Christian Love

Chapter 2: The Nature and Excellence of Christian Love

1. This Christian virtue should become dearer to us because God presents himself as its pattern, and Christ offers himself as its incomparable example for us to imitate. Love is what most endears God to his creatures, and surely it must also make them dearer to one another. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

“But I say unto you, 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: that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:44-45). “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour” (Eph 5:1-2). “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another” (John 13:35).

Following such an incomparable example and imitating such a noble and exalted pattern raises the soul to royal dignity: it dwells in God, and God dwells in it (1 John 4:16). This is the highest degree of conformity to God and the closest resemblance to our Father. The wretched ambition to be like him in wisdom cast humanity as low as hell. But aspiring to be like him in love lifts the soul as high as heaven, even to this mutual indwelling.

2. This virtue should carry extraordinary weight with us because we have not only so exalted a pattern but also so excellent a motive. God loved us so greatly, and “herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Therefore, if God loved us so greatly, we ought also to love one another (1 John 4:9-11). “Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us” (Eph 5:2).

Here are the grounds for the most powerful persuasion. No ingenuity can supply a more compelling motive than this: Christ loved us so greatly that he gave himself as a sacrifice for sin. Oh, then, who should live for himself when Christ died for others? And who should refuse to love when God did not spare his own Son but delivered him up for us all (Rom 8:32)? “God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).

3. Add to this such an earnest and urgent command, the final will of him to whom we owe both our existence and our redemption. This is the burden he lays on us. This is all the repayment he seeks for his unparalleled love: “This is my command, that as I have loved you, ye love one another” (John 13:34).

He speaks to us in this way: “Your goodness cannot benefit me. Therefore, I transfer all the kindness and generosity you owe me to those whom I have loved, those for whom I did not hold my own life dear. Whatever you would consider yourself bound to do for me if I were on earth among you, do for those poor people I have left behind. This is all the evidence of gratitude I ask.”

The Scripture says: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer, and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matt 25:34-40). “These ye have always with you, but me ye have not always.”

How remarkably earnest, concerned and penetrating he is in expressing this exhortation! “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love to one another” (John 13:34-35). “This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you. These things I command you, that ye love one another” (John 15:12, 17).

His apostles speak in the same way after him: “But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another” (1 Thess 4:9). “And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Col 3:14). “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins” (1 Pet 4:8).

But above all, consider that beloved disciple. He was so intimate with Jesus Christ that we may reasonably suppose his companionship with Christ accustomed him to this affectionate disposition. He was especially mindful of Christ’s final instructions. He can hardly speak three sentences without making this one of them.

All this should convince us of one thing: love carries greater significance and weight in Christianity than most of the things over which Christians bite and devour one another. It is the fundamental law of the gospel, to which all expressly appointed commands and ordinances should yield. Agreement in judgment is very necessary for Christians’ well-being. But Christ’s last words urge us to recognize that unity in affection is more essential and fundamental. This is the badge he left his disciples. If we throw it away whenever our minds differ in understanding, we disown our Master and reject his identifying token and badge.

4. The apostle Paul gives love high praise when he calls it the bond of perfection. “Above all things,” he says, “put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness” (Col 3:14). I am sure it does not hold so high a place in Christians’ minds and practice now as it holds here in the list of qualities that make up the new person. Here it stands above everything; with us it stands below everything, even below every opinion about doubtful truths.

Agreement about some petty controversy of the day is made the badge of Christianity. It is placed conspicuously above everything the apostle mentions: tender mercy, kindness, gentleness, humility of mind, meekness and patience (Col 3:12). Indeed, love itself is treated merely as a servant attending this mistress.

But consider the apostle’s meaningful description of love. It is a bond of perfection, a bundle of graces and a chain of virtues, the very cream and flower of many graces combined. It is the sweet result of all the graces working together. It is the very head and heart of the new person we are invited to put on: “Above all, put on charity.” The belt of love binds all these previously mentioned perfections together on the new person.

