If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto my Father; for my Father is greate than I.” Where there is an intelligent love to Chris we rejoice in His gains, even though we ourselves appear to be losers thereby. The corporeal absence: ‘of our Lord from our midst might seem to be a great loss to us; but we rejoice in it because it is ae FOR HIS OWN GREATER GLORY. pen Let us now think of our own text, and may the ve Holy Spirit lead us into the secret chambers of it. — “df ye love Me, keep My commandments.”. a The present “if” is a serious one. Let that stand as — our first head. Secondly, the dest which ts added con- “4 cerning it ts a very PURER one: “If ye love Me, i keep My commandments.” In the third place, I will give you the reading of the Revised Version, and say, — that test will be endured by love; for the words may be interpreted — ‘“If ye love Me, ye will keep My commandments.” Obedience will follow upon loves as a matter of certainty. Lalo begin, then, THE IF IN OUR TEXT IS A VERY SERIOUS ONE. It goes to the very root of the matter. Bes Love belongs to the heart; and every surgeon will tell you that a disease of the heart may not be trifled — with. A clever doctor said to me, “I feel at ‘my ease i folio pits. us. eon the heart with all dili- int, “for out of it are the issues of life.” If the; pring fails, all the works of a watch refuse to We cannot, Cees think little of a ees ane”
Observe how our Saviour puts this 7f concerning love, in such a way as to teach us that love must be nor to obedience. ‘The text is not, ‘“‘ Keep My comandments, and then love Me.” No, we do not ex- ee a
oes he say, “Keep My commandments, and love Me at the same time,” as two separate things, although that might in a measure correspond with truth. But Ove is put first, because it is first in importance and first in experience. ‘If ye love Me’ — we must begin with love — ‘“then keep My commandments.” Obedi-: Be ence must have love for its mother, nurse, and food.
a e The essence of obedience lies in
THE HEARTY LOVE WHICH PROMPTS THE DEED,
ae 2 rather than in the deed itself. I can conceive it possible that a man might, in his outward life, keep - Christ’s Be idee and yet might never keep them at all so as to be accepted before God. If he A became obedient by compulsion, but would have dis-B obeyed if he dared, then his heart was not right before God, and his actions were of little worth. The commandments are to be kept out of love to Him to do’ bia, per Christ can Para upon. u ‘s heart i is Sebo: A heart at sine 4 ey God
Eins are eine: ys main ites is Toa eg ta meaning and intending. Which way are your aftions tending? The great fly-wheel which moves whole machinery of life is fixed in the heart: hen this is the most important of all suggestions — ‘If Rac love Me.” “If ye love Me” is a searching sound. ta start as I hear it. He that believes in the Lord Jesus rs Christ for his salvation produces as the first fruit o: his faith love to Christ; this must be in us and abound, or nothing is right. Packed away within that Sag box of sweets called “love” you shall find every holy — thing; but if you have no love what have you Though you
WEAR YOUR FINGERS TO THE BONE WITH SERVICE,
weep out your eyes with repentance, make your — knees hard with kneeling, and dry your throat with — ee. shouting, yet if the heart does not beat with love, — s your religion falls to the ground like a withered leaf see in Autumn. Love 2s the chief jewel in the bracelet of ay obedience. Hear the text, and mark it well: “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”
O sirs, what a mass of religion is cast out as worth less by this text! Men may keep on going to chure
: Bekoy SRbition’ wal ploduee sevecntal
n begets obedience to His precepts. There are some men for whom you would do anything; you - will to yield to their will. If such a person were to 4 ‘say to you, ‘Do this,” you would do it without question. Perhaps he stands to you in the relation of master, and you are his willing servant. Perhaps he ‘isa venerated friend, and because you esteem and love him, his word is law to you. The Saviour may
much more safely than any other
é BE INSTALLED IN SUCH A POSITION.