When love is born and brought forth, it may be named Gad, for a troop is coming: a troop or company of virtues that it leads and commands. Love has a tender heart, for it has deep compassion. Its spirit is so compassionate and tender that other people’s misery or suffering, whether bodily or spiritual, leaves an impression on it. It is therefore Christian sympathy, entering into others’ afflictions. If others are distressed, it responds with comfort and sympathy.

This sympathy extends not only to bodily and outward weaknesses but, most of all, to weaknesses of mind and heart: error, ignorance, darkness, and falling and failing under temptation. We are made priests to God our Father, to have compassion on those who are ignorant and have gone astray, because we ourselves are also surrounded by weakness (Rev 1:6; Heb 5:2).

Love also has a humble mind. Without humility of mind, it could not stoop and accommodate itself to others in low positions. Therefore, Christ urges humility above all: “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Unless someone is humble enough to sit below offenses and weaknesses, his love cannot rise above them. Self-love is the greatest enemy of true Christian love, and pride is the source of self-love.

In this life, Christians’ thoughts and ways cannot correspond exactly. Therefore, this bond of perfection cannot remain unbroken unless they accommodate one another. Self-love wants everything to conform to itself; if that does not happen, the bond immediately tears. But humility of mind can adapt itself to all things, and this keeps the bond secure.

Through the link of humility, love also has meekness and kindness chained to it. Love has a sweet disposition, gentle and kind. Pride is the mother of angry passion; humility is the mother of meekness. Meekness brings the inward affection into order, while gentleness and kindness adorn the outward actions. Oh, that sweet composure of spirit!

The heart of the wicked is like the troubled sea. There is no rest or quiet in it, only continual storms rising and continual waves of unrest. A spirit without meekness is like a boiling pot: it troubles itself and disturbs others. Finally, through humility and meekness, love becomes the most enduring, patient thing in the world: “with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love.” These are the only foundations of patience and the strength to endure long.

Scripture describes anger and passion as haste. Anger is sudden, furious and hasty; rash, thoughtless and impatient; quicker to rush than to accomplish anything. The particular exercises and actions of these graces are “forbearing one another, and forgiving one another,” according to Christ’s example (Col 3:13). These are such high and exalted works that love must harness all the graces already mentioned, uniting them in one troop to accomplish them.

The great and sweet fruit of all this is contained in these words: “The peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which ye are called in one body” (Col 3:15). This does not mean peace with God, but the peace God has established between people. All were shattered and torn apart. Through his Son Jesus Christ, the Lord has gathered many into one body, the church, and by one Spirit gives life to them all. Where love predominates, there is sweet peace and harmony among all the members of this one body. This peace and tranquility of affection rules and predominates over all those lusts that are the mines from which contentions, strifes and wars emerge.

5. Add another special mark of excellence that this apostle gives to charity, or Christian love: “The end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Tim 1:5).

If this were properly considered, I believe it would fill every heart with astonishment and every face with shame. People have neglected the weightier matters of the law and pressed some other particular duties beyond their proper bounds to take the place of love, which is the goal and fulfillment of the law.

This shows that love is the cream of the graces. It is the spirit and concentrated essence drawn from those principal graces: sincere faith, a good conscience and a pure heart. It is true that the immediate goal of the law, as it is now explained to us, is to draw us to believe in Jesus Christ. This is expressed in the words, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom 10:4). But believing in Christ is not its final goal.

Sincere faith in a Mediator is intended to produce the answer of a good conscience through Christ’s blood and to purify the heart through the water of the Spirit. By this gracious course, it finally brings about the fulfillment of the law’s righteousness in us through love, that righteousness which is fulfilled for us through divine imputation.

Now consider the context, and it will give much instruction for our growth. Some teachers occupied themselves and others with endless genealogies (1 Tim 1:4). Although these contained some truth, they were tangled and brought no spiritual growth to souls. Curiosity could wander around in such debates, losing itself as in a labyrinth. But they multiplied disputes rather than producing true growth in faith and in love for God and people.

Paul’s meaning is this: “They completely misunderstand the goal of the law and of Scripture’s teaching.” Its goal and great purpose is love, which proceeds from faith in Christ as that faith purifies the heart. This is the sum of everything: to worship God in faith and purity, and to love one another.

Whatever debates and questions tend to break this bond, without offering any clear and substantial benefit, must be judged by that goal. Even if they are thought to concern matters of conscience, pursuing and pressing them to the injury of love does manifest violence to God’s law, which is the rule of conscience. It turns Scripture and conscience toward a wrong purpose.

I say, then, that love and Christian affection should govern all our actions toward others. Our actions should proceed from love and be shaped by its rule. I am persuaded that, if this rule were followed, disagreements among godly people about matters that merely produce questions would soon be buried in the depths of Christian affection.

6. To complete this account of the excellence of love, consider that remarkable chapter in which Paul compares it with other graces (1 Cor 13). At the end, he pronounces in its favor: “the greatest of these is charity.”

I wonder how we can be so pleased with ourselves, as though we had already arrived, when we do not even work to become acquainted with this virtue in which the life of Christianity consists. Without it, faith is dead, our profession is empty, and our other duties and efforts for the truth are unacceptable to God and people.

“Yet I show you a more excellent way,” he says in the preceding chapter. This more excellent way is love: more excellent than gifts, speaking in tongues, prophesying, etc. Is it not also more excellent than knowing and acknowledging some presently disputed matters about governments, treaties and the like, and far more excellent than every minute point of them?

But he goes higher. Suppose someone could spend all his possessions to maintain such an opinion and give his life to defend it. Although this might be commendable in itself, if he lacks love and affection for his brothers and sisters, if he presses that point of conscience so far that he breaks Christian affection and the duties flowing from it, it profits him nothing.

Surely, then, love must govern our outward actions and hold the leading place in the use of every gift and the expression of every opinion. Whatever knowledge and ability someone has, love must employ and use it. Without love, duties and graces make a noise but are shallow and empty within. Paul now shows its sweet qualities and good effects: how widely its influence reaches into everything, and especially how necessary it is for preserving the church’s unity.

Charity is kind and suffereth long. It is patient over a long period and greathearted. Indeed, no truly great mind is without patience and endurance. Being quick to anger is a great weakness and smallness of spirit. Such a spirit does not govern itself but is enslaved to its own lust: “but he that ruleth his spirit, is greater than he that taketh a city.”

It is largely this affection of love that masters passion. There is greatness and nobility in loving those who have not treated us well, in being kind to the unfaithful, in not being easily provoked or quickly estranged. A fool’s wrath is immediately known. It is a folly and weakness of spirit that love, abundant love, cures and corrects. Love endures much unkindness, endures it for a long time, and can still be kind.

“Charity envieth not.” Envy is the seed of all contention, and self-love brings it forth. When everyone wants to be esteemed and to have precedence over others, their ways and pursuits are bound to clash. This makes discord. Everyone wants to subtract from another’s reputation to add to his own. No one lives content with his own lot or position, and aspiring beyond it throws all the wheels out of order.

I believe this is the root of many contentions among Christians. The suspicion of being slighted, the belief that one has been disrespected, and things like these kindle the flame of disagreement and magnify the smallest offense into an unforgivable injury. But love does not envy. It can rest quietly in a low position. Even when it is under others’ feet and below the place it deserves, it does not envy but can remain content there. Suppose it is slighted and despised: it still does not take great offense, because it is humble in mind.

“Charity is not puffed up, and vaunteth not itself.” If love has gifts and graces beyond those of others, it restrains itself with the bridle of modesty and humility. It avoids bragging, boasting or anything in its conduct that might suggest conceit. Pride admires itself and despises others. To please itself, it does not care if it displeases others.

Nothing is so intolerable in human or Christian society, or so likely to alienate others’ affection. The more affection we claim for ourselves, the less we will receive from others. Oh, those golden rules of Christian conduct! “Be kindly affectionate one to another, with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another.” “Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits” (Rom 12:10, 16).

Oh, what a beautiful rivalry that would be among Christians: each preferring another in sincere love, and each, in humility of mind, considering another better than himself (Phil 2:3)! “Knowledge puffeth up,” this apostle says, “but charity edifieth” (1 Cor 8:1). Such knowledge is merely swelling and a tumor of the mind, but love is solid piety and real religion.