From the throne of your affections He says, “If ye love Me — if really your hearts go out to Me — then let My word be a commandment; let my commandment be kept in your memory, and then further kept by being observed in your life.” So you see the reason why the Master begins with the heart — because there
Do you not see the drift of the words?
x Dey friends, Re been shea ra hee beat
of Jesus, and are you held in a divine captivity to t h
N pa person of your redeeming Lord?. ee, a
keep His Eisetaene
«It was greatly needful for our Lord thus to bee S His disciples. Yes, it was necessary to speak thu
even to the apostles. He says to the chosen twelve,
“If ye love Me.” We should never have doubted —
one of them. We now know by the result that one of them was a traitor to his Lord, and sold Him for — fe spieces of silver; but fo ‘one suspected him, for he 5 seemed as loyal as any one of them. Ah! if th: in question, “If ye love Me,” needed to be raised in the sacred college of the twelve, much more must it be allowed to sift our churches, and to test ourselves. Brethren this word is exceedingly needful in the present asssembly: hear its voice — ‘“If ye love Me. The mixed multitude here gathered together may be — compared to the heap on the threshing-floor, and
THERE IS NEED OF THE WINNOWING FAN,: Perhaps you have almost taken it for granted that — you love Jesus; but it must not be taken a granted.: Some of you have been born in a religious atmosphere, you have lived in the midst of godly people, and you have never been out into the wicked world to be tempted by its follies; therefore you come to rath
are right at heart.
Christ he will be anathema maranatha, cursed at His
though he be a learned bishop, or a popular pastor, ae Or a feaopaed evangelist, or a venerable elder, or an active deacon, or the most ancient member of the -most orthodox assembly, may yet turn out to be no lover of the Lord. While considering the text, let each one view himkeeping the vineyards of others? See to your own P ticaits: The text does not say, “If the church loves Me,” or, “If such and such a minister loves Me,” or, Be TE your brothers love Me’; but it is, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,” The most important question for each one to answer is that which concerns his personal attachment to his Redeemer, and the personal obedience which comes out of it, I press this * inquiry upon each one. It may seem
A TRITE AND COMMON-PLACE QUESTION,
y armor which you ave not tested, nor rejoice” oe in 1 ve to Christ which has not sustained trial. What an awful thing if you should be deceived and mis-It is most kind of the Saviour to raise a take uestion about your love, and thus give you an oppor aus unity of examining yourself and seeing whether you
‘Remember, if any man love not he Vachs Jesus ve coming. This applies to every man, even though he
be most eminent. An. apostle turned out to be a son of perdition — may not you? Every man, even:
self apart. What have you to do in this matter with —
The L Bkeetik as ‘hsdbaviBDs however. to the apostles, and they could answer it,: spoke as all the eleven would have done “whee said, “Thou knowest that I love Thee.” It is n g question concerning mysteries out of range a beyond judgment; it deals with a plain matter of fac a: A man may know whether he loves the Lord or not, and he ought to know. He who ts jealous of himself, y and is, therefore, half afraid to speak positively, may ee all the more truly be a lover of the Lord. UHoly cau- tion may raise a question where the answer is fat more certain than in the breasts of those who neve. even make the inquiry, because they are carnally Pee secure. Do not be content with merely longing to love Jesus; or with longing to know whether you love Him. Not to know whether you love the Lord Jesus is a state of mind so dangerous that I exhort. 4 you never to go to sleep till you have escaped from: it. A man has no right to smile — I had almost said, he has. no right either to eat bread or drink water so i. Jong as ee THAT QUESTION HANGS IN THE BALANCE, «st ought to be decided. It can be decided. It can a be decided at once. Brethren, hear the question suggested by this little word “af”;; consider it well, — He and rest not until you can say, “I love the Lord because He hath heard my voice‘and my supplication.” So much, then, concerning the serious nature of
;
ace let 1 ie observe;
USONE. “if ye Tove Me, beep ay commandments?” lis is the best proof of love. Z
The test indicated does not suggest a lawless hee: ca ti is true we are not under the law, but under grace;:. a but yet we are under law to Christ, and if we love - Him we are to keep His commandments. Let us never enter into the counsel of those who do not be- es Btn lieve that there are any commandments for believers “tO keep. Those who do away with duty do away Be with sin, and consequently with the Saviour. It is 3 not sepia if ye love Me, do whatever you please. eS does not say — So long as you love Mein your hearts, I care nothing about your lives. There is no such doctrine as that between the covers of this holy book. He that loves Christ is the freest man out of heaven, but he is also the most under bonds. He is ‘ free, for Christ has loosed his bonds, but he is put’ under bonds to Christ by grateful love. The love of: “4
Christ constraineth him henceforth to live to the Lord who loved him, lived for him, died for him, and rose ae again. No, dear friends, we do not desire a lawless Be life. He that is not under the law as a power for 4 condemnation, yet can say that with his heart he delights in the law of God; he longs after perfect holiness, and
IN HIS SOUL YIELDS HEARTY HOMAGE,
to the precepts of the Lord Jesus. Love is law; the 4 law of love is the strongest of all laws. Christ has ary. act.” The test Salone is not an ontuen be of extravagance, or an attempt to realize the ambitious project of a fevered brain. Nothing of the kind. Hermits, nuns and religious mad-caps find no ex- -ample or precept here. Some persons think that if they love Jesus, they must enter a convent, retire to a cell, dress themselves queerly, or shave their heads. “It has been the thought of some men, “If we love Christ we must strip Gees of everything we pos- — sess, put on sackcloth, tie ropes round our waists, and -. pine in the desert.” Others have thought it wise to - make gay of themselves by oddity of dress and behavior. The Saviour does not say anything of the kind; but, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” Every now and then we find members of our churches who must needs leave their trades and their callings to show their love for Jesus; children may starve and wives may pine, but their mad whimsies must be carried out for love of Jesus. Under this influence they rush into all sorts of foolery, and soon ruin their characters because they will not take the advice of sobriety, and cannot be satisfied with the grand test of. love which our Lord Himself herein lays down. The text does not condemn these light-headed projects in detail, but it does so in the gross by proposing a far more reasonable test — ‘“If ye love Me, keep My c commandments.”
Bex ae your own ee
A CHRIST OF YOUR OWN CONSTRUCTION,
who is merely an Antichrist. The real Christ is so
great and glorious that He has a right to give commandments. Moses never used an expression such -as our Saviour here employs: He might say, “Keep-God’s commandments;” but he would never have o
said, “Keep my commandments.” That dear and
Divine Person whom we. call Master and Lord here
says, “Keep J commandments.” What a commanding person He must be! What lordship He has over His people! How great He is among His saints!
If you keep His commandments you are putting Him into the position which He claims. By obedience you
own His sovereignty and godhead, and say with — Thomas, “My Lord and my God.” I am afraid that a great many people know a Christ who is meek and
lowly, their servant and Saviour; but they do not
know the Zord Jesus Christ. Alas! my friends, such
people set up a false Christ. We do not love Jesus
at all if He is not our Lord and God. It is all cant
and hypocrisy, this love to Christ which robs Him of His Deity. I abhor that love to Christ which does
not make Him King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Love Him, and belittle Him! It is absurd. Follow
‘It is easy to crave a hal 3 by ‘Christ, and refuse a whole Christ. / zs easy also to follow — tated ia 2
$ Love i is ene zoey crowns its s Lord aR 3 i li If you love Jesus aright, you. view His aa — ereser as a divine commandment. You oe tes eo
a 1 saving Christ, and
“LOOK: TO HIM FOR THE GUIDANCE OF YOUR LIFE
as well as for the pardon of your sin. x This test, again, is very judicious, because 2 proves the living presence of the object of your love. Love always desires to have its object near, and ithasa <=” - faculty of bringing its object near. If you love any-:. body, that person may be far away, and yet to your thoughts he is close at hand. Love brings the beloved one so near that the thought of him acts upon its life. It is a most judicious test again, because, by keep- ‘ing our Lord’s commandments, we ave doing that which is most pleasing to Him, and will most glorify flim. Some enthusiastic Methodist cries: — ae “Oh what shall I do my Saviour to praise?” Hearken, my brother; if you love your Saviour keep His commandments. This is all you have to do, and, a great all too. Among the rest, you may come and be baptized, while you are thus earnest to praise your Lord. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” There is the answer to every rapturous ee Fesus ts we can nm possibly display in what ts op will ee Batt. Ea He has never commanded it. If you wish to’s ve ie 8 eg the sieaioused box, and fill the house yee sweet ee