Love also does nothing improper; it “behaveth not itself unseemly” (1 Cor 13:5). Vanity and a swollen opinion of oneself will certainly break out in some improper conduct, such as a vain display of one’s own importance. But love preserves a gracious propriety in all its conduct. It neither provokes and irritates others nor exposes itself to contempt or mockery.

Or the word may be understood this way: love is not disdainfully particular. It does not consider itself disgraced or mistreated by accommodating people in low positions. With its Master, it can bend down to wash a disciple’s feet without thinking this improper. Whatever it submits to in doing or suffering, it is not ashamed of it as though it were unsuitable or unbecoming.

“Charity seeketh not her own things.” Self-denial and true love are inseparable. Self-love monopolizes everything for its own interest. This is directly opposed to Christian affection and fellowship, which place everything in a common treasury. If each member sought its own interests rather than the good of the whole body, what a miserable disorder that would cause in the body!

We are called into one body in Christ. Therefore, we should attend not only to our own interests but also to those of others (Phil 2:4). There is a common interest in the saints’ mutual growth in faith and love, and love will prefer this to its private interest. Attachment to our own opinions, an exaggerated opinion of ourselves and excessive concern to please ourselves are the great enemies of the peace to which we are called in one body. Since one Spirit animates and gives life to all the members, how monstrous it is for one member to seek its own interests and attend only to its private advantage, as though it were a separate body!

“Charity is not easily provoked.” This is its upright and solid firmness: outward pressures do not quickly move it. It is patient, enduring long and enduring much. Violent and heavy pressures of injury will not shake it. Even where much provocation is given, it is not provoked. To complete the description, neither is it easily provoked by slight offenses.

It is strange how small a spark of injury sets everything aflame. Our spirits are like gunpowder, so combustible through corruption. How ridiculous the causes of our anger usually are! We are deeply disturbed by slight things and gravely troubled by ridiculous things. We are like children quarreling over toys and trifles, or like beasts provoked by the mere sight of a color, such as red.

We would save ourselves much trouble if we could judge the matter before allowing ourselves to be provoked. Instead, we follow the first appearance of wrong. Once something outside us has stirred us, we keep the disturbance going within, lest we seem to have been angry without a cause.

But love has a more solid foundation. It dwells in God, for God is love. So it is truly great and truly exalted, looking steadily down on these lower things. The upper world is continually calm and serene. There are no clouds or storms there, no winds, nothing to disturb its harmonious and uniform movement. It is this lower world that is troubled and tossed by storms and obscured by clouds. In the same way, a soul dwelling in God through love is raised above the cloudy region. It is calm, quiet and serene, undisturbed and uninterrupted in its movement of love toward God or people.

“Charity thinketh no evil.” Love is inclined to understand everything in the best sense. If something admits several interpretations, love can put the best construction on it. It is so kind and good in its own nature that it is not inclined to suspect others. It desires to condemn no one and would gladly acquit everyone as far as reason and conscience permit.

It is so far from desiring revenge that an injury does not provoke or trouble it. That would only mean injuring itself because others have already injured it. It is so far from wronging others that it will not willingly even think evil of them.

Yet, if necessary, love can administer justice and impose punishment. It does this out of love and compassion for humanity, rather than a desire for another’s misery. Love does not punish because a sin has been committed, but so that sin may not be committed. It looks more to preventing future sin than to avenging a past fault. It can do all this without any disturbance of spirit, as a physician opens a vein without anger. Who is angry with his own patient?

“Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity.” Love is not defiled within itself, even though it accommodates everyone. Although it can love evil people and wish them well, it does not rejoice in wrongdoing. It is like sunlight shining on a dunghill without being defiled or receiving any stain from it. Some base and wicked spirits make a game of doing mischief themselves and take pleasure in others who do it.

But love rejoices in no wrongdoing or injustice, even if it is done to its own enemy. It cannot take pleasure in the unjust sufferings of anyone who hates it. It has no enemy but sin and wrongdoing, and it hates nothing else with a perfect hatred. Therefore, whatever advantage it might receive from other people’s wrongdoing, it cannot rejoice that wrongdoing, its chief enemy, should reign and prevail.