a ersten cake” ve cannot do your Lord so eae a x ys - favor, or, in the long run, bring to Him so real an. PON honor, as by a complete, continual, hearty obedtanee on ‘to every one of His commandments. Moreover, the Saviour knew, when He bade ae a this test, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,” that ct would prepare us for honoring and glorifying — Him in many other ways: Read the context: — ‘If ye — love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, — that He may abide with you forever.” You can greatly glorify Christ if you are filled with the Holy Spirit; but you cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit — if you do not keep Christ’s commandments. The Spirit of God as a Comforter will come only to those to whom He comes as a Sanctifier. By making us holy He will qualify us for being useful. The Saviour — says, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments,” be- Cause
aa 5 WE SHALL THEN OBTAIN THAT DIVINE GIFT by which we can glorify His name. If there be any service which your love would aspire to, obedience to your Lord is the way to it.
: ‘his is the eviced version, and I pores it will gee
‘the command is given.
vane set to work to find out what Tlis commandments
; oe have the slightest question. This sacred oracle must guide you. »;
Christ’s commandments are. Carry them out at all
% sat: to say, “Hitherto I have obeyed, but I shall stop
here.” We are committed to implicit obedience to the whole of the Master’s will, involve what it may. Will you not agree to this at the outset? If you love Him you will not demur.
Take note of every commandment as it concerns you. Let me mention one or two, and beg you to obey them as you hear them. ‘Go ye into all the world
a call to you, my brother, to be a missionary? Do
night full of enmity:
written out in capitals upon our revised lives! We = will obey, we must obey, since we love Him by whom.
Come then, Bega and sisters, as the time has ie a gone, let me say this much to you: If you love —
—Study the Scriptures upon every point upon which
Next, de always true to your convictions about what
hazards, and carry them out at once: It will be wicked -
and preach the Gospel to every creature.” Is not this
you hear it? Will you not say, “Here am I; send. me’? Another person has come into this house tore: eThérelore if thou ce thy pite t to tie altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath — ; ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the — altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy ea brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” And — again, “Little children, love one another,” If any of you are in debt, obey this commandment, “Owe no i man anything, but to love one another.” If you — neglect the poor, and live ina niggardly way, hear this commandment: “Give to him that asketh theer” a and om him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou
-. away.” At the back of all comes this, “If ye love ey Me, keep My commandments.” I might stop here yy all night, and mention, one after another, the com- -.mandments which would be specially applicable to each one of my hearers; but I pray the Holy Ghost to bring all things to your remembrance. ne 3 If there be a commandment which you do not relish, it ought to be a warning to you that there is something wrong in your heart that needs setting right. Many of you do not love my Lord Jesus Christ. I have not preached to you, but THAT VERY FACT SHOULD MAKE YOU THOUGHTFUL.
Go home and consider that the preacher said nothing - to you because you do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore cannot keep His commandments.
. Write down in black and white — ‘J do not love the
Lord Fesus Christ. If it really be so, be honest enough to make a note of it, and think it over. If you love Jesus, you may joyfully write out, “I love the Lord Jesus. Oh for grace to love Him more!” But if you do not love Him it will be honest to put it upon record. Write it boldly: “/do not love the Lord Jesus Christ.” Look at it, and look again; and oh, may God the Holy Ghost lead.you to repent of not loving Jesus, who is the altogether lovely One, and the great lover of men’s souls! Oh that you may begin to love Him at once! Amen and Amen.
B